Soft start kit

[Wallace]

We have a 2018 321 RSTS fifth and dry camp somewhat. I’ve been told that in the newer models a 2000 watt Honda generator will run the a/c without a problem. Others say we should put a soft start kit on the a/c but I don’t want to spend the extra $300 unnecessarily. Does anyone have experience with this?
Tkanks

[Rock]

A 2000 Honda will not run ur ac even with a hard or soft start kit. U say the soft start kit is $300. If that is the company that has the box that learns how to regulate the start voltage than yes it will. Capacitor hard and soft start from ac dealers cost about $30 bucks and will not let a 2000 gen start an ac
Rock

[DavidJay]

This is the good one:

https://www.microair.net/collections...nt=30176048267

Nice discount if you put “AIRSTREAM” in the appropriate box.

[Sundancer330]

Here is a link to some good info for generator requirements.

https://www.steadypower.com/pages.php?pageid=133

[Rustic Eagle]

I believe Honda is discontinuing the EU2000i model and replacing it with the new EU2200i model. I haven't seen any published specs on this new model if Honda states it will run a certain size RV A/C. I don't have any personal experience with the EU2000i.

I have a Yamaha EF2400iSHC genny and it ran my 2005 Eagle's 13,500 BTU A/C without a soft start capacitor, and runs my new 2018 Jay Flight 13,500 BTU A/C just fine. The EF2400iSHC specifications state it will run a 13,500 BTU A/C.

Check with the manufacture of your particular A/C, I heard that some A/C units now come with soft start capability. I know that my 2018 24RBS Dometic 13,500 BTU A/C when starting sounds like the blower starts first, then the compressor kicks-in about 10 seconds later.

Who knows, maybe the new Honda EU2200i will match the Yamaha EF2400iSHC stated A/C capabilities.

Honda EU2200i: http://www.hondanews.com/power-equip...specifications

Bob

[GHen]

I have a 2017 291rsts and can run my AC with a Honda 2000i companion. The one with the 30amp plug. I need to turn everything else off including the converter, but it will run it all day.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[vcbice]

That surprises me. Do you have a 15k or 13k AC unit? Did anyone modify the AC unit?

[Rock]

DavidJay
Yup that is the kit that will work. That is what he must of meant and not a capacitor
Rock

[RAurand]

Originally Posted by DavidJay

This is the good one:

https://www.microair.net/collections...nt=30176048267

Nice discount if you put “AIRSTREAM” in the appropriate box.

I have that on my 28BHBE and I can run my AC on (1) 2000 Yamaha generator.
The generator can even run in economy mode (which makes the fuel and run time last ALOT longer) and when the AC wants to kick on, the genny spools up before the compressor kicks in. I have had this for 2 summers now and it has been working great. Sometimes, I will parallel my (2) 2000 watt Yamahas to rum more things along with the AC.

MicroAir Softstart was well worth the $270.00 for me.
As mentioned above, use AIRSTREAM in the coupon code.

I tried a hard start capacitor and it didn't come close what the Micro-Air soft start does

[RAurand]

Originally Posted by Sundancer330

Here is a link to some good info for generator requirements.

https://www.steadypower.com/pages.php?pageid=133

These requirements are if you do not have a soft start.

[geezerbob]

My experience.
Our Champion 2800/3100 would not start our 13.5 Dometic ac every time even with everything else turned off. I installed a soft start capacitor and it starts every time. I think I only paid about $30 to $40 for it.
If the more expensive soft start kits that are shown work with a 2000 w Honda or Yamaha that would be very appealing to me.
Lighter weight etc.
Bob

[DavidJay]

Originally Posted by geezerbob

My experience.
If the more expensive soft start kits that are shown work with a 2000 w Honda or Yamaha that would be very appealing to me.

Bob:

Follow the link in my first post. Micro-air puts right on their website that the Honda 2000 will run an air conditioner. Several comments from users who have experienced it.

[Mopar_Earl]

Careful of elevation. That Honda will loose power as the elevation goes up. Might handle it ok at 600' but fall on its face at 1000'.


Earl

[bdreinv]

Hey Mopar your right on elevation, just bought a Champion 3500.Champion claims there start watts are based on sea level.Were are at 1050 first start up on my 15000 BTU AC . Over load light came on for a second then she fired up.Coleman wont tell you anything on start watts unless you pull the top cover and give them the model numbers.We camp above 6000' all summer.Need a litlle ac until rain starts in late July! Thanks

[CampNow]

Several years ago I did quite a bit of informal testing of a number of generators and RV a/c units. I gathered the following info that some may find useful. Hopefully it'll better clarify why a generator may or may not start a given RV a/c unit.

First off, the LRA (locked rotor amp or inrush current) specification provided by RV a/c manufacturers specifies how much current is necessary to start a given RV a/c unit. Most 13,500 - 15,000 BTU RV a/c units have LRA's around 50-65 amps, with some as high as 68-70 amps (i.e, Dometic Brisk Air II's). This LRA (or inrush current) is a very large burst of current that lasts less than a second.

Yes, RV a/c manufacturers specify the LRA for each of their a/c units. However, the missing link in this whole discussion is the inrush current capability of any given generator. As we all know, generator manufacturers do not provide the inrush current capability of their generators. Without this critical spec you have no idea whether a generator will start an RV a/c unit based on a given LRA.

