Why Every Homeowner Should Consider Installing an AC Soft Starter | Micro Air Easy Start Install
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 12 май 2023
- In this video I show the features of and how to install a Micro Air Soft Starter on my AC unit. This will allow me to use my generator or solar to power my AC. It will also protect, diagnose, and extend the life of my unit along with so many other things it can do.
🧰 Products In The Video 🧰
1-1.5 Ton AC Micro Air Soft Starter X36: amzn.to/3VWXVqj
2-3.5 Ton AC Micro Air Soft Starter X48: amzn.to/3O6cBS7
4-6 Ton AC Micro Air Soft Starter X72: amzn.to/3LUUATY
Klein HVAC CL440 Multimeter: amzn.to/3H4PiDY
Klein 2 in 1 5/16 & 3/4 Driver: amzn.to/3TnqKef
Klein Crimping Tool: amzn.to/3BkwRaK
Milwaukee Screw Driver: amzn.to/44ThsvR
Crimp Terminals Assortment Kit: amzn.to/41yk3YY
30 to 50 Amp Generator Adapter Cord: amzn.to/3LSE7Qc
Klein Wire Strippers: amzn.to/42T2ALY
🎥 Related Air Conditioner Videos 🎥
How to Replace a Dual Run Capacitor: • Was Quoted $400. I Fix...
How To Clean Your AC and Coils Like the Pros Do | WILL Make Air Blow Colder: • How To Clean Your AC a...
How To Quiet Your AC to Normal Conversation Volume: • How To Quiet Your AC t...
ALSO, here is our How To Home Amazon Store, where you can find many of the tools, items, and shirts I use and wear in my videos! amzn.to/3mcqu1E
My RUclips Filming and Editing Gear: amzn.to/3kqqkGl
Thank you for watching and for subscribing. You can support the channel at no cost to you by using one of the above affiliate links. This helps support the channel for new content!
Blessings,
Adam
How To Home assumes no liability for damage or injury. How To Home highly recommends using proper safety procedures and professionals when needed. Our content is for entertainment purposes only. No information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not How To Home. How To Home will not be held liable for any negligent or accidental damage or injury resulting from equipment, tools, electrical, fire, electronics or any items contained in this video. Attempt projects and repairs at your own risk. 
Хобби
IMPORTANT INSTALL UPDATE: On the step where the brown wire from the soft starter gets connected to the compressor R wire there has been some confusion. By following which wire connects from the capacitor common terminal back to the contactor, this will show you what side of the contactor your compressor run wire is. It will normally be the largest gauge wire on that side of the contactor (usually the right side). It will also usually be screwed into the contactor but some smaller units it may be on one of the spade connectors. You can also refer to your AC's diagram that is usually on the inside of the cover plate that was removed to make sure you are in fact removing, cutting, and splicing the brown wire to the compressor R wire. I hope this helps!
I just purchased a Soft Starter, and hoping it will allow me to use my A/C with my DuroMax 13,000 watt generator. I do have it hooked into my breaker box in the house, etc. It was just the A/C that I didn’t have enough power to run it using my generator (I use natural gas for that). I am going to follow your instructions in your video, but reading these new instructions is like trying to do algebra. LOL.. I guess I’m more of a “draw me a picture guy”. Is your video correct, or is something not correct on the video? I will make sure to read this post you put, and watch the video many times before installing it. I really hope this works, as it’s hot as hell here in Tex this year. I’m pretty sure we will lose power at some point, and I want to be ready when we do. Many thanks to the video you posted!!
Which model soft starter is needed for a 4 -3 ton unit?
Just an update. I have installed my Soft Starter from Micro Air, and I honestly didn’t think it would work. My goal was to be able to run my 5 ton A/C unit using my 13,000 watt generator. My generator is the DuroMax XP13000HXT. I have it hooked into my breaker box, and use natural gas so that I didn’t have to worry about running out of propane, or gasoline. Using natural gas will take the watts down to 10,000 (running watts 8,500). Running amps for 240 is at 35 or so. My biggest concern was the peak amps after installing the Soft Starter. I was still seeing it on the app at 63-69 peak amps. So I figured this would be too high for my generator. I was pleasantly surprised when it worked! I was able to run my A/C, have 2 fridges, and 2 separate freezers, along with 2 TV’s, internet, and a couple of fans on in bedrooms (I wanted to see if it would still cut on with these other things on at the same time). I forgot to get a peak amp reading before installing the Soft Starter, so I’m not sure where it was in the beginning. I’m still not quite sure why it worked. I would have thought that with the peak amps still around 65 (avg), that it would have been to many amps for my generator to handle the load. I”m just extremely happy it did, as it’s hot as hell here in TX, and we have already had the power go out twice this summer (once for 12 hours overnight).
