BOOOOOM!!😜Was a great test even tho the inverters didnt have the grunt power. Stove and dryer draw even moar power but not the surge. Anyway, I just installed a Micro-Air Soft Start on my 4-ton AC unit. I used part # ASY-368-X72-BLUE, You would probly get the X48 for your LRA your AC says. My inrush went from 120a down to 30a😮. Workin on that video now actually lol
I was waiting for the boom…looking back now though even the lights flickering and the system tripping was still a cool experience. Thanks for sharing the soft start. Looking forward to your video on it!
Tks for sharing. I was going to do something similar, back feed* into the main panel with the main breaker off (thru my old spa 6ga THWN-II circuit). My 1957 home tho has some jacked wiring done by the flippers. No joke, two separate circuits, but off the same leg of the panel, meet at some point in the house. Nearly started a fire however strangely worked for years. I was removing one of the light fixtures they put in and there was 20 volts on neutral to ground. We also ended up deleting the non-code bathroom they put in... Such shotty work. Toilet would gurgle when the other toilet was flushed. All this is to say, using existing wiring with any off grid can be dangerous due to unknown wiring conditions. Or if there are several neutral bonds, it can get funky. Again, tks for sharing.
Thanks! Yeah, existing wiring can be very sketchy. When we bought out house, we had to have a lot of it redone because of all the problems there were. As we go through each room and do renovations, I just gut all the wiring, cause there’s always at least 1 open junction per wall…Never dull, that’s for sure!
Thanks for doing this test as you saved me the time. As you know we share the same system, now i will be ordering a soft start. . . Keep up the vids gg
Micro-air easy start. I have the exact same setup you have. My AC is 3 ton. Was 70 amp surge. Now 16 amp surge and 6 amps running. Doesn’t bother my 2 EG4 6500ex inverters at all.
Air conditioning is always the solar mystery question. Great test though! Kudos to your assistant! When I built my new home I used a 1 ton ducted mini-split with a 2 ton central heat pump with the hope that it would better distribute the A/C power draw. I’ll tell you if it worked once I finish my solar system.
I had a similar problem that you went through. When I purchased my home, I had to upgrade from the ye olde fuse box to a 200 amp Square D QO load center and generator main breaker interlock with L14-30P input. About 5 years and a significant investment in a metal roof later while waiting for my rooftop solar permits, I installed two Magnum Dimensions MS-PAE 4448 with load center. A bit pricey way to do it back in mid 2015, but it was what I considered the best overall at the time and it was able to start up my 2.5 ton heat pump pushing the inverters to the limit. I ended up breaking down and buying a Micro-Air EasyStart 3 month later, it took the 54 LRA down to 20. I can now run my A/C on either my 9500 Wp inverter generator or battery inverters. Something you might want to look into in the soft start landscape is that ICM controls has come out with their version which is quite budget friendly in the neighborhood of $150. It doesn't have all of the fancy bells and whistles, but it won't bite your wallet too badly and it might pass under the spousal ordinance radar. Their model number is ICM870-16A and there is a ICM870-32A coming soon. 3.5 ton compressor might be pushing the upper limits of 16 running amps, you'll have to check the nameplate rating if it still readable. There is a lot more options now on the renewable energy space compared to when I started my journey, but I don't regret the ability of "tripping" over the power company extension cord and go offline on my terms is priceless. Getting off my soapbox now. :-P... P.s. I added a L14-30R socket on the critical loads panel so I can run my generator cord from there to the main panel generator input socket outside. Making sure to isolate the inverter input breaker first of course!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing! Yeah getting spousal approval is best, otherwise my channel might got dark…permanently….😁 I’ll have to take a look at that soft start. Appreciate it!
Adam, the ICM 870 is the key to lowering those amps, installed mine yesterday dropped 45 amps from start up on 2 ton heatpump, when I saw you backfeed system I implemented my own with 60 amp feed to inverters from grid pannel, also added 2 more breakers in series to prevent back feed when swapped to grid, color labeled all and went over with wife.
Thanks for sharing! I still have to get a soft start but have to finish up on some other projects first. Way too many irons in the fire… Yeah going over steps with the Mrs is a must! I’m thinking about a redesign because I have to make sure when we have someone else stay at the house to “critter sit”, I need to have something simple that can be done as opposed to “flip breaker A and C, the go flip breaker B”. Former owners of the house didn’t make it easy though with all the breaker panels…
I couldn't get my 3 ton ACto run on my growatt 12k or 2- 6500's. I could run my air handler, but left my condenser on grid. I have since switched to 3- mini splits with 6- indoor units. I also have a 12k btu 120v unit in the apartment in the barn. I can run all 4 of these with just 2- 6500s. That was pretty impressive. It says 41% load. My old AC unit was just that "OLD" and needed to be replaced anyways. Cant wait to see the soft start work. 👍
I have 2 X 6000EX low frequency inverters and they can run my 5-ton AC with softstart. They switch to Hybrid mode for a few seconds and then back to battery mode. I bought the 6000EX because it is designed to handle large inductive loads. The softstart makes a huge difference so I'm hoping you'll get success after you install one. Well done!
Ive been using the growatt 12kw for two ac units 1.5 ton and 2 ton. They can start at the same time and it's a beast. Biggest issue with it is solar charge controller is too small at 7kw but thats only if your battery voltage is at 58 volts. I'm usually 46-57 volts. Meaning when the battery is low I can only get 6kw of solar charging. It's got a hard stop at 120 amps going to batteries. I'm hoping to add the new eg4 500v 100a solar charger. But I've already read they have software issues 😢
@@electromechanicalstuff2602 I've heard those units are beasts. That was actually one unit I was considering initially before I switched to the 6500s. Are you still running the LV6548s as well? Yeah, I've heard about some software issues as well. The ones I heard about revolved around not using battery comms. Not sure what that's all about though.
We just got our RO water system running and the motor popped the sol-ark on startup. A soft start solves it. It only pulls 1800 when running so it's silly that we need to do this, but at least it works!
@@AdamDeLayDIY Id say yeah. The Bluetooth is interesting to see the amperage draw. And you can also send reports in to easy start diagnose the unit if there’s a problem.
Great job documenting the AC test! I haven't decided what method I will be to heat/cool my off grid house, but this is one of my concerns. I dont want to get two more inverters, so I need something that can run off the two EG4 inverter setup. COOL to see your son involved in the testing process 🙂 great learning experience all around and quality video
Thanks. I’ve heard that mini-splits draw significantly less power. Plus now that have some that can run directly off Solar! I have a feeling I’ll end up going that route at some point. For now I need to find a soft start. Yeah he seems to enjoy helping, plus like you said he gets to learn stuff as well. That’s why I enjoy when I see other channels including their kids because not only does it allow you to spend time with them, but you can also teach them too!
How much excess do you have? You can easily add 20 or more kw hours per day running a central AC. You might want to use a combination of window units or mini-splits with the central to optimize cooling and power.
It really depends on the day. I haven’t gotten much more than 31kw from my solar because the batteries full and there’s no more loads. Course I could always add more batteries, but then I need more Solar to charge them… 😁
I am going to try this on Monday when the wife is away.l an leery of doing damage to the AC units boards, it's a new unit and I hear parts are scarce now.
@@AdamDeLayDIY I do not. I replaced my system last summer with a Lennox 4-ton variable inverter unit thinking of solar use last summer. My older Lennox 4-ton had an LRA of 107 amps, not a chance with these inverters, the new AC unit ramps up slowly and states 22 or 27 amps to start. I will have to just try it sometime I suppose..
Somewhat related, I need to figure out an effective soft start for my woodworking tools if I want to run those off of solar. On the other hand, the inverter based 2-ton doesn't make the lights dim or anything. One of the nice things of newer heat-pump tech.