Important side-note: Inrush current is not to be confused with the "surge" current rating (or "starting watts") provided by most generator manufacturers. Surge current is typically a generator rating for power output that can be produced for a few seconds on up to an X number of minutes. The amount of time used to determine this rating varies dramatically from manufacturer-to-manufacturer. For instance, the Champion 2000 inverter generator can only produce its surge current rating for 10 seconds---a Honda EU2000i can produce its surge current rating for 30 minutes! Bottom line, a generator's surge current or starting watt rating does not tell you a generator's inrush current capability.

So, long story short, I attempted to fill-in the missing half of this equation by testing a few generators with an inrush current capable clamp-on ammeter.

I found a Champion 3100 inverter generator can produce as much as 68-70 amps of inrush current with the Eco mode off and 62-64 amps with the Eco mode on. Very impressive inrush capability. It explains why there are very few folks that have problems starting RV a/c units with a Champion 3100 inverter generator.

A single Honda EU2000i can produce as much as 52-54 amps of inrush current with the Eco mode off---47-49 amps with the Eco mode on. This is a significant amount of inrush current for a generator that's only rated for 13.3 amps of continuous output (or 16.6 amps for 30 minutes). Its competition doesn't even come close in terms of inrush current capability. If one takes the time to find an RV a/c unit with an LRA as low as 50 amps (Coleman-Mach makes a few), your chances of succesfully starting it with a Honda EU2000i are dramatically increased.

Two Honda EU2000i's paralleled together doubles the continuous current output (from 13.3 to 26.6 amps) , but, surprisingly, only results in a 5-10% increase in inrush current (vs. one EU2000i), or about 59-61 amps with the Eco mode off. Also surprising, one Honda EU2000i with the Eco mode off comes close to producing the same amount of inrush current as two Honda EU2000i's paralleled with the Eco mode on! These inrush current readings explain why some folks with paralleled EU2000i's have problems starting some RV a/c units while others don't. The inrush current output of a paralleled pair of Honda EU2000i's falls right in the middle of the 50-70 amp LRA ratings spread for most RV a/c units.

A Honda EU3000iS' inrush current capability (with the Eco mode off) falls in the middle between one Honda EU2000i and a paralleled set of Honda EU2000i's, or about 56-58 amps---significantly less than the Champion 3100 inverter. The EU3000iS relatively low inrush current capability explains why it can only start more efficient RV a/c units--those with lower LRA's.

So, in a nutshell, if you know the inrush current capability of a generator you can use an RV a/c unit's LRA to determine with a fair degree of accuracy whether the generator will sucessfully start that RV a/c unit or not.

Lastly, a typical $10-$15 start cap can potentially lower an RV a/c's LRA about 5-10%, or about 3-6 amps. If your generator is right on the edge of starting an a/c unit, a start cap can help; otherwise, they do very little. A Microair unit can reduce an RV a/c's overall LRA as much as 75%---drop it from 50-70 amps down to as low as 15-30 amps--a massive reduction---at that point clearly within the inrush current capability of all the generators discussed above---Eco mode on or off.

[Rock]

Great info. Thanks

[DavidJay]

Originally Posted by CampNow

A Microair unit can reduce an RV a/c's overall LRA as much as 75%---drop it from 50-70 amps down to as low as 15-30 amps--a massive reduction---at that point clearly within the inrush current capability of all the generators discussed above---Eco mode on or off.

That is a huge reduction in current - and transients which affect other devices on the line.

Sounds like this would be a valuable addition even when running on shore power. Especially in older campgrounds with "iffy" electrical supplies.

[vcbice]

That parallels what I have seen.

FWIW, many ac units will start the fan and compressor at the same time. This severely increases that inrush current since that is TWO motors trying to start at the same time. You can significantly reduce that current by leaving the fan in the on position (instead of auto). Then the only inrush current you have to deal with is the ac compressor. I believe some of the modern RV ac units now delay the compressor start, but, you will have to check yours to make sure.

I was able to run a older 13,500 ac unit with a 2400 Yamaha generator that way. It would trip the overload if I tried to let the fan and compressor start at the same time.

FWIW, I could also run that ac unit from a standard house 110V plug (and 50ft of 12ga extension cord) by leaving the fan on.

All of my 'testing' was done at our house, which was at 6700ft elevation.

[GHen]

Originally Posted by vcbice

That surprises me. Do you have a 15k or 13k AC unit? Did anyone modify the AC unit?

It’s is a 15k, no modifications. Standard item on the new Eagle 5th wheels. I think it’s a Colman Max Air. The one using the separate ducts and low noise AC that’s standard.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[jkkinder]

Originally Posted by RAurand

I have that on my 28BHBE and I can run my AC on (1) 2000 Yamaha generator.
The generator can even run in economy mode (which makes the fuel and run time last ALOT longer) and when the AC wants to kick on, the genny spools up before the compressor kicks in. I have had this for 2 summers now and it has been working great. Sometimes, I will parallel my (2) 2000 watt Yamahas to rum more things along with the AC.

MicroAir Softstart was well worth the $270.00 for me.
As mentioned above, use AIRSTREAM in the coupon code.

I tried a hard start capacitor and it didn't come close what the Micro-Air soft start does

Which unit is recommended the one made by soft start or the micro air unit? We are traveling & visiting lots of family but not certain our A/C will run on house power? We are traveling with a cat so must run the A/C in hot climates.

Does anyone have an esttimate of the installation costs? (my hubby is NOT mechanical).