They make soft for 3 phase and for single 277
Can I use this in place of a "Compressor saver"?
I put an Easy Start on my unit about 2 years ago. Micro-Air is located just east of Trenton NJ, and as I live down in South Jersey, I decided to visit the factory.
Let me tell you.... with over 40 years of professional work in electronics for the Federal Government, I am beyond impressed with the design, manufacturing and quality control I personally witnessed at Easy Start.
As for warranty, last summer I had a problem with my unit. I called the company, explained what was happening, and they told me to bring it back to them. Again, I drove up there, talked to the engineering guys, and they just pulled a NEW unit off the production line, updated their records, and handed it to me. Unbelievable in this day and age!
I brought it home, reinstalled it, and powered everything up. Just as before.... staged compressor startup. Not only does this GREATLY reduce the inrush current, it also reduces wear on the compressor.
By the way, I run my house on a Ridgid 8KW running watts generator when needed (through a panel lockout kit) and it starts my AC just fine. Bottom line: if you have a generator for your house and also have central air.... JUST GET ONE OF THESE!!!
This comment is so helpful. May I ask, as someone with no background in electronics and AC etc, do these also save on the electric bill?
@@LK-bz9sk I would imagine that if there was any savings, it actually would be quite small. The inrush current that the EasyStart replaces is only there for a few hundredths of a second. The larger benefit is the ability to use your AC when operating off a generator, as well as the decreased stress to the compressor unit over long-term. I hope this explanation helps.
@@thomasgrunwald9065 this is very helpful. I appreciate the info.
@@LK-bz9sk No, it will not.
@@LK-bz9sk Actually it does not save money on electricity bill. However certainly it will increase the life of the compressor and everything behind (cables, breaker, relays etc) by the fact that it will avoid this high inrush current. This inrush current is like start your vehicle with gas pedal at full throttle for a second, every time you need it.
I love how organized and detailed your instruction videos are. Great job!
Prepping for Solar system and I installed Micro-Air’s on a 5 Ton AC and a 1.5 Ton AC.
The 1.5 Ton AC start was 44 Amps, dropped to 12.5 Amps.
The 5 Ton AC start was 127 Amps, dropped to 32 Amps.
We also have a Pentair 140K BTU (12 Ton/7 hp compressor) pool heater that has a 185 Amp LRA. I checked with Micro-Air and they said that their products went to 5 tons. I found an Eltwin Hyper Engineering SureStart that is rated to 185 Amps start and 16-32 run Amps. I installed the Eltwin and the Start current dropped from 194 Amps to 44 Amps.
The change on startup for the Pool Heater and 5 Ton was very noticeable, so much quieter!
Thanks to you I picked one of these up and installed it and could not be happier. Thanks!!!!!
I so appreciate your videos, I work as a maintenance tech at a retirement community and have used your videos so many times to help me get the job done. Keep up the great work.
I've used this on my RV for years so I could easily run my AC on the RV with my 15a home connection instead of the 30a but never thought to install one on my home AC. Great tip!
We installed one on our camper ac unit. Absolutely love these!
Just installed mine. I freakin love it. I'm on a 5 ton unit and the peak is 33 amps, run amps is 14. I'm so excited.
This is excellent! I’ve been wanting to add a soft start for a long time but was afraid to do so. Now I believe I can do it myself.
If I can do it -- and I did -- anyone can!
Have to give you 10 stars cause you showed me how to install the power inlet box and the easy start. It's amazing my 10,000 watt generator can power my 3 ton ac and all the lights in my house. 22amps is all that it takes to start now thank you! Alot of people you help I'm sure don't leave a comment only the ones that have problems. Your content is very informative and needed!
That is awesome! Really glad to hear you have gotten things installed and where you want them to be! Thanks a lot for taking the time to leave this feedback!
Just want to say that your videos are gold!
Well thank you very much. Really glad to hear you are finding value in the channel. Thanks a lot for taking the time to leave that feedback Ken!
Thank you for testing with smaller generator. That helped with my decision to get this.
I installed an EasyStart last year when I got a Predator 9500 (set up and wired for a possible second 9500). We have an all-electric house with heat pump. The EasyStart works well: it reduced the inrush from nearly 90A to typically 20A. Soon after installing it we had a heavy rain and mosisture got into the housing, and i resealed the housing after drying it out. One thing that would be nice is that the bluetooth would connect when the compressor is not running in ordeer to get stats.
A lot of the benefits of this, I already expected. The one I wasn't prepared for, which you mentioned, was how much quieter our unit's startup is!!! I am pretty alert to noises throughout the house; but since having installed this, I honestly couldn't tell you when our A/C is running! -Purchased this as our all-electric home's primary heat pump would cause my 20kw generator to puke its guts out if anything bigger than a toaster was also running when it would cycle in, causing more-sensitive devices to shut down or power conditioners to kick in. I haven't had a real-world test on the standby gen as it was only installed a day ago, but I highly recommend to install for any one of the number of benefits you mention.
I had one of these in my camper so I could run the AC on a 2000w generator. Flawless.
Good stuff. I would have never attempted this without viewing your video, but I feel confident this is a job I can and will do. Thanks.
Excellent video, you covered everything in detail. I've already purchased the Mico-Air Easy start and it took my starting load from 105 down to as low as 32, allowing me to run the AC on a 7000w generator. I thought you brought it home when you hooked up the smaller generator and it handled the load. Lastly your breakdown of the Easy Start and explaining how it works was more detail than the manufacturer. Very helpful they should be cutting you a check. Congratulations on a great presentation, I'm am now a subscriber.
I worked on artillery tracking radars in the military and we had a soft start in our low voltage power supply. 350v @ 350a was our low voltage. But the soft start was relatively simple, ran the 3phase 400 Hz into 3 very large resistors, and as power was applied after a certain amount of time it would then use a large relay to short across the resistors thereby giving full power.
This is a great product to showcase. I’m definitely interested in it. Thanks!! I’m a bit surprised these aren’t mandatory to soften the spikes on the grid. The inrush current is brief but has full access to the grid for a short time.
Different issue there with the Radar. The high voltage caps on the secondary side of the stepup transformer look very much like a dead short when discharged. The resistors are there to limit the peak current that the secondary rectifier string has to contend with and prevent them from blowing.
I guess you are talking about a different thing
AWESOME video!!! This was so simple to install using your video as a guide. I was a little thrown off at the run wire part but used the diagram and got it done. Starts up so quietly now and getting 31 inrush amps on average per the app. Thanks again!! Love your videos!!!
It's interesting to see this for residential usage. All my 1000 TR chillers at work use VFD save one and we see the difference when we have to use the latter.
Correct, as a former home builder this just makes sense
Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback Thomas!
Outstanding video, Adam. Thank you for sharing your knowledge about all of this! You explain things so well, also.
Ha Ha what knowledge?
I watched at least a half dozen videos on the installation of the Easy Start 368 and this one is by far the most useful and descriptive of the wires and components each wire goes to, thank you!
Great timing on the video, I bought mine last year but didn't get around to installing it. Plan to install it this month on my 4 ton Carrier.
I followed your instructions a few years ago to install this unit and get my house ready for the generator to power it and everything still works great. Love your videos!
I followed his instructions years ago and my house exploded!
I always enjoy your videos, I installed one of these myself after researching on RUclips. I saw one video where the person used hook magnets to attach it to the access cover. I ordered the magnets and they work great. I used a freezer bag to cover it for extra protection and used zip ties to close the bottom of the bag around the conduit. This makes it easy to remove for service. I run my whole house on my tri-fuel duromax generator.
Can you post the link?
That’s a very clean and clear instructional video I have not seen for a long time and with great information too. Thanks
Very good instructions! After 10 years I decided to bring in my wiring diagram to keep it safe lol.
Installed mine today. Waaaaaaaaay cheaper than a whole house standby generator. Excellent video!
What does this have to do with a whole house generator?
@@535banshee It lets you use the AC with a portable generator.
Lost power for a couple of days during Hurricane Ian and had a very difficult time getting my AC to turn over even with a 22KW whole home generator. We have a 2 ton and a 5 ton. Had to cycle through the breakers and shut items down until I had freed up enough power to let the AC compressor kick on. Could only get the 2 ton to fire up. Learned about this item last year and finally got around to ordering an X48 and X72. Install is next week. The other challenge was finding an electrician who would do the install. AC company said an electrician had to do it while most electricians would say it was an AC install issue. Finally found an electrician who installed these and recommended the Micro Air before I even told him my preference. Has no problem with me purchasing the product on my own and saving me on their 44% markup. I'll give an update after the install. No AC in Florida during Hurricane Season is not a lot of fun. Looking forward to getting this done.
excellent post @sjacuk65. I reside in Fort Myers where Ian kicked our rear. I’m seriously considering installing the soft start unit. If possible, please reply to this post with the electrician company name so I can follow up and potentially hire them for my situation. Best regards…
I have a more cost effective solution and better product called Sure Start.
@@Electric_Sherlock I live in a high rise condo where backup power generators are prohibited. My Desire is to extend the HVAC system overall life and efficiency. It appears the soft start upgrade would help dramatically but I’m open to suggestions. I Also want the ability to monitor the HVAC system remotely via a smartphone since the outdoor unit requires permission for access. I’ve serviced my home HVAC system in WA state, but have since relocated to a condo in FL where homeowners are forbidden to perform any work themselves even if one possesses the necessary skill set. Please advise…
System Info: Unit installed 1/2019. Trane 4 Ton, 14.5 Seer Split System, OD Model 4TTR4048L1000, AH Model TEM4A0C48S41SB, 208/230 feed, 45 amp breaker AHU, 40amp breaker ODU, Honeywell T-6 Digital Thermostat.
Update: Successful install Can't believe the difference during start up. Smooth and quiet versus the traditional jolt we are all accustomed to hearing during startup. Not in a big hurry to see these in action during an outage but do feel better about having them installed.
@@rsmrsm9374 I’m not certain this is possible. If they don’t give you access or at least someone access to the units then you can’t install anything. If they do give you or a qualified & licensed individual access then a smart start coupled with just about any smart thermostat should likely suffice your situation.
Just connected mine. Same ac unit, same MA soft start. Had to remove hard start first. Thanks a lot for your help.
Another excellent how to video, so the soft start is working with generator and regular power.
Nice summary. The Easystart is a combo hardstart capacitor boost to improve starting torque and a triac (like light dimmer) voltage ramp during startup. It bypasses its voltage ramp circuit and disconnects extra starter capacitor (inside Easystart) after the approximately half second startup.
Only thing I would have left in video is showing the progressive startup current reductions as it does the five cycle learning process. Also important to allow the unit to remain off between each training cycle for at least 5 minutes to allow time for air conditioner refrigerant gas to equalize. Eaststart has a timer that enforces the five minute minimum off time if your A/C unit does not already have it.
You mentioned fan comes on a few seconds before compressor. This allows an inverter-generator in reduced rpm ECO mode to rev up its engine before compressor surge current jumps on inverter-generator.
I would just like to note that if your system has a Compressor Monitoring System (CMS) as did mine, the 5 second power delay will have to be disabled in order to accommodate the Easystart. I was unaware of this until I had the unit in hand. This information is not in any of the literature describing the product as far as I am aware.
Another great video. Clear, concise and helpful for those willing to approach DIY and focus on safety. I found you when searching on capacitor replacement in the past. I have 2 Tesla power walls but considering this soft start given I also have pool pumps as a way to reduce the initial surge in a power outage if everything is on.
Ug I'm😅😊ky 0:26 k6m😊0🎉
Appreciate the video! I've got a Trane 3 ton unit. Purchased my micro air thru your provided link, got it fast, and then the contactor broke prior to installing this...got that fixed and finally was able to hook this up today. Very simple hook up. Very quick to do. I didn't check my start up amperage but it's looking like I'm hitting at 23.7 start up amps now. I can hear and easier start up as well. And when the T-storms come and knock out my power, I feel better about running this unit on my generator.
Having just been through a 6 day power outage this is of great interest to me. I have a 5,000 watt generator and it will run everything but the main AC. I have in the past installed a couple of Mini Split units in my home. One in the master bedroom, I used to work a lot of midnight shifts so this helped me sleep darning those times. And one in my garage. The mini splits ran just fine and most everything else. My neighbor across the street had had a whole house standby generator system installed several years ago and I did lust after it but just not in the budget, but when I heard from her that it kept tripping out I did take a look but I couldn't figure out anything. She finally got the generator service man out and blamed the AC for the problem. It was drawing 97 amps inrush current. So this looks like a fix. Thanks for the video.
(Update) As a former Army Gen Tech, I appreciate videos like this! I installed a generator inlet and load tested my house with my Westinghouse 9500 gen and it overloaded it.
I installed the microair X48 on my 3.5 ton AC and the generator took it like a champ! As an added project, I installed emergency lights outside my house where my inlet is during power outages at night.
Great videos! 👍🏿
I just installed one of these last week after watching another one of your videos it was very easy to install. I don’t have a amp clamp to test the before starting amps but it’s down to 34 amps on my 5 ton unit. Thanks for all your great content
Wow, thats great! These things really are awesome devices. Thanks for sharing your experience Jim!
I put one of these on my RV AC a couple of years ago to run my AC on a small generator while camping. I think I'll add one to my home.
Thanks a bunch
I live where hurricane threaten or hit every few years. I just bought a bigger tri- fuel generator to run it on natural gas. I was told by my ac guy to get this soft start for my 3.5 ton unit. THANKS FOR THE VIDEO!!!!
Thank you, great video and very helpful to install this unit if you run a generator. Price is way above what you could get for a hard start kit though. $379 vs $50... I don't want to shell this type of money. I went with Amrad capacitor and hard start kit. Reduced my LRA from 83.9A to 23A. I'm happy with that on my 3T York. Keep the good work!
LRA is 'locked rotor amps'. This is generally a ridiculously high amperage. The number you need to compare is RLA (running load amps).
You're videos are absolutely excellent. You definitely get the information out in a concise and completely understandable way. Well done!
Really glad to hear you are liking them so much but more importantly, finding value in them. That is definitely the goal. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave that feedback!
The operative word is concise. I don't know how many videos I stop watching because they are full of fluff just to extend the time. This gentleman doesn't do that, his videos are always on point.
Oh, his understanding of electronics is OK, but he lacks knowledge on how to physically install said device. He needs to stop. He’ll get sued eventually because someone will say I saw this guy do it on RUclips! I hope he has insurance.
@@Noslime Both the micro-air easy-start and ICM870 contain easy to follow instructions and links to videos for easy installation. There's nothing to it. If you make a mistake (like I did) nothing bad happens. It just doesn't work until you connect it right.
Great info and explanation. I installed a hard start capacitor two years ago to be better able to power my home with a 13k generator and it helped with starting. But this is will be a huge help. Didn't know it even existed. Many thanks. Time to go order one.
I've watched several of your videos and you are great at explaining the why and how of things. I just installed my Micro-Air soft start following your directions and everything went great, lowered my starting amps from 53 to 26! I also watched your video on the transfer switch, power inlet, etc. Great advice, much appreciated!
Great video !!! I've installed two of these units, one on a 3 ton (my own home) and another on a 2.5 ton on a family member AC, This video explains everything to detail ! I live in FL, hurricanes are a part of life here. My 5,500w generator powered my AC unit (3 ton) with the Easy Start - no problems!!! To add, if you purchase an Easy Start for your AC, the customer service / tech support is great. I had an issue on my install, I sent a few pictures of my AC unit and the wires, they responded back same day (within an hour) and I was able to complete the install. If you want gain the full capacity of your generator and remain cool, and overall prolong your AC, do the research and get an Easy Start! Worth the investment. Again, Great Video !
5.13.23 Great video Adam. I have the easy start ASY-368-X48-BL and a Bryant heat pump 697CNX0 36000 ABAA. The unit is work real good. I did have an issue with the Bluetooth connecting. When connecting found something that started with ADPXXXXXXX, however I found out needed to start something like EASYXXXXXXXX. All is good. I also had an issue with the capacitor. I have one of those Turbo2000 so I sent the wire diagram over to Micro Air and they sent me back a colored diagram of where the wires should go.
Awesome! Love to hear it. Honestly, the folks at Micro Air have always been super helpful and responsive when I have needed help with something or had a question. Really glad to hear you had the same experience. Glad you are liking it and thank you very much for the feedback Chuck!
My service tech recommended this when he came this spring. My home is 3 yrs old and has a basic “builder grade” hvac system. I definitely notice my ac is a lot quieter when it kicks on than my neighbors. It’s hard to compare the electric usage as we are cooler this year than last.
0:25 this is a great video. I installed this today using your video. Took about 30 minutes. Went from about 130 in rush amps to about 25. Amazing.
Man I just got hit with a 400 dollar bill for a dual capacitor and valve stem replacement on my a/c. I wish I had seen these videos of yours sooner. You make it seem so easy. I am definitely going to install that soft start on my unit but I have to save the money for it first. It is pricey but we’ll worth it. Thanks so much for spreading this knowledge my friend.
A soft start won't fix a bad capacitor or leaking valve stems just saying. I'm pretty sure it won't prevent the capacitor from failing either.
@@MindzEnt you are right. I meant when I said “these videos”, I was referring to all the A/C videos he has including the one where he shows how to replace the bad capacitor for dirt cheap. I know I didn’t type that up good. My bad. I was so upset I had spent the 400 dollars and literally the day after these videos pop up on my RUclips cue showing me how to do it for a fraction. It’s like life was teasing me or something. Lol.
Added to my condo unit… easy install and works as advertised. Just wish the Bluetooth would connect even when the compressor isn’t running.
Yeah that would be great if it would. Glad to hear you like yours though. Thanks for sharing your experience Daryl!
Thanks for this video. I purchased this device and took less than 10 minutes to install. I went from 60 n rush amps to 23. Generator runs my entire house without issues. Customer service is top notch.
Many thanks for this video. Following this video, I was able to successfully install soft starters on my two a/c units. I'm getting my home setup to run a Genmax portable generator and a Generlink device hooked to my power meter. Keep up the great work!
I have that installed about 5 years ago. Awesome results. Saves you $$$ on the a/c lifespan alone. The multiple starts makes it easier on your a/c. My neighbors compressors kicks in are way louder than mine and when I use my generator I never got overloads. Not cheap but it pays back eventually. Nice video.
have you noticed any reduction in how well the system cools your house? i'm curious about whether or not the reduced running amps means a reduction in cooling capability.
@@dt05it shouldn’t affect the running power of the compressor. Electric motors tend to use 3-4x their continuous power to start up at full speed. This soft start just eases the compressor into its continuous amperage rather than go full speed ahead. Similar to what an inverter compressor does.
@@CorvetteCoonass understood about the inrush amps. I’m referring to the running amps. The video specifically said that the running amps after the soft start was slightly lower than before the soft start was installed.
Maybe it’ll save you money. You’ll never know
@@dt05 We have had this soft start unit installed on our 3.5T central air unit for about 3 years. It was originally installed to reduce compressor start-up amperage so we could make use of a smaller, portable generator for whole house purposes. We live in TX (where it is HOT in the summers) and have noticed no reduction in cooling capability. This product just works and is worth every penny, just in cost savings for the generator hardware alone.
I have the biggest version of this device. I couldn't recommend this enough. My generator (12 KW) was able to start my AC previously, but it was hard on it. After adding one of these, it starts with no problem. Further, this device has several safeties built in (under/over voltage, over amperage, line frequency under/over, restart timer). I blew a capacitor, and this prevented my compressor from trying to start until I replaced the capacitor. There is a set of diagnostic LEDs that are visible on the outside. I noticed that there was a problem when I was pulling out of my driveway from 40' away. I mounted mine on the outside, since it has a waterproof housing. My unit is a 16 SEER 5 ton, and my inrush current was specified to be up to 120A. I was measuring around 80 A. Once installed it is around 40A.
What are your running amps?
@@lnfinity4752 I run about 13 to 15A depending on the outside temperature. The running amps are really not that different than without the Micro Air easy start. It just keeps you from drawing huge current while starting.
@@elinbenson My unit is also a 5 ton scroll and it draws 14-16 running amps depending on conditions. It draws ~68 amps on start with the Micro Air unit. Micro Air Bluetooth unit has logged over 15k starts since installed.
@@lnfinity4752 Mine is a scroll compressor too. It is a 16 SEER unit. You might try to reset the Miro Air and let it relearn. I had a problem with mine having higher starting amperage. I reset it, and it went back to starting at 40 amps.
Starting up the compressor on your AC unit draws more power than when its running. Some Tstats have the option to limit compressor start ups via a timer. This is a great addition to your home HVAC system. Its been a few years since i worked in the residential hvac field. I do commercial refrigeration these days. I would definitely recommend this but like he said. Paying a hvac company to install it will cost you more than you're gunna want to pay. I really wish i could find videos this informative when i first started working in the field. RUclips didnt have HVAC videos this good a few years back.
Dang! I just got a whole new AC system but didn’t know about this. How much do you think this would cost to install? I wonder if I can figure out how to install it?
Great video. Ordering my soft start tomorrow. Thanks.
Soft starting is common practice in indistries when starting motors (whether using an electronic soft starter, VFD or delta-wye starter). I'm kinda surprised to hear that about home AC units ONLY NOW.
Good video. I installed a Hard Start Kit (as per your video) and it is working extremely well for me. My start-up amperage dropped from 72 A down to 41 amps. It was only about $15, but is doing a great job. The Soft Start "starts" at $400+ and I understand the difference in capability: however, I will stay with my existing kit...a great reduction for minimal cost.
But the soft start is impressive. Thanks
What size is your unit? 72 amps is LRA territory
I installed this a few weeks ago. I was able to mount the unit inside my house. It has preformed perfectly. I have a video on how I did it but it is true that if you have any fear at all.... call the man and have a pro do the job. I'd also say that you need to talk to the installer of you system to make sure you don't mess up any warranty you may have by installing this. It does make a click noise so if you think that will bother you, if you install where you might can hear it, then consider that but for me it sounds great!
I have one of these on my 3.5tonne American standard single stage. Reduced starting amps from 110 to 31. So that's 7300 watts vs about 24000 before. Installed new, almost two years old now no problems.
Absolutely wonderful job you done. It seems that it would be worth a manufacturer's while to include a soft start built-in and I wonder if there is any manufacturer currently doing this in their HVAC,s. I am glad to find you and I have subscribed.
Currently there are no manufacturers including this on their units but Micro Air has told me they are in talks with some of them to start including them on some of their units. We will see. Thanks a lot for the feedback James and look forward to seeing you more around the channel!
Some RV AC units come with a Soft-Start function, to allow the RV and its AC to run off a small gasoline generator at a campsite. I added to my RV's AC the unit that was demo'd in this video just to reduce wear 'n tear on the compressor.
Great idea. One of those things you don't need until you really need it then it's too late.
Thanks for the video - it introduced me to the soft start option, I never knew this was out there!
The difference between "flooring it" every time a light turns green and slowly accelerating up to speed. Which is easier on your car's engine?
can you add another video which shows in more detail how you did 5 startup and run sequences to sync the soft start with the A/C unit? did you use the thermostat for all 5 startup tests? I want to be sure I do everything right to make sure this unit will perform correctly.
Yes. I just used the thermostat to turn on the ac and then turn it off after it ran for a bit. Just repeated the process for 5 total starts and stops.
I have a 22kw Generac Guardian that will probably be fine running my 5 ton unit but I'm going to play it safe and install this brand of Softstart. Thanks for the video.
Very interesting 🤔
Great video, I'm definitely going to install to eliminate start-up noise.
Thanks 👍🏽
Why don’t AC manufacturers put these on the units from the factory?
Unless you have an old, stuck compressor that needs the help of a hard start, this seems like a no brainer to me. What do you think?
Problem is most Copeland compressors advice AGAINST installing these on their compressors you have to cross reference through Copeland to be sure it’s compatible. I’ve done classes with Copeland and don gillis when he was the lead trainer over there and they really hammered on this. Just heads up while you tell homeowners to put this on their equipment where they could be voiding their warranty or damaging their equipment
@@madeinusa1576 Agreed. I have found that for those Copeland Single Phase residential models such as the ZPxNN series, that support soft starters, it greatly reduces the startup noise and serves as a really surge protector in use cases that require these parameters.
Super Expensive Imagine if you need 5 of them because you have split units? Yikes.
Thanks for sharing.
This sounds amazing! We live in South Florida aka Hurricane Alley. Buh bye window unit!! I can use the central air during an outage now. We have a Daiken system and will look into this! Thanks!
AC Techs don't like this ... of course ... it's killing the Bussines! Lol
great video and channel. as someone who knows noting about AC's and other house "stuff", I find the info here invaluable
Hey man, excellent DIY video. Perfect instructions and it was a breeze. Starting 143 A after 5 runs 27-30 A. Can’t believe how much it helped on A. AC runs good and it’s a lot more quiet during start up.
Compressors are designed to handle short 80A startup current peaks. They are not damaged by startup current peak. 80A for 1/10th second is the same energy as 20A for 1/2 second, so there is no energy savings. A whole house surge protector protects the whole house, not just the AC, and is cheaper and easier to install.
Not sure what your point is. Whole house surge protector is not going to help your generator start your AC like this will
My problem is that I recently installed a new Carrier A/C system through a contractor about a year ago. The contractor has said that If I install a soft start kit myself then the warranty would be voided by Carrier. I must hire a licensed electrician or an HVAC company to install the soft start kit to keep the warranty in force. 😲
Yeah, that'll likely be the case for any unit that is new and still under warranty.
@@bgroovin1343 The warranty goes for many years, so I got to hire somebody. Contractor wants $1,200 to $1,400 to install it. Might get a better price with some bidding. Life isn't always that simple.
Unless you have a maintenance plan with the company, you can still install it yourself and remove when there is a service call. They have no ways to know tmo.
@@cyrilasfrenchyaz Bit of a hassle to uninstall, but I guess you could do that.
Awesome.. I believe sharing this will help me build my costumer base..
Been reading about these Soft Starts in the camper market for several years and wondered about a home version, great to see the answer. Extension to this is what about heat pumps only been living in my current home about 4 years and haven't had a power outage yet but I am not sure what I will do if we have an ice storm and go a couple of days without power.
There is a company now making Soft Start Kits for less than $200. It's called the ICM Controls ICM870-16A Soft Start.
Why don’t all ac’s have soft starters? Is there any draw backs to the soft starter?
Any AC I've had in the last 15+ years have this built in as part of the unit (the soft start protection stuff, not the monitoring). I'm not in the US, and on 230v standard AC supply so maybe it's just different in the US? 🤷♂
It's primarily due to expense. These units run about $300 and it would be hard to sell that to many people, would make an AC system less competitive to another.
If you have a full variable speed AC system then you have it integrated as part of that technology. But 99% of single and two speed ACs will not have this at least in North America.
I did the exact same thing. MicroAir soft start, 10,500 running watt dual fuel generator converter to tri fuel. I was able to run 4 ton AC using natural gas (AC rated at 29 amps). I only tested it and never had to use it in a power outage, but I was highly motivated after going through the Texas Snowmageddon a few years ago! I did not check the gas meter, but that generator was really sucking the natural gas. All in, including hiring an electrician to install the 50 amp outlet, it was around $3,200. I have moved since then and now have an all electric home, so I will be using gasoline.😩
Do not use these....
@@ericdavidson5011 why?
Very informative. Very thorough and clear. Thank you.
3:45-4:12 SO helpful! Did not know that.
So, putting aside all the nice protection features, I guess the point about starting the compressor is that the compressor doesn't actually require a large initial current, if the (smaller) current is delivered in well-timed pulses.
I assume the EasyStart has at least one capacitor that charges between the pulses, and discharges during the pulses to boost the pulse current.
Yes, it just slowly ramps up the power until it kicks on the compressor instead of it just getting a sudden jolt of electricity to get it going. Yes you are correct, it does have a capacitor inside of it.
Thank you, this will give us HVAC/R techs more work. Mostly when diyers do the install. Also, is this approved by any equipment manufacturer?
Thank you so much! I live in hurricane prone Florida and rely on my generator to get me thru the misery of losing power. Additionally, we do get surges here. I’m going to have my AC installer install this on my AC. Much appre!!
Appreciated
Great video, especially showing the before and after amps. I also have a 6,000 watt generator, it gives me hope using a soft start might work.
Mechanical and electrical engineer, here So, in a nutshell, if you hook a gasoline, powered portable generator to your air conditioner, you will burn out your compressor in a matter of time. Without a power conditioner, your compressor will be changing its RPM to match the generator and it’s not designed to ever change its RPM. So beware of what these guys tell you.
I’m assuming if you are using an inverter generator then that wouldn’t be an issue like it would with a standard “dirty” generator?
All that schooling and you still can't pay attention. Did you even watch the video?
Me and my buddies have..love it
Thanks for making this, made my install a breeze. Going to test with my 1150 watt generator and my 7200 watt solar battery setup.
So, another Micro Air Easy Start success story. I installed it yesterday and went from 110.6 starting inrush amps to 45.9 amps. I was hoping for a little more but I'll take it. Anything to save on the energy bill. Thanks again. I also encountered a problem with my NEST thermostat. Because we had not been using our HVAC heating much after a mild winter the built in lithium battery in the NEST wasn't charging so I was getting a delay on A/C startup. Luckily we had a 5th wire in the thermostat wire bundle that had just been tucked away inside the wall and not connected at the furnace mother board (the C wire) that supplies 24v to the NEST. Once connected on both ends, no delay. All is good.
Awesome video. My electrician/AC guy suggested the soft starter the last time he was out.
This also helps with info on a possible generator.
I have one in Florida and will install one in Texas, for generator you need an interlock kit specific for your panel, 50 amp 220 breaker, and 50amp cable for your generator.
Great video. Thank you. I'm going to install tomorrow.
I installed mine the same day I installed my 4 ton heat pump no regrets!!!
Thanks for the video. You are the only youtuber that explains this in a way that makes me feel confident enough to do this.
You might want to check with your warranty provider before installing. Just in case diy or product voids warranty
Im happy to see this updated information. And using the smaller generator! 😊 the company that makes this also makes one for your camping trailer 😊
Yeah I honestly could not believe it started it up so well with that smaller generator. I was already sold on the device but that just cemented it even more. Glad you liked the update Clarence. Thanks a lot for the feedback!
Installed mine yesterday. This video was very helpful. I went from 109 amps start up to 38 amps. I haven't tried the generator yet but I'm confident. It would ALMOST start the unit before. I have an 11,000 watt peak generator with 8950 watt continuous capabiltity. We have two fridges, a deep freezer and a mini fridge. The generator has never struggled at all with the heat pump turned off. I've even had a brain fart and welded a few minutes before remembering I was on the generator. I think the 3.5 ton heat pump will start just fine now. Thanks.
Thank you so much! Great detail on the installation process.
In talking to 2 large HVAC companies in San Diego, they both like these but said you don't buy one to save on your electrical bill or make the A/C unit (my application) more efficient. Yes does help save the compressor motor and actually help the other important appliances in your house against surges. They also are talking (both of them) about the kit itself costing $800.00, before installation. Good video thanks.
This was super interesting to me as someone with solar who's going to get batteries soon in arizona, because I have TWO air conditioning units and I want them to be run off the batteries. Anything that will reduce the power draw & the stress on the system will be amazing!
A/C will drain your batteries fast!! You might consider getting a whole house generator instead. I'm in TX and having solar put in and I'm getting a Generac for the summer needs and 2 batteries for if the grid goes down in the winter.
Exactly the information I needed. Thank you!
Great video, thanks for making this. Looking forward to duplicating this set up on my house