Yeah I ran a test with my shopsmith which had a nice draw on startup. Didn’t pay attention though if the lights really dimmed when it kicked in. I don’t know if you need to find customized soft-starts for the different equipment you’re looking to run or if any soft-start will work (as long as it can handle the inrush). Yeah, I have a feeling I’m gonna end up putting in some mini splits at some point. Would save a lot on power usage…
My 2500w inverter will not start my 5 amp shopvac. But if I start my shopvap before I start my inverter the inrush is not as bad so it will start. They make a soft start and hard start they both help start your AC take a look. Soft start, hard start, easy start take a look.
If our micro grid system can charge 2017 TESLA MODEL X by 72A more than 4 hours then the total household could off grid (all green home) easily. The most power consumption monster for a home is EV.
Haha! I think my wife would kill me if I bought that…. Would love to do testing on it though. Sounds like you’ll have to put out the content when you get yours!
It cracks me up how some people that set up solar get panel crazy.....not need. I you have two panels at your house then that's enough. With a system this big a critical loads panel is not needed usually.
I ran the same experiment with the same setup. My EG4s powered the house and the AC for about 20 minutes. The lights blinked when the AC came on but it handled the onrush current. I shut it off after a while because I only have 10 gauge wire running back to the house from the inverters. My system powers my workshop and It will run two AC units all day long. One is 2500 watt and the other is 1500 watt. How Old is your AC unit?
Mine is a 3 ton unit and it is only one year old. Only other loads were the TV and the lights. I will do the experiment again and document it for youtube when time permits. I cant run for too long because I only hae 10 gauge wire running to the house.
Well at least you know the inverters will drop out and protect themselves! That's actually pretty important so I'm happy to see it did so. I think a soft start will get you by but someday when it makes sense you should look at replacing the AC unit with mini split technology. For us we were already thinking about replacing the AC units due to age and they were just constantly breaking down, so financially it made sense. But right now I'm running a 3 ton, a 2 ton, (both are ducted with matching air handler) and a 1 ton mini split for the garage where the inverters and batteries live. Been that way for a couple months now and the temps here have been hitting 90 for a few days. All I've got is the SA to go by but I've never seen anything above 5kw draw at any given time and that's rare. This is with all the other stuff in the house on it except for the dryer and the double ovens and a few minor circuits. I'm definitely a believer now. I have one more 2 ton that I may switch over to solar but I want to go through a summer and maybe a winter first. I think winter is going to be a good test for us since I don't have heat strips in any of these units. Good job on the "hey y'all, hold my beer and watch this" video!
Trust me, I’m glad too! Unfortunately with as many errors that I’ve found in the manual, I feel like I really have to test anything I see to make sure it actually works… I have a feeling I see some mini splits in my future. I know I already have plans to put one in our big living room because there’s no ductwork in there. That might end up being my foot in the door. Why do I have the feeling that I have a lot of those “hey guys, watch this” moments???
Honestly I was 50/50. I didn’t really know if it was gonna work or not. I knew I was probably gonna want a soft start either way, but was still holding out hope that it would have started up.
Howdy Dean! I wasn't able to get it working on the 6500s. It probably would have worked if I had installed a soft-start on my A/C. Just ran out of time with all the projects that summer. Figured I would just show you the results of the Victron (as well as your wattage question). ruclips.net/video/arXngHH4B5c/видео.html
I haven’t yet. Honestly I haven’t picked one out yet. Everything got so busy and the then temp changed so I forgot all about it. Thanks for the reminder though!
Adam, the LRA on the nameplate is 90 A so your 83A “max” current is close to inrush. Should be closer to 90A. I did a similar test on my two stage 4 ton. Low stage worked. When it kicked to Hi, second inverter faulted like yours. Because my Trane unit has two physical compressors, I’ll have to get 2 softstarts. Or think about replacing this 20 year old unit with a new Bosch inverter AC unit. Thanks for the videos!
I run two HVAC units on my growatts. Seems like you would be are to run that unit. My units are 2 ton and 1.5 . I thought the all in one package units used the most power to start but I guess these units do as well.
Nice try. I would be very interested to see what your actual inrush current is with your 3-4 ton HVAC. Last summer we replaced our main unit here in Texas with a 4 ton Trane. I did notice my electrical usage went down with the new unit. By the way, to us in Texas, temps of 85°F and like 65°F back north. Haha. I grew up in northern Minnesota but after working at the steel mill here in the 80’s (average temps on the floor were 135-145), I have been more acclimated to the heat. Having lived in both climates i realize both have their plus and minus sides. Not a problem - 90° is still hot. Haha. It is all good. Anyway I am very interested in you running your HVAC on those inverters. Thanks for another good video.
Thanks a lot! Yeah I visited TX for my brothers wedding a few years ago. 105…yikes. Just kill me now, don’t let the heat do it! So the LRA on the compressor is actually listed at 90 amps on the label, so it seems I was pretty close with my meter. Looking to see what soft starts people are using to figure out which one to get.
@@AdamDeLayDIY haha it is definitely a different climate in Texas than the one I grew up in in northern Minnesota. We were 70 miles north of Duluth. You are right. It gets hot here. We live indoors in the summer unless we are playing in the lake water and up north we lived inside during winter unless we had ice fishing or snowmobiling to do. Haha
The most challenging loading equipment is EV(Tesla model X 2017). The power for charger is 230V/72A,which is about 16kW. The off grid system was turned off maybe due to your battery BMS card or DC CABLE or DC protect breaker over current. We need calculate DC cable max current in advance. 230V*72A/48V=345A , 345A will be in DC SIDE and BMS card need 200A spec.
If you have an EV, sure that will be the biggest load on your system. It was the inverter that tripped not any BMS or breaker. I have 2, 200a JK BMS on my 2 battery banks.
The test was fascinating, and it made me hold my breath.
I would have been too if I wasn’t messing with the radio I accidentally turned off…
Thanks for another great informative video 👍
Thanks TJ!
BOOOOOM!!😜Was a great test even tho the inverters didnt have the grunt power. Stove and dryer draw even moar power but not the surge. Anyway, I just installed a Micro-Air Soft Start on my 4-ton AC unit. I used part # ASY-368-X72-BLUE, You would probly get the X48 for your LRA your AC says. My inrush went from 120a down to 30a😮. Workin on that video now actually lol
I was waiting for the boom…looking back now though even the lights flickering and the system tripping was still a cool experience.
Thanks for sharing the soft start. Looking forward to your video on it!
Wow 83 amps inrush. I would have been shocked if it handled that. Thanks for posting
Looks like the lock rotor amps (LRA) is actually 90 amps on the sticker. Crazy amount of surge though!
POOF...classic 😂 glad no damage. Thanks for posting this 🤙🏾
You and me both…thanks!
Tks for sharing. I was going to do something similar, back feed* into the main panel with the main breaker off (thru my old spa 6ga THWN-II circuit). My 1957 home tho has some jacked wiring done by the flippers. No joke, two separate circuits, but off the same leg of the panel, meet at some point in the house. Nearly started a fire however strangely worked for years. I was removing one of the light fixtures they put in and there was 20 volts on neutral to ground. We also ended up deleting the non-code bathroom they put in... Such shotty work. Toilet would gurgle when the other toilet was flushed. All this is to say, using existing wiring with any off grid can be dangerous due to unknown wiring conditions. Or if there are several neutral bonds, it can get funky. Again, tks for sharing.
Thanks!
Yeah, existing wiring can be very sketchy. When we bought out house, we had to have a lot of it redone because of all the problems there were. As we go through each room and do renovations, I just gut all the wiring, cause there’s always at least 1 open junction per wall…Never dull, that’s for sure!
Thanks for doing this test as you saved me the time. As you know we share the same system, now i will be ordering a soft start. . . Keep up the vids gg
Thanks a lot! Yep, need to find some myself. Keep up the good work!
Micro-air easy start. I have the exact same setup you have. My AC is 3 ton. Was 70 amp surge. Now 16 amp surge and 6 amps running. Doesn’t bother my 2 EG4 6500ex inverters at all.
Thanks John!
Air conditioning is always the solar mystery question. Great test though! Kudos to your assistant! When I built my new home I used a 1 ton ducted mini-split with a 2 ton central heat pump with the hope that it would better distribute the A/C power draw. I’ll tell you if it worked once I finish my solar system.
Thanks! He seems to enjoy helping.
Keep us in the loop with how your system is coming! I think I see some mini splits in my future…
I had a similar problem that you went through. When I purchased my home, I had to upgrade from the ye olde fuse box to a 200 amp Square D QO load center and generator main breaker interlock with L14-30P input.
About 5 years and a significant investment in a metal roof later while waiting for my rooftop solar permits, I installed two Magnum Dimensions MS-PAE 4448 with load center. A bit pricey way to do it back in mid 2015, but it was what I considered the best overall at the time and it was able to start up my 2.5 ton heat pump pushing the inverters to the limit. I ended up breaking down and buying a Micro-Air EasyStart 3 month later, it took the 54 LRA down to 20. I can now run my A/C on either my 9500 Wp inverter generator or battery inverters.
Something you might want to look into in the soft start landscape is that ICM controls has come out with their version which is quite budget friendly in the neighborhood of $150. It doesn't have all of the fancy bells and whistles, but it won't bite your wallet too badly and it might pass under the spousal ordinance radar. Their model number is ICM870-16A and there is a ICM870-32A coming soon. 3.5 ton compressor might be pushing the upper limits of 16 running amps, you'll have to check the nameplate rating if it still readable.
There is a lot more options now on the renewable energy space compared to when I started my journey, but I don't regret the ability of "tripping" over the power company extension cord and go offline on my terms is priceless. Getting off my soapbox now. :-P...
P.s. I added a L14-30R socket on the critical loads panel so I can run my generator cord from there to the main panel generator input socket outside. Making sure to isolate the inverter input breaker first of course!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Yeah getting spousal approval is best, otherwise my channel might got dark…permanently….😁
I’ll have to take a look at that soft start. Appreciate it!
Adam, the ICM 870 is the key to lowering those amps, installed mine yesterday dropped 45 amps from start up on 2 ton heatpump, when I saw you backfeed system I implemented my own with 60 amp feed to inverters from grid pannel, also added 2 more breakers in series to prevent back feed when swapped to grid, color labeled all and went over with wife.
Thanks for sharing! I still have to get a soft start but have to finish up on some other projects first. Way too many irons in the fire…
Yeah going over steps with the Mrs is a must! I’m thinking about a redesign because I have to make sure when we have someone else stay at the house to “critter sit”, I need to have something simple that can be done as opposed to “flip breaker A and C, the go flip breaker B”. Former owners of the house didn’t make it easy though with all the breaker panels…
I couldn't get my 3 ton ACto run on my growatt 12k or 2- 6500's.
I could run my air handler, but left my condenser on grid.
I have since switched to 3- mini splits with 6- indoor units. I also have a 12k btu 120v unit in the apartment in the barn. I can run all 4 of these with just 2- 6500s. That was pretty impressive. It says 41% load.
My old AC unit was just that "OLD" and needed to be replaced anyways.
Cant wait to see the soft start work. 👍
It’s just crazy the different load that a mini split has (even multiples) vs a conventional A/C system.
Micro-Air easy start. Works great on my 3.5 ton HVAC with MPP Inverters.
My 4ton makes the panel buzz when it starts. I bought a Micronair soft start for its biggest one they had.
I have 2 X 6000EX low frequency inverters and they can run my 5-ton AC with softstart. They switch to Hybrid mode for a few seconds and then back to battery mode. I bought the 6000EX because it is designed to handle large inductive loads. The softstart makes a huge difference so I'm hoping you'll get success after you install one. Well done!
That’s great to hear! So what do you think of the 6000s? What kind of soft start do you have on your A/C?
Ive been using the growatt 12kw for two ac units 1.5 ton and 2 ton. They can start at the same time and it's a beast. Biggest issue with it is solar charge controller is too small at 7kw but thats only if your battery voltage is at 58 volts. I'm usually 46-57 volts. Meaning when the battery is low I can only get 6kw of solar charging. It's got a hard stop at 120 amps going to batteries. I'm hoping to add the new eg4 500v 100a solar charger. But I've already read they have software issues 😢
@@electromechanicalstuff2602 I've heard those units are beasts. That was actually one unit I was considering initially before I switched to the 6500s. Are you still running the LV6548s as well?
Yeah, I've heard about some software issues as well. The ones I heard about revolved around not using battery comms. Not sure what that's all about though.
Good video. It won't without a soft or hard stat kit. I tried it without and no good, but with it works great.
We just got our RO water system running and the motor popped the sol-ark on startup. A soft start solves it. It only pulls 1800 when running so it's silly that we need to do this, but at least it works!
My 2 SP6500 ran my 3.5 ton AC but it was in bypass mode. But it started it and it has a 110 amp in rush!
Yep, bypass mode will do it because the grid is taking the inrush. 110a is a lot!
I was wondering why you unplugged the solar Assistant. I got a USB power blocker from Amazon for like 6$ so that it doesn't send power to the Pi.
Micro air easy start all the way. It’ll knock that startup ampaerage to a much more manageable level.
That has all the extra bells and whistles doesn’t it?
@@AdamDeLayDIY Id say yeah. The Bluetooth is interesting to see the amperage draw. And you can also send reports in to easy start diagnose the unit if there’s a problem.
@@GavinStoneDIY interesting. Thanks!
I am running two 12k mini splits off mine.
Yeah, I need to look at a mini for one of the rooms in my house. Which manufacturer did you go with? What do you think about them?
@@AdamDeLayDIY I have the Pioneer units. They do geat. Around 300 watts each
@@glennwest4438 thanks! Heard a lot of good things about the Pioneers.
Great job documenting the AC test! I haven't decided what method I will be to heat/cool my off grid house, but this is one of my concerns. I dont want to get two more inverters, so I need something that can run off the two EG4 inverter setup. COOL to see your son involved in the testing process 🙂 great learning experience all around and quality video
Thanks. I’ve heard that mini-splits draw significantly less power. Plus now that have some that can run directly off Solar! I have a feeling I’ll end up going that route at some point. For now I need to find a soft start.
Yeah he seems to enjoy helping, plus like you said he gets to learn stuff as well. That’s why I enjoy when I see other channels including their kids because not only does it allow you to spend time with them, but you can also teach them too!
How much excess do you have? You can easily add 20 or more kw hours per day running a central AC. You might want to use a combination of window units or mini-splits with the central to optimize cooling and power.
It really depends on the day. I haven’t gotten much more than 31kw from my solar because the batteries full and there’s no more loads.
Course I could always add more batteries, but then I need more Solar to charge them… 😁
I am going to try this on Monday when the wife is away.l an leery of doing damage to the AC units boards, it's a new unit and I hear parts are scarce now.
Good luck! Let me know how it goes! Do you have a soft start on yours?
@@AdamDeLayDIY I do not. I replaced my system last summer with a Lennox 4-ton variable inverter unit thinking of solar use last summer. My older Lennox 4-ton had an LRA of 107 amps, not a chance with these inverters, the new AC unit ramps up slowly and states 22 or 27 amps to start. I will have to just try it sometime I suppose..
@@sh839c let me know if…when you try it. I can tell, your curious now… 😁
Did anyone else notice that the phase angle of the 2nd inverter was set for 120 ?
