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Old 06-30-2016, 09:31 PM   #1
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Coleman-Mach 13.5 vs Honda EU2000i

Today I received my hard start capacitor from Amazon. For the price, I figured what the heck. My A/C is the Coleman-Mach 13.5 that came with the 2016 Jay Flight 28BHBE. The install was straight forward. The wiring diagram stuck to the inside of the electrical box on the roof side of the A/C even has a hard start Capacitor included in their diagram. The model capacitor I ordered has the Positive Thermal Coefficient Resistor (or P.T.C.R in the diagram) and the resistor is connected to the wire lead that has the jumper leg on it. The leg side gets wired with the red wire on the already installed capacitor and the other leg goes with the yellow wire. It took me longer to get the cover for the unit on and off then it did to do the actual install.

With all my beakers off (accept Main and A/C) I fired up my Honda EU2000i Companion and tried to operate as normal. No Go! It caused the generator to overload. I gave it a few minutes, and this time flipped my converter on just long enough to get the generator to start cranking up the RPM's, then I quickly flipped the converter off and the A/C on. SUCCESS!!

While enjoying the A/C running off the Generator, I took off the ceiling cover panel and shook my head in disgust as I noticed the loose piece of form almost completely covering up the intake. Attempting to move the cover to its proper location to secure the foam divider is not possible now because of the install location for an LED light fixture. I tried to move it also but the 2"x2" hole (which is not a circle by the way) would be exposed. I had to settle for taping the divider into position. I also taped up the exposed roof membrane....every little bit helps!

The install was done at home, which is about 4700' elevation. Your milage may vary. I'm going to test it out again this weekend up in the mountains and i'll report back.
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Old 07-03-2016, 09:55 AM   #2
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How long did you let the generator run before the first attempt?

I had my setup running at home, but the first try on the road, at 3500' elevation, it wouldn't work. Then I happened to think that the capacitor may need some time to energize after not having 110V for several days. After letting the generator run for a few minutes, the AC fired right up.

Been doing some reading on capacitors, and there seems to be a lot of disagreement on whether they discharge while sitting. I'm going to assume that mine does based on my results.

Was also trying to figure out how long it should take to energize and found an equation that would compute it, but I don't know all the information to plug in.

I'd be tempted to give it another shot after letting the generator run for a few minutes without cycling your breaker to see if it still works.
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Old 07-03-2016, 10:18 AM   #3
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A 13,500 btu air conditioner will draw at least 1300 watts of power after the compressor starts. But starting, it likely draws a minimum of 2X that value, and more than likely 3X. That's 3,900 watts on a 2000 watt generator. Moreover, when operating at high altitudes, the rating of the generator drops due to a lower ability to cool itself. While it may be possible to fool it and make the generator accept the load, it is not a wise thing to do, especially on a regular basis. You do what you want, but I would advise against this as a regular practice.
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Old 07-04-2016, 04:06 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cdash View Post
How long did you let the generator run before the first attempt?

I had my setup running at home, but the first try on the road, at 3500' elevation, it wouldn't work. Then I happened to think that the capacitor may need some time to energize after not having 110V for several days. After letting the generator run for a few minutes, the AC fired right up.

Been doing some reading on capacitors, and there seems to be a lot of disagreement on whether they discharge while sitting. I'm going to assume that mine does based on my results.

Was also trying to figure out how long it should take to energize and found an equation that would compute it, but I don't know all the information to plug in.

I'd be tempted to give it another shot after letting the generator run for a few minutes without cycling your breaker to see if it still works.
Most capacitors made today contain bleeder resistors that discharge the capacitor when the power is off. Otherwise when working around them you can get a nasty shock which isn't good especially if you are 10-13' off of the ground on an RV roof.
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Old 07-04-2016, 08:29 PM   #5
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@Cdash - I did not time it, but I let it run for a few minutes before I did my first test. I wanted to make sure the generator was good and warmed up before I gave it a shot.

As promised I tested this weekend while camping. At 8000' Altitude, I was unable to get the EU2000i to run the A/C.


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Old 07-04-2016, 08:48 PM   #6
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That capacitor is only good for starting. You are overloading the compressor motor, that Honda 2000 is not big enough to handle the load. You need a Honda 3000i to handle running the AC continuously, with it cycling on and off via the thermostat.
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