Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: RonJ on February 17, 2021, 09:21:08 am
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Just wondering if anyone has installed a softstart on their air conditioner? If so what's your experience with it?
https://youtu.be/1BmwfelqGsY
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id wonder about warranty implications also. sounds cool.
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Ron, I have not installed one yet. I have read a lot of good things about around the internet, mainly other rv forums. I will probably buy and install shortly.
r/Bob
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I wonder how long the warranty is for the air conditioner. The warranty that PC provides ends once the original purchaser sells the unit. Since I'm second owner, I have no warraty with PC.
Rob... please let us know if/when you install one.
I have a 2552 with 50AMP. If I hook up to 30AMP I can only run 1 AC. Looks like if I have the softstart on both ACs I could run them both with a 30AMP hookup.
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I wonder how long the warranty is for the air conditioner. The warranty that PC provides ends once the original purchaser sells the unit. Since I'm second owner, I have no warraty with PC.
Rob... please let us know if/when you install one.
I have a 2552 with 50AMP. If I hook up to 30AMP I can only run 1 AC. Looks like if I have the softstart on both ACs I could run them both with a 30AMP hookup.
No, you can't. The 2nd AC is on an entirely separate input power leg. On a 30 amp plug, there is no connection to that power leg. To even try it, you'd have to have that power leg rewired, not a good idea at all.
BTW... For all, I had never heard of a SoftStart before. I was intrigued and did about an hour's worth of research and reviews. The SoftStart does NOT lower the power draw while the fan and compressor are running (typically 14amps). It DOES lower the surge current needed to start the compressor and that surge time is also lengthen from 1/6th of a second to 1/3rd of a second. The peak surge current drops from 52amps to 24amps. It is mostly designed for use with a generator where that type of surge can pop the generator's circuit protection. It does help where shore power is running near its limit. After that research, I decided to buy 1 ($299 right now). It'll be here Tuesday. I did that because I do "boondock" a fair amount nights and have had a few times where the generator couldn't handle both A/C and microwave if the A/C compressor kicked it. A real pain in the butt at night on a Walmart parking lot to reset the generator's circuit breaker. I figure better safe than sorry.
YMMV
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Thanks for that info. I wasn't sure if I couldn't or shouldn't. I appreciate the clarification.
Please let us know how your installation goes.
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Great article on the unit like we are discussing VS a $30 'Soft start/ EasyStart/etc" Capacitor
https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-electricity-hard-or-soft-start-caps/
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I installed an EasyStart fall 2019. The only view I have of the input current is the inverter display. Unfortunately, PC wired the inverter to be on any time there is AC incoming.
So with that in mind, the input current for the air conditioner and the inverter after the EasyStart was installed is at 17A. The inverter is probably over an amp and the converter is probably using around an amp, so the EasyStart is probably having the aircon run current close to the 14A many say it should be.
I don't have a way to measure the start up surge current.
I had installed the EasyStart as we had a Mexico trip planned for the following winter and thought it would allow me to run the aircon on the poorer Mexican hook-ups. As it was, I never trusted the connections to do that.
I also hoped that it would allow me to run the micro when running the aircon. Due to no travel since the Mexico trip, I haven't tried that as yet.
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This probably isn't very helpful, but the Houghton AC's have a built in soft start. They use software for to control the condensing fan, evaporator fan and compressor. It actually stages the 3 pieces. It brings on the compressor, than the condensing fan and then the evaporator. When temp is reached it cycles off compressor then condensing fan. It leaves the evaporator fan running until the next call for cooling. This is one benefit, the other is that it doesn't sound like a jet engine when its operating, very quite.
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This probably isn't very helpful, but the Houghton AC's have a built in soft start. They use software for to control the condensing fan, evaporator fan and compressor. It actually stages the 3 pieces. It brings on the compressor, than the condensing fan and then the evaporator. When temp is reached it cycles off compressor then condensing fan. It leaves the evaporator fan running until the next call for cooling. This is one benefit, the other is that it doesn't sound like a jet engine when its operating, very quite.
Another piece of handy info about Houghton AC was posted here also - RE: Running a Houghton AC while underway-
That’s info direct from Frank, their shop manager. Basically the air speed moving the fans while driving at highway speeds would affect the fans balanced speed. I’m sure he would explain it better but that’s the jist of it. He did say it wouldn’t hurt the unit, just wouldn’t work. How it come up in conversation is when I saw a advanced rv unit that had another brand installed. Not sure of the brand but it might have been Coleman. Frank told me in cases where people want to run their roof ac while driving the houghton wouldn’t be the best choice. In my case that’s not an issue however I have read where owners of larger rigs need to run the roof ac while under way.
Hope that’s helps
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I have run Dometic and Coleman A/C's while driving, works well but obviously you need the genset running. I have only done that in slow driving and high (+90 deg) heat and humidity, otherwise the dash air keeps the front just fine. For me the "cost" of that is a bit more than 1 mpg. No biggie.
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If anyone is interested, the SoftStart and EasyStart are not identical. I presume they work similarly, but looking at installation instructions, the EasyStart has a 4 wire harness and the SoftStart has a 5 wire harness.
No idea if either is better than the other. They both have good reviews.
Don
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I watched THIS VIDEO (https://youtu.be/1BmwfelqGsY) of a fellow installing a Softstart in his older Coleman a/c unit. He mounted the Softstart unit horizontally with the wires coming out the side of the unit. That is a very bad idea. Any water that gets on the wires will flow down them right into the Softstart unit. Make sure to mount the unit vertically or at least at an angle so that water on the wires cannot travel into the Softstart.
That guy's particular Coleman a/c unit, his cover has ventilation louvers near the wires. Wind-driven rain could drench his wires and prematurely kill his Softstart.
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I recieved my micro air easy start yesterday. Will be installing after I install maxair vent covers. BTW- I do not like the attached ladder. I already removed the bottom half. Am thinking about removing the rest.
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BTW- I do not like the attached ladder. I already removed the bottom half. Am thinking about removing the rest.
You and I are in the minority. Everyone else likes their ladder and I am happy for them.
I ordered our PC with the roof rack and ladder placed inside the house as a kit, just in-case I later changed my mind. I sold them just last year. I like the clean look without all that and in my particular case, I avoided all the drilled holes in the rear wall and roof. At home I use a 10 foot step ladder. So far during trips, I have never had a reason to go on the roof. I got close to buying a telescoping ladder to have on-hand, but I backed out before reaching the cash register.
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Well, I installed the micro-air soft start. I did NOT use the ladder attached to the PC. I have a little giant I extended. Much safer. Anyway all went well, but I did have to call the company to ask ask a question about 2 wires. Talked me thru it while I was up on the roof. Ran it according to instructions. Works great. Will try the gen tomorrow with both ac and mirco wave running.
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I took the bottom half of my ladder off as well. Having a luggage rack on the roof and a ladder to access it is just silliness in my opinion. If you put your suitcases on the roof they would get wet every time it rained. And who would want to go up and down that ladder to keep getting underwear and socks out?
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Don't understand a luggage rack on top of an RV. 1. It is only about 4-5 inches tall. 2. There is only 3 sides to it. Not very practical. Oh well, some people like them and some people don't. That's what's great about this country-choice! (for now).
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BTW- I do not like the attached ladder. I already removed the bottom half. Am thinking about removing the rest.
You and I are in the minority. Everyone else likes their ladder and I am happy for them.
I ordered our PC with the roof rack and ladder placed inside the house as a kit, just in-case I later changed my mind. I sold them just last year. I like the clean look without all that and in my particular case, I avoided all the drilled holes in the rear wall and roof. At home I use a 10 foot step ladder. So far during trips, I have never had a reason to go on the roof. I got close to buying a telescoping ladder to have on-hand, but I backed out before reaching the cash register.
The way my universe is known to work, if I removed the ladder, the next time I went on the road there would be a hail storm, or a big branch would blow onto the roof in a windstorm in the middle of the night, or I'd hear a big bang on the roof as I went under an overpass or passed a big rig, and I'd have no way to check for damage without climbing a tree. Or I'd be wishing I could get that photo from a position 15 feet higher than ground level.
Or the 10' stepladder I use to climb and then transition to the rear ladder would tip out from under me since there was no ladder or roof rack to grab as I climb up with a 40# RV cover balanced on my head like a sherpa.
As you say...to each his own... :)(:
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I watched THIS VIDEO (https://youtu.be/1BmwfelqGsY) of a fellow installing a Softstart in his older Coleman a/c unit. He mounted the Softstart unit horizontally with the wires coming out the side of the unit. That is a very bad idea. Any water that gets on the wires will flow down them right into the Softstart unit. Make sure to mount the unit vertically or at least at an angle so that water on the wires cannot travel into the Softstart.
That guy's particular Coleman a/c unit, his cover has ventilation louvers near the wires. Wind-driven rain could drench his wires and prematurely kill his Softstart.
Ron,
I just installed my SoftstartRV today. Both MicroAir and SoftstartRV say it can be mounted vertically or horizontally as long as the wires come out the bottom or the back. I just got back from a trip to Texas where we had a fair amount of rain going and coming. When I took the shroud off the Penguin 2 unit... There was dust/dirt under the shroud, but zero evidence of any water tracks or pudding or anything else to indicate water, rain, car washes, snow, etc. has ever gotten under the shroud in 64,000 miles of use.
Don
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I don't care for the ladder either but might come in handy if needed sometime. Main use is to support a bicycle. Last summer I installed a Micro Air EasyStart on a P2 and it worked as advertised to keep the gen breaker (at the unit) from kicking off when AC was cycling. I read where a fellow mounted a second AC and made it work off 30 amp with an EasyStart. My plans are to add another P2 AC this year but think I'll wire it separate from the house system to be safe. We do a lot of dry camping throughout the summer and 90 degree temps make the one unit struggle. I carry a 7000 watt generator in my car trailer I tow and use it to power the trailer and motorhome. Gen set on the 2910 is mainly a backup and rarely used but when it is it struggles sometimes.
George
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Thanks for all of the comments and updates. I may install a soft start sometime in the future just to make sleeping easier.
RonJ
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I installed the Soft Start RV to my 15kw AC w/heat pump today. So nice to have AC runing when packing the PC at home pluged into a 20amp circuit. Tech support was great they called me after putting in a ticket online and walked me through the installation, called me back after to make sure everything was working okay.