Correct setting would be 180 .....
It is set to 180. Where are you seeing 120?
Somewhat related, I need to figure out an effective soft start for my woodworking tools if I want to run those off of solar.
On the other hand, the inverter based 2-ton doesn't make the lights dim or anything. One of the nice things of newer heat-pump tech.
Yeah I ran a test with my shopsmith which had a nice draw on startup. Didn’t pay attention though if the lights really dimmed when it kicked in. I don’t know if you need to find customized soft-starts for the different equipment you’re looking to run or if any soft-start will work (as long as it can handle the inrush).
Yeah, I have a feeling I’m gonna end up putting in some mini splits at some point. Would save a lot on power usage…
I just ordered that inverter model. My situation will be off grid running an 800w portable AC. Should work ok for my wall tent setup.
Good luck! Should run that no problem at all.
My 2500w inverter will not start my 5 amp shopvac. But if I start my shopvap before I start my inverter the inrush is not as bad so it will start.
They make a soft start and hard start they both help start your AC take a look.
Soft start, hard start, easy start take a look.
Thanks! Yeah I know I need to get one. We just haven't been running the AC as much recently so it hasn't been at the forefront of my mind.
If our micro grid system can charge 2017 TESLA MODEL X by 72A more than 4 hours then the total household could off grid (all green home) easily. The most power consumption monster for a home is EV.
Glad you didn't fry those 6500EX inverters Adam. Perhaps you are subconsciously trying to justify getting the new 18K PV? :)
I would love to see 18k pv content ❤
Haha! I think my wife would kill me if I bought that…. Would love to do testing on it though. Sounds like you’ll have to put out the content when you get yours!
Would love to test that one, but unfortunately I can’t afford it. Have you seen Gavin Stone’s channel? He has one and he’s putting out videos on it.
@@AdamDeLayDIY Mine recently shipped. Cant wait to test it out.
@@AdamDeLayDIY Yeah i saw Gavin's videos on it. He did a really good job on the reviews.
It cracks me up how some people that set up solar get panel crazy.....not need. I you have two panels at your house then that's enough. With a system this big a critical loads panel is not needed usually.
I guess it all depends on your panel placement compared to your inverters and what the ultimate purpose is.
Will the victrons run it?
I haven’t gotten to that test yet. Hopefully soon though.
I ran the same experiment with the same setup. My EG4s powered the house and the AC for about 20 minutes. The lights blinked when the AC came on but it handled the onrush current. I shut it off after a while because I only have 10 gauge wire running back to the house from the inverters. My system powers my workshop and It will run two AC units all day long. One is 2500 watt and the other is 1500 watt. How Old is your AC unit?
It’s probably 10 years old. So you ran. 3.5 ton unit? We’re you running any other loads at the time?
Mine is a 3 ton unit and it is only one year old. Only other loads were the TV and the lights. I will do the experiment again and document it for youtube when time permits. I cant run for too long because I only hae 10 gauge wire running to the house.
Well at least you know the inverters will drop out and protect themselves! That's actually pretty important so I'm happy to see it did so. I think a soft start will get you by but someday when it makes sense you should look at replacing the AC unit with mini split technology. For us we were already thinking about replacing the AC units due to age and they were just constantly breaking down, so financially it made sense. But right now I'm running a 3 ton, a 2 ton, (both are ducted with matching air handler) and a 1 ton mini split for the garage where the inverters and batteries live. Been that way for a couple months now and the temps here have been hitting 90 for a few days. All I've got is the SA to go by but I've never seen anything above 5kw draw at any given time and that's rare. This is with all the other stuff in the house on it except for the dryer and the double ovens and a few minor circuits. I'm definitely a believer now. I have one more 2 ton that I may switch over to solar but I want to go through a summer and maybe a winter first. I think winter is going to be a good test for us since I don't have heat strips in any of these units.
Good job on the "hey y'all, hold my beer and watch this" video!
Trust me, I’m glad too! Unfortunately with as many errors that I’ve found in the manual, I feel like I really have to test anything I see to make sure it actually works…
I have a feeling I see some mini splits in my future. I know I already have plans to put one in our big living room because there’s no ductwork in there. That might end up being my foot in the door.
Why do I have the feeling that I have a lot of those “hey guys, watch this” moments???
I had my fingers crossed I was hoping your air conditioning would start up for you.
Honestly I was 50/50. I didn’t really know if it was gonna work or not. I knew I was probably gonna want a soft start either way, but was still holding out hope that it would have started up.
You've probably already answered this but were you ever able to get it to work on the 6,500s or the Victron? How many watts is that 3 and 1/2 ton?
Howdy Dean!
I wasn't able to get it working on the 6500s. It probably would have worked if I had installed a soft-start on my A/C. Just ran out of time with all the projects that summer.
Figured I would just show you the results of the Victron (as well as your wattage question). ruclips.net/video/arXngHH4B5c/видео.html
HEY ADAM, DID YOU PUT THE SOFT START ON YOUR AIR CONDITIONER & TEST TO SEE IF WILL RUN OFF SOLAR?
I haven’t yet. Honestly I haven’t picked one out yet. Everything got so busy and the then temp changed so I forgot all about it. Thanks for the reminder though!
Adam, the LRA on the nameplate is 90 A so your 83A “max” current is close to inrush. Should be closer to 90A.
I did a similar test on my two stage 4 ton. Low stage worked. When it kicked to Hi, second inverter faulted like yours. Because my Trane unit has two physical compressors, I’ll have to get 2 softstarts. Or think about replacing this 20 year old unit with a new Bosch inverter AC unit.
Thanks for the videos!
I run two HVAC units on my growatts. Seems like you would be are to run that unit. My units are 2 ton and 1.5 . I thought the all in one package units used the most power to start but I guess these units do as well.
Nice try. I would be very interested to see what your actual inrush current is with your 3-4 ton HVAC. Last summer we replaced our main unit here in Texas with a 4 ton Trane. I did notice my electrical usage went down with the new unit. By the way, to us in Texas, temps of 85°F and like 65°F back north. Haha. I grew up in northern Minnesota but after working at the steel mill here in the 80’s (average temps on the floor were 135-145), I have been more acclimated to the heat. Having lived in both climates i realize both have their plus and minus sides. Not a problem - 90° is still hot. Haha. It is all good. Anyway I am very interested in you running your HVAC on those inverters. Thanks for another good video.
Thanks a lot!
Yeah I visited TX for my brothers wedding a few years ago. 105…yikes. Just kill me now, don’t let the heat do it!
So the LRA on the compressor is actually listed at 90 amps on the label, so it seems I was pretty close with my meter.
Looking to see what soft starts people are using to figure out which one to get.
@@AdamDeLayDIY haha it is definitely a different climate in Texas than the one I grew up in in northern Minnesota. We were 70 miles north of Duluth. You are right. It gets hot here. We live indoors in the summer unless we are playing in the lake water and up north we lived inside during winter unless we had ice fishing or snowmobiling to do. Haha
The most challenging loading equipment is EV(Tesla model X 2017). The power for charger is 230V/72A,which is about 16kW. The off grid system was turned off maybe due to your battery BMS card or DC CABLE or DC protect breaker over current. We need calculate DC cable max current in advance. 230V*72A/48V=345A , 345A will be in DC SIDE and BMS card need 200A spec.
If you have an EV, sure that will be the biggest load on your system.
It was the inverter that tripped not any BMS or breaker. I have 2, 200a JK BMS on my 2 battery banks.
The look in your eyes when you see all that money go down the drain
What money went down the drain?
@@AdamDeLayDIY…jondoough is just an anti-renewable ICEer troll…. Laughing at him is the best disinfectant. 😊