High amps at Air Conditioner
I have a Coleman Mach 1 P.S. 11k btu rooftop air conditioner (on a truck camper) that has had little use and works well, but seems to draw a high amount of amps per Colemans spec sheet. Coleman spe...
Forum Discussion
Jharrell said.
“You keep mentioning the generator struggling to start it, especially in eco mode. Sounds like a small inverter generator, while the a/c is rated for 9 amps running its rated at 45 amps lock rotor startup current. That isn't bad, my 15k btu is 70 amps startup.
Most small generators can't even start a rooftop air at least in 13k btu and up even though they can supply enough running amps. Eco mode at least on my Honda 2000 throttles down to reduce fuel consumption then will react to heavier load by throttling up but it has enough delay that a large startup surge from an A/C makes it struggle even worse.
If you want to resolve the compressor start issues the best way is a soft starter like a Micro Air easy start, it greatly reduces startup surge. I added one and now I can start my 15k btu off my inverter”.
You keep mentioning the generator struggling to start it, especially in eco mode. Sounds like a small inverter generator, while the a/c is rated for 9 amps running its rated at 45 amps lock rotor startup current. That isn't bad, my 15k btu is 70 amps startup.
Most small generators can't even start a rooftop air at least in 13k btu and up even though they can supply enough running amps. Eco mode at least on my Honda 2000 throttles down to reduce fuel consumption then will react to heavier load by throttling up but it has enough delay that a large startup surge from an A/C makes it struggle even worse.
If you want to resolve the compressor start issues the best way is a soft starter like a Micro Air easy start, it greatly reduces startup surge. I added one and now I can start my 15k btu off my inverter.”
Got it...
After a bit more experimentation, and desert camping over the weekend trying my new Honda EU 2,200i, and after some informed fiddling with the pass-thru inverters voltage sag parameters, here’s what I can now report:
The 2,200i (not on Eco) had no difficulty repeatedly starting and running the 11k btu - ambient was about 100df and all other appliances (incl. Converter) were switched to OFF....The same is true for the inverter, the genny ran dry on gasoline (without my awareness...) the inverter took over and ran the ac seamlessly....
Before camping, I checked the FAQ on AirExcel’s (Coleman) website, wher they claim thet the starting amps (locked rotor) are 2.5 times running amps... For an inductive motor, at locked rotor start, I find this number highly suspect, I would expect something more in the vicinity of 4 times that amount or even more...
Also, AirExcel states the running amps at 6.6a (excluding fan) but strangely so they don’t say whether this is with or without any refrigerant!!...WT#!!
I’ve found that at least with truck campers, manufacturers go way out of their way to understate ‘actual weights’ of what the make (not counting batteries, