Soft Start Killed Compressor! UNEDITED Central AC Service Call for No Air Conditioning Revealed!
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2023
- Compressor Killed by Soft Start? MUST WATCH this unedited Central AC service call for NO Central A/C
⚠️Do not attempt to install this repair if you are not qualified and/or trained working with gas equipment.⚠️
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The headline was a bit misleading. Reading it, it implied that the Soft Start "killed" the compressor, meaning it failed and required replacement. In reality, it shut down power to the compressor and faulted out, but the compressor itself was fine. And as some have noted already, was protecting the compressor from over current due to dirty coils.
The soft start killed the compressor. Those are the fax it kill the power to the compressor that is more factual.
That soft start wasn’t the correct one for that unit. The amp load finally killed the soft start. That unit needs the 16-32 model. I install these all the time when I install generators and had this issue with the first one I installed thought were the same but were not. Learned the have max ampacity ratings as well and will give out prematurely
Agreed 👍
Testament of quality.....I noticed manufacture date as week 37 of 2019...if that unit worked for 4 years as undersized equipment, I can only give praise
I saw that as well, the nameplate rating of the soft start was 08-16 FLA and the nameplate rating for the outdoor unit was 25.3 FLA. The soft start was undersized. It didn’t fail, it shut down from a continuous overcurrent condition, hence the one flash per three seconds indicating “Over Current” fault. The meter indicated it was using 19.4 amps.
I believe these are sold primarily in the RV industry to enable a 5KW generator to operate 2 ~14k btu units to operate on the limited power available when boon docking.
@@wtaylorhudson3702 Actually, they've been selling these (all soft starts, not just this one) for at least 15 years maybe longer. We use them on a lot of HVAC units at ATT equipment buildings so as to reduce surge loads on backup generators to keep them from shutting down to overcurrent conditions when the HVAC cycles. They've since started to become popular with the SureStart aftermarket add-on soft-starts brand on solar homes and off-grid home conversions so as to not have the extra expense of having to replace legacy hvac units with more efficient split systems when converting. They're great products, but having the proper size installed works best...
A soft start works great if sized and installed correctly. They also extend compressor life, if you think otherwise you need to go back to school.
Pity to lose the soft starter. I wouldn't run my AC without one. Next time you might want to check the product manual to see why the starter decided the compressor needed to be turned off before disposing of an expensive upgrade.
On the DIY Solar Forum we recommend Soft Starters for anyone that wants or needs to operate a central A/C system on an inverter when utility power is down. MicroAir Easy Start and HyperEngineering are both good brands. MicroAir seems to be more sophisticated as far as diagnostic codes but then it costs more also. The HyperEngineering unit that you removed was too small for that old, inefficient compressor. Its rated for 8-16 RLA, NOT 20. Model 16-32 is what should have been installed. Others in the comments below noticed the same thing. I think you were a little too quick to judge the product and call it junk.
Okay
Most of us HVAC techs were not taught anything about soft start devices in school or on the job until recently. Now that our power grid throughout the USA is getting some age on it, becoming very unreliable, the crazy weather adding to the problems, everyone getting solar systems, they are becoming more popular…real fast. I have three on my 52,000W solar system alone. All different brands. They all work great when you install the correct model. We always carried hard start kits on the truck. We installed those for everything from hard to start compressors to dimming lights. You don’t know what you don’t know.
Many recent Micro Air soft starts also have a blue tooth connection. So the app would have shown the unit error for the homeowner and would have helped you with your diagnostics quicker.
Micro-Air is beta testing a new model 398 that is a “one size fits all” model, stay tuned.
Never heard of a soft start kit, although the first thing I would do would be to replace the Dual cap and add a hard start regardless,, add a 24v tdr in line with your contactor.( inspect contacts)
That should eliminate a heavy draw of amperage.
Gfreat service call!! **BUT** ever thought that maybe the soft start unit actually SAVED the unit? they fault out on high current.. that dirty coil very well could be why it was shutting down the compressor.. and the soft start unit was actually protecting the compressor.. I get it, the customer was hot but those pressures were way up there and the current pull was high as well as the discharge temp from the condenser.. ill bet it wouldve continued to run if you sprayed down the coil (well if their hose faucet worked)....
Maybe. Only time will tell
I also think the soft starter was falsely getting the blame here.
@@PipeDoctor Not really, because you removed the soft starter.
Put the proper soft start on the unit and save the customer some money on her monthly electric bill. Soft start devices are NOT STUPID!
Oh yeah? On a old R22 unit it is.
Wow, what a complete screwed up diagnosis of the issue. If you could read the Soft Start flashes 1x/ 3 seconds it was telling you that the Soft Start was sensing the compressor was over ampering (20+ Amps on a 25.3 RLA Compressor below recommend specs but shows issues). My First indicator would have been to check the Dual Run capacitor (wouldn't have been hard to pop it out while you were rewiring everything). Also, the amount of air coming out of the top of the condensing unit should have been your first clue of how dirty the coils were. Lastly, the tenants called you because you installed the equipment 15 years ago. Did you mount the condensing unit that close to the wall?? I bet the manual even gives you minimum spacing requirements for unit breathing. Looks like the Soft Start device is working properly, not sure if I can say the same for HVAC Tech.
You sound like a whiny chick who i kicked out of my bed last night.
You're completely right Brad. Glad someone on here knows what they are talking about, instead of just calling something they clearly don't understand..a 'hockey puck' and removing it without verifying if there was an actual need for it (like the solar system the house has), and cleaned it FIRST. If he had just admitted his mistake, I might have subscribed, but no way following someone that insults someone for simply informing them they made mistakes in their diagnosis.
Turn the water faucet back off outside. 😎👍
Damn. If I don’t show it I get yelled at!
@@PipeDoctor of course, we wouldn't have it any other way!
😂😂😂😂😎👍😂😂😂😂
Those soft starts are wonderful. They do have a failure rate just like anything else. Shouldn't bad mouth what you don't know.
how high is the failure rate though? anything over 10% is a problem IMO
@@Lewdacris916 I've had probably 10:1 caps over soft starts failure rate on equipment with a soft start installed. Nothing is perfect even had some sure switch failures but I still believe strongly in them. Voltage monitors also especially in problematic areas due to u/o voltage issues.
I did mini split repairs in Australia, the pansonics had the soft start - the rest of the unit was solid as in copeland scroll, good electronics, good capacitor. If I got a service call to one of those panasonics it was either the hyper engineering soft start fail, mice eating wiring or the indoor unit louvre snapped. Fujitsu made their own soft starter after testing hyper engineering for a short time and a breakdown with them was usually capacitor or compressor. LG, Daikin and Sharp fixed speed non inverter pre 2005 - always capacitor. Funny anything made before 2000 hardly ever had a capacitor fault but it became a plague of bad caps from 2000-2010. I know why, because they changed them from something very toxic to veg oil, so it's still always the weak point in single phase fixed speed systems. But it is possible to make a more reliable soft starter, fujitsus own in house design they ended up using had way less failures than hyper engineering's white boxes.
Another armchair technician who completely missed the point.
Point is “customers Central AC stopped working “
The soft start killed the compressor.
I removed it.
Central ac now working.
Don’t be a dick.
Soft start kits are junk; use only a good hard start kit.-
Thats a Easy Start so compressor can kick on at a lower amp draw ratings and its suppose to extend the compressors life time.
That air condition unit was not properly maintained. The soft start was not the problem.
Nothing wrong with that soft start. It was cutting out on over current, 21 amps is right at the fault limit for the 16 amp unit. Good chance it worked until the coil started getting dirty. I'd be willing to bet they have some kind of battery back up for their solar, possibly a PowerWall to go along with the Tesla and that's why it was installed.
Those SureStarts are actually really good units. They are just a bit pricey compared to all the others that are on the market now.
Agree. I think that soft start device was actually protecting the compressor due to the amp draw. 22 running amps is not normal so it cut the compressor.
Stay tuned for the follow up video
I saw the panel had solar equipment stickers… that 130amp surge will knock out any backup inverter
Exactly. There was a reason it was installed... Solved the problem of getting the compressor running, but created a whole new one.
Your first mistake is calling a plumber to do hvac. Been in hvac for years and never understood why plumbers think they are hvac experts. Superheat, subcool, and microns are a long way off.from sewage
You seem to know the history of the work done on that system. Your sticker is on the unit yet you have no idea who installed the soft start? Own up to it! Why didn't you install a new soft start? Half-ass work all the time.
That dirty condenser coil should of been the first thing you checked!
Stay tuned for part 2
I installed a soft start on my older 3.5 ton unit, and it ran well for about 30 days, then the compressor stopped. I hadn't had the unit truly professionally checked in 19 years. I removed the soft start, and the compressor came back on, but ran for a long time before it would cool the house. I ordered a new capacitor to be safe, and installed it. The next day the unit iced up, so called in the original installer to check the charge. 22 ounces low. In the meantime, I had returned the soft start, and got the refund. Now I'm figuring the soft start was not defective, it actually sensed a problem with the compressor because of the significantly low charge. I may reinstall one again next summer, as well as have the tech back to see where the charge is going into next summer.
Thanks for sharing your experience
If your unit is about 20 years old, think about replacing the systems and get something more efficient and save money on electric bills and needless repairs!
1.- wrong soft start for that type of unit (undersized for 5 Ton AC) 2.- I noticed the manufacturing date of the soft-starter as Week 37 of 2019, we are now in 2023.....that is a testament of the quality of the product...imagine how many cycles that soft-starter goes thru every year, being undersized and taking that beating....lol
agreed
Soft start, as you know, should pull about 25 amps. I have one that allowed the generator to power the HVAC and, the bonus, the lights no longer blink when the compressor kicks on. On my Am Std, the LRA was huge before.
Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow
@@PipeDoctor Stay tuned for more click-bait?
Sell a soft start , call it junk, then sell a hard start.All the time spent gabbing, should have been spent asking to get the hose working. Best racket after dentists.
blah blah blah....you still watched and then commented. so it worked. my channel is even better now.
That fur coat has 2 fur coats
Sale on Fur coats
installed a Micro-air 368-48x-bluetooth (3.5 ton) and dropped amps from 113 start to 25 start. and by the way i was in commercial dishwasher repair (restaurants) for 30 years and sometimes used only mailings to send my sticker and a short note to JUST SAVE STICKER FOR EMERGENCY.. well guess what so many people thought i was there to service before. So as new management (or homeowners ) come in, they first called me.....I used an expensive sticker and it paid for itself and a lot more
Thanks for sharing
Hello, did you use a generator if yes what wattage might be good for a 3.5 ton ac. Thanks
Found this video by chance. I'm in Australia where those soft starters (and hyper engineering) first began. Panasonic Australia used them by default for any single phase Panasonic wall split or ducted. Fujitsu Australia used them for larger units if customers complained ceiling lighting dimmed or any other power drain problem but quickly developed their own system. I replaced a lot of hyper starts from 2002-2014, they all seem to fail eventually, but just the same all capacitors fail eventually too - especially the 2 in one caps. I probably had more call outs for 6 year old capacitors than anything else before I left the industry. When they changed capacitors for the awful smelling fluid to veg oil failure rates were higher in them than anything else for that 10 year period. Since 2012 though everything is a DC inverter 3 phase so no more hyper starts, no more capacitor failures - everything PCB or DC fan motor related. Now I just sell truck trays, canopies and service bed/canopies and just use the AC for my own comfort, so no more fixing them
Nothing like just being able to use the AC and not have to fix it daily. Enjoy retirement from the HVAC trades:)
I've seen 40 y/o capacitors still working but they were huge and had better dielectric insulation and more oil coolant!
@@PipeDoctor Yeah, I started off on military bases in 1992 doing central plant chillers and cold/freezer rooms. I downgraded to commercial A/C for 3 years, then downgraded again to be trained in mini splits - but that employer also did marine and coolrooms. Not fun doing midnight call outs to butcher shop fridges or ships just docked. Got to go on some cool ships at least, included frigates and subs. Ended up self employed doing mainly domestic and small stuff but I got sick of it - especially being in ceiling crawl spaces on a hot summers day, or 20' long extension ladders needed for small commercial roof unit access.
I saw they have solar. I wonder if the soft start was so their batteries can handle the inrush current of the A/C.
I expect it would more for bring the starter load within the inverters surge capacity.
When you come back, look for a lockout kit on the electrical panel. The previous homeowners might have set it up for using a portable generator, which would explain why the soft start kit was installed.
As others have said, sizing of those is critical
Tesla batteries on the wall of the garage. Solar on the roof
I'm super confused. You did a video on a icm 870 softstart, but call this one junk. Can you elaborate? Are there good and bad softstarts?
Finally a great question. As I am fairly new to soft starts and the technology, it pays to learn something new everyday. Stay tuned for part 2 - coming tomorrow n
He's a bs'er?
I had that same brand soft start installed 4 years ago so I could run my 12KW generator. Starting amps is 75 and running amps are 15 and the generator doesn't lug down much at all when it starts. If you have the wrong size soft start, it will not last which is what appears to have happened here.
Crazy
I think putting a sticker on my equipment is defacing my property. What if I put my sticker on your truck?!. I had a new $10,000 high efficiency boiler installed and I walk into the room and there is an 8.5 x 11 sticker on it. WTF. Branding is one thing but an obnoxious sticker on my unit is a guarantee that I won't call you back. I tell my HVAC guys and new car dealers the same thing: "NO STICKERS!"
Thanks for sharing. I’ve never encountered a client who declined a sticker on the equipment. The 8 1/2” x 11” is clearly overkill and I’d be equally upset. Kuddos!
How can you be so hypocritical…You try to sell a soft start on 1 service call, and because another breaks down, it’s a junky hockey puck? All of the $400 “soft starts” are the same. It just got toasted from high current. 5 tons on a soft start??? Hire a electrician before you and Peter put the entire Panhandle out of power and try to shade the blame?!?! And you already had ure “brand” on it??
Hell he had his sticker on the unit, he may have sold the hockey puck to begin with 😅
You are absolutely correct. According to the model number that Soft Start may have been too small. HyperEngineering does make another larger single phase model. They probably should have installed that larger one.
@@bentleyjarrard885
My employees get tiered of me being right all the time. After a while you will get used too it.
I guess you missed the punch line with the 15 others who thumbs up the video. Stay tuned for part 2 and THANKS for watching and commenting.
ive put a hundred of sure starts in on generator jobs and solar jobs to lower starting amps of ac they are required in such applications i would check if they have solar or a gennie they are like a smart hard start kit they are pricey my fav hardstarts is the ones called kickstart
I saw some solar company stickers on the meter and hardware, so yea, especially if there's battery backup on the system I'm thinking the softstart is needed.
Stay tuned for part2
My Wife passed her drivers test. She got 18 out of 20. Two people Jumped out of the way.
LOL
😂
I do alot of stand-by generator installs, and have installed many of that exact "soft start" module. They work great, for reducing the inrush current (and thus, not overloading the genset on start-up), AND they reduce the physical starting torque (the forces exerted on the compressor and piping) of the condenser compressor. Have yet to see one fail, if it was initially properly sized. It appears that one wasn't.
The problem(s) with the unit is this video was NOT really due to the "stupid soft start thing" (your terminology), it was due to the apparent total LACK OF MAINTENANCE on the condenser. Lack of maintenance caused the soft-start to fail, causing the intermittent compressor run issue. The soft start's don't fail if your compressor (condenser) is properly maintained. They will, in fact, increase the life of the condenser units.
Lack of maintenance and wrong size. So yeah, it was a stupid soft start thing that killed the compressor.
@@PipeDoctor Stick to plumbing
@@PipeDoctor Excellent video, but I must express that it seems somewhat disrespectful to technology and science to discard and throwing items as you did without proper examination. I understand that your expertise primarily lies in plumbing, and that electronics and electrical engineering are distinct fields. However, embracing new knowledge is crucial, and showing disregard/disrespect may not foster learning, which is equally important as aspects like "branding." Observing the AC unit in your video, it appears to be in poor condition and in dire need of either a soft or hard start mechanism. In past this necessity likely led someone to install a soft start device, although they chose one that was undersized. While it functioned for a time, it was inevitable that it wouldn't last indefinitely. Therefore, I suggest considering the installation of a correctly sized soft or hard start device for their system, as the old system might fail unexpectedly. Thanks
Calling Soft Start a HOCKEY PUCK is like Calling Mikey a HACK
Well let’s just say this soft start was a hockey puck
it wasn't dropping out the start winding power, so it's overcurrent until it safety drops out or opens the compressor overload.
you'll find the same problem with "universal" electronic start relays in refer gear too. lightning/power surge blows parts of the board and they get stuck sending start power out.
it's hard to beat a plain old mechanical start potential relay and capacitor, while they can arc weld the contacts, it generally hits overload fast or ends up tripping a breaker.
Multiple issues. Still the soft start killed the compressor
That dirty coil make have shortened that compressor's life already!
When you say "killed the compressor" do you mean that the compressor needed replacement? Or did the soft start prevent the compressor from starting? I'm confused. I'd like to put a soft start on our home so I can run our AC with our generator during a power outage, but this video has me concerned. Great video BTW@@PipeDoctor
Love the tools you have available. The smart sensors for reading the pressures, the iPad app and the multi meter
It's great to hear that you appreciate the tools I use in my videos!
I suspected the soft start device was undersized for the application once it was found. The devices are good, but only if correct application is followed. In this case the unit probably maxed out at 3.5 to 4 ton systems and was being asked to work on a 5 ton system. Think of it like putting a Lawnmower battery in your car, it might start it for a short time, but it is not strong enough for continued use.
Yes, it was grossly undersized
amazing . 67 amp draw . I never knew that . What size start would I need for a 120 v 12 amp motor ?
110/120 volt? IDK 🤷🏻♂️
Next time take your start amp reading, then read run and common at the same time. You will notice that when you have the correct size capacitor that those two readings will be identical. This indicates a balanced field and also serves as a dynamic test without math. Try it
It’s extremely useful when you are unsure of the correct cap size
Thanks for the tip!
@@PipeDoctor on a four wire setup you need both commons and run.
You said you have been doing this customer for 15 years. Whoever installed the condenser definitely did shotty work. Copper running exposed electrical box with whip, running wild and worse offense is pulling the condenser so close to the house that you can’t get to the coils.
I didn’t install the outdoor unit nor the soft start.
I told her at the Beginning of Summer, the Fur Coat has to GO but she ignored me and Mikey Pipes had to be called cutting into her maximum spending budget. 😬👍
Lol 😂
Hey Pipes since your getting into biz in Florida, what tankless electric HW heater would you recommend? Property is in Naples or I would give you a call.
Check out eMaxx
Call a licensed plumber
I’m sure you know that these soft starts have been around a long time. They use them on units for RVs. It failed because someone installed the wrong one . Maybe installed by the solar company. I have the correct one for mine, different brand, and never had a problem. My generator can easily run my 4 ton now. It could before but not without a huge groan. Branding, I use magnets. I’ve seen some of my original magnets from 31 years ago on refrigerators.
Nothing like seeing your own magnet or sticker from the 1990’s. Now that’s branding.
Hello, what wattage generator are you using. I have a 5000predator generator and wondering if I can use it for my 3.5 ton ac?
Where do you source your stickers from?
My printing company. Command Printing in Hauppauge, NY
Overall, do you recommend a Soft Starter? If so, how much do they run to install?
copeland mobile app shows compatible hard start kits. I have yet to see soft start info. so until they have soft start recommendations, I will stick with the hard starts if necessary or beneficial.
Just my personal preference. I would especially be worried adding soft start to an old compressor for this exact reason. nice content, i always enjoy.
Emerson sold a secure start. It is not a soft start by definition. It is a current limiting device and it also manages the start winding too. It was made by HyperEngineering. They just cost a lot more than a hard start so they are only popular with a select group, mainly people who run on generators.
Copeland actually rebrands the exact hard start Mike threw away and call it their own.
Interesting 🧐
@@nspro931It's also sold as IntelliStart in the multiple brands WaterFurnace (geothermal heat pumps) markets under since they previously owned Hyper Engineering.
CLEAN THE COIL AND PUT THE SOFT START BACK IN..
Didn’t work. Too small.
I have heard mostly positive reviews on certain brands of soft starts, but agree that was probably not the correct size for that unit. Maybe it was the video frame rate, but I noticed the condenser fan didn't seem to be running as it should have. Was it just the video frame rate illusion? 🤔
Wrong size
I had to have a soft start installed, to run with my solar array and back up generator.
I can see the need for a soft start on a generator or solar system
Wrong SureStart model was installed. Also, that "SureStart stupid thing" was protecting the compressor by shutting it off. You may be good at general AC work, but you definitely need a bit more education in the soft starter side of the business. These SureStart devices are EXCELLENT at what they do, provided the correct one is installed AND the compressor unit is properly maintained....both of which were not done in this case. On a side note, if the correct model had been used on this unit, and you removed it like you did, by running the compressor without it with the coils being filthy as they are, you are now actually doing damage to the compressor by forcing it to run without the protection of the SureStarter cutting off the compressor when it's filthy and working hard.
thanks for your feedback.
Were did you get your watch. Looks cool
thats an iWatch
Emerson sold those for Copeland compressors. They were made by Hyperengineering, the same mfr that you removed. They are required in Australia. Your ignorance is understandable but that you have no desire to learn is unforgivable. Those current limiting boxes are the best, if you install the right one, because size matters. I’ve had mine for a decade now and my lights don’t blink and my generator doesn’t big when either of my 3 tons start. So you need to read up on them because they are 100 times better than a hard start which is just a cheap way to break a compressor faster. But maybe that’s the point.
Maybe it is the point but what matters here is that THE CUSTOMER NEEDED CENTRAL AIR & I DELIVERED COMFORT. that’s not ignorance. That’s delivering a service. Thanks for sharing.
I think Australia need heavier power lines and more generating capacity! Utilities there are getting away with murder!
@@PipeDoctor Read the definition of ignorance. It means a lack of knowledge concerning a given subject matter. A genius could be called ignorant about automotive maintenance for example. Saying someone is ignorant of a certain subject is not necessarily calling them stupid. He merely stated his belief that you may be ignorant of the positives of soft starters and how they should be used properly.
More people need to brand their work. It sure makes it easier to find someone to work on it.
That's why i paint marker all of my installs. And throw a company sticker on it. 😂
Smart
Too many jacklegs and fly by nights out there.
Is the MicroAir 368 Soft Start a good product?.
I'm personally using the exact same HyperEngineering Soft Start module Mike Removed (guess they do go bad) on my 4 ton Goodman and it works very well. Cuts inrush by 70% such that we are able to run the Air Conditioning on our Schneider 6848 XW+ Inverter with no problem. MicroAir368 is also one of the Soft Start products we often recommend on the DIY Solar Forum for members that need to operate central air on a split phase inverter when utility power is out.
I think so but if I recall it’s larger so more challenging to fit. You saw how compact the HyperEngineering box was, fit right in.
Thanks for sharing Bentley
I went with a micro-air soft-start wasn't impressed with the Hyper engineering looked like something invented in the 1980s. The new micro-air has bluetooth logs everything monitors the compressor even upload it to their techs and upgrade the firmware.
That sounds impressive
I noticed they had a solar panel box next to the outdoor unit. If you removed the glorified hockey puck and they had whole house batteries aaaaand did not put something in return. You might have cost them upwards of 15k. Or the inverter unit.
The soft start is so the intial amp draw does not kill the batteries.
Great content. Nice to see reprensatation from the Valley Stream area (I grew up around there). Anyhow that Hyper engineering Soft Start is horrible. I had the exact same thing happen on my AC. I switch over to the ICM 870 since, I am on my 2nd one of those but ICM honored their warrenty. Soft Starters must be very tempermental about the electrical connections, voltage stability, and amperage flow. Good vid as always.
The tech before him installed the 16A model. He should have installed the 32A. They make three models. A device will not hold up if it’s not rated properly for the installation. I install three different brands of soft start devices. They all work fine if you install them on the right unit.
Thanks for the info!
@@rv10flyer84
Good catch on that one *5 ton would get a 32.. Ha the LRA was a whopping 146)..... I agree with the model sizing, however in my case I did have the correct size and it still failed. The support behind it from Hyper was very repsonsive, but when it came to honering the warrenty, not so much. ICM however gave me no problems at all and sent a new unit. I did however have to get used to the new feature that ICM added which adds a 4 min delay before starting the compressor. Overall Soft Starters have not lasted too long in my cases. I have never tried the MicroStart, (seems like a good unit with bluetooth data accessibility). In either case when the soft start is working, it is so optimal for the equipment and long life, nothing beats it when it works right.
Since you have experience with these, what is the average life span that you see out in the field, if properly sized of course?
@@erichoward5565 I have the Micro-Air EasyStart for my 2.5 ton heat pump for a little over 2 years and haven't had a problem with it. What really shines about the unit is that it learns the compressor profile after 5 normal start cycles. During that time, I had run capacitor starting to drift under load causing the RLA to go above 12.8 FLA where the EastStart unit caught the anomaly and shut down the compressor like it supposed to. After replacing the capacitor and reinitialize the learning process again, everything was back to normal operation.
The only con is the price, but I think the bluetooth access to the onboard diagnostics worth the money in my opinion. The ICM 870 is a good budget alternative, I haven't heard any bad things about when sized correctly. Like a few mentioned, soft start units should be used for certain applications like those who will be running their HVAC on a standby generator or home energy storage (i.e. Tesla Powerwall).
They really don't save on energy like some people claim since the inrush current is only less than a second and longer compressor life is questionable at best. However it does make the compressor startup a little bit quieter to a certain degree and will reduce the annoying dimming lights so long as the utility supply is not the issue.
Another great video! What do you recommend to clean the coils out? Also nice Porsche!
We use Nubrite buy new Calgon. It is the best it will eat anything I talk about it on the second video to follow video of this one.
Thanks! I just watched the second video.
Who installed the soft start kit if you've been servicing this home for the past 15 years?
What's up with that rusted drier?
Did everyone just ignore the $200,000 Porsche in the garage?
It’s $300k
Soft Start? I was in the POOL!!!!!
Lol 😂
Video starts at 4:50. I don't care for talking with customers in videos. I do that too much on my own lol
Okay
Changing furnace they say heat pump? I'm in Canada very cold do they work?
Depends on how cold
It gets
@@PipeDoctor Well -10 on a cold night -15 during the day -3 I'm a little worried Trudeau pushing this system as green just another Biden.
@glendekoker3682 Heat pumps serve as air conditioners in the summer and heaters in the winter, but their effectiveness as heaters is contingent on the outside temperature remaining above freezing. Given your residence in Canada, where winter temperatures often approach or drop below zero degrees Celsius, a heat pump alone may not suffice as a heating solution. To ensure adequate heating under such conditions, it's necessary to install a separate auxiliary heater within the heat pump's air handler. This addition enables the heat pump system to provide sufficient warmth even when external temperatures are below freezing.
The system runs alone and it warns when using gas electric bill high@@manclt704
Curious how there is 350 volts across the capacitor. Doesn't that residential home have a nominal voltage of 120/240 volts? Capacitor magic?
It’s a capacitor that’s what they do
Had an issue where the transformer supplying mine and 4 other houses was putting out "high" voltage due to only 3 people using it. Caused my ICM870 soft start to go into over voltage fault. The soft start was a little sensitive should shut off at 250v but it was off at 248v, now we got a new neighbor and its worked flawlessly.
That’s insane! How
Not enough load on the transformer causing a high voltage.
Mikey I enjoy watching your videos, you are really great. Keep going strong❤❤❤
Thank you so much!
Good job mikey getem going come back for tune up. Bravisimo
You know it! Scheduled for Friday morning
Mikey - can you do a video on soft starts and hard starts? I was going to put a soft start in because all these youtube channels say how it'll increase the life of your system by 50% and how much better it is because it starts with such low amps (and cheaper electrical bill) but they are like $400 just for the part and then labor.. If anyone would know about this subject it'd be you.. And if can't do a video, all I need to know is if you have one in your house? that'd be all the info I'd need to know! haha thanks bro - another great video, thank G-d it didn't kill the compressor forever.
I’ve been seeing all those jackass videos of diy hvac guy and homeowners something because they don’t no shit about this stuff and how it’s not rated for the compressors or intended for all compressors. you have to cross reference that stuff, I’ve commented but I think it gets deleted
@@madeinusa1576 Thanks.. For me, I couldn't see why in the hell it would cost so much for one but I've seen them all over the place being promoted.. I asked my HVAC guy about it and he said he's never even heard of soft starts, only hard starts.. I don't know the difference between either but my system is only 4 years old and I want to do whatever I can to keep it going for the longest time..
@@SonnyCrackBeatsBeen doing SC for almost 10 years, just started hearing about soft starts on YT, I'm highly skeptical. A hard start can buy you some time on a failing compressor, a soft start I'm still trying to figure why anyone would need one.
@@MindzEnt so store kits are mostly used for generators. And commercial applications they will call them drives to keep the M Dr. down.
He doesn’t know anything about soft starts or the box he removed in this video.
I have been on the fence about buying a soft start, ICM870-16a... lots of YT videos showing how great they are... but Amazon reviews are very, very bad. People complaining the thing doesn't last long or that it breaks the AC
I don't see ANY negative reviews on the 870-16A on Amazon. Here is a link to the product: amzn.to/44IsMJO
@@PipeDoctor 19% 1 stars is not bad?
@@Mr.Fotingo-qf9hk I see 9 5 star reviews
You be the man Doc!
Thank you
I really enjoy your videos, I am a service tex worked for pipe fitters local 120, thank you.
Thanks 👍
I hope you had a good doctor's appointment with the results
Thank you very much.
I think soft start is not a problem with this system. the problem is high compressor current consumption due to high condensing temperature and high condensing pressure. The lamp on the soft start blinked 1/3 times per second and indicated an increased current of the compressor and the system went into protection. in this case, remove dirt from the condenser by cleaning it. then measure the current consumption of the compressor. A soft start is needed here because there are requirements from the electricity supplier.
A soft start is not needed because of the “electricity supplier” requirement. Complete BS. No disrespect intended.
@@PipeDoctorok maybe i was wrong. is it possible to find work in the USA for people from Kazakhstan
Good Vid, but calling it stupid when it was saving the client money for years probably and keeping the motor from spiking every time it turns on was not a bad thing. Things break though. HVACs break too! lol. thx
Great job Mikey as always
I appreciate that
I have NEVER ever liked the soft start!!!
I think this one was sized wrong
Wrong soft start for a 5 Ton condenser
Yup 👍
I watched a video you don’t have to call names that soft start kept the unit running for so many years
I really like your videos especially when you fire back on the keyboard warriors lol
Unfortunately I have something called interrupted service on my AC unit and the utility company can shut my unit on and off in a grid overload situation, No AC breaker in the house, just a Meter connected to another meter then to the disconnect then to the AC unit outside, This is annoying because I cant power my AC unit in a power outage back feeding via a inlet box, Can a HVAC or electrician undo this or do I have to get ahold of the utility company?
Are soft starts good? Been looking at them for generator power.
Yes
That liquid line drier looks old as hell for a system that had a leak repaired not too long ago.
Like years ago
Mikey Pipes! Do you have a recommendation for soft start capacity based on rated input or a range?
Not for this particular model. But it was a 5 ton R22 unit.
Love your Porsche 911 GTx $200,000 car.
It’s a Turbo S Cab
Looks like it was added since they got solar…
Agreed. But sized too small
So you saying I shouldn’t add a soft start to my AC unit? I want to run my air back feeding my house with my generator, when the power is out.
No
Imagine pushing a car. It takes more energy to get it moving, and then less energy to keep it rolling. (A case for a hard start). Now imagine a boat in the water. It starts moving easily and takes more and more energy to go faster. (A case for a soft start ).
Diag starts at 4:50. I don't care for talking with customers in videos. I do that too much on my own lol
Lol
If you do instructional videos you need to explain what you're doing so green techs learn their lesson!
I'm in Broward county 20 minutes from the Hard Rock Hotel
Stay tuned. I’ll be discussing dates for November in the near future.
So what happens when the family loses city power and they need to power the unit with a generator? No chance of doing that now huh?
Wrong
You said you put freon in it the first time and the second time you come out and looked for the leak, my question is why did you not look for the leak after the first time?
Because customer didn’t care.
weather king, the king of what weather, where??
Monsoons?
I agree with putting stickers unless its one of those pain in the ass helicopter karens that always goes on google to find the price of a capacitor and then bitches that I'm marking up parts by 2,000%.
Only 2,000%? You’re selling yourself short;)
The LL drier sure weather beaten for only 4 years old
you mean 14 years!
@@PipeDoctor didn’t you guys do a repair 4 yrs ago?
Without the soft start device the ac unit possibly will not work when using a generator during a power outage. It was probably important and necessary. Even if it ruined the compressor it was important to replace it with a new one.
Wanna bet? Care to wager a USD amount?
I think Puppy agrees...
lol
Just get rid of that soft start crap and throw in a 5-2-1 Hard start kit 😀🤷🏻♂️
lol no
That cheap oh product in the picture is not the same as Micro Air Soft Start
No?
Saw this video and when in learned its not the soft starts fault.. but the installers fault, i moved on😂🤦🏻♂️
You can tell that this gentleman is a true professional. First and foremost, you can always tell a pro simply based on the tools and equipment that he or she uses. Fieldpiece manufactures great HVAC-specific tools like the probes used in this video. Many HVAC technicians use their multimeters as well. However, experienced electricians and engineers know that Fluke is the absolute best when it comes to electrical testing tools and equipment. When Mikey pulled out his Fluke 902FC in this video, it was a dead giveaway that this man knows what he is doing. Great job buddy!
Thank you very much
And the Porsche 😎
came home and the fan capacitor blew melted the wire ,, I replaced it but the temperature comes out at 72 now ,, could the compressor have gone bad ??? compressor comes on , heat comes out of fan but hot in house?????
something electrical. maybe thermal overload.
@@PipeDoctor it was a refurbished ac I just bought ,, the wiring was all wrong my friend came over and re wired it works great now ,, thanks . the speed control wire was not hooked up for the exhaust fan so it was running at a high speed and when the new capacitor was hooked up properly the condenser would not come on ,, crazy .. its amazing how just wiring can fool you to think the fan is bad or the condenser is bad .. and they zip tied the compressor wire to metal and it would ark and spark when starting up
The wrong size soft start will fail every time. We use the ICM module and have good service out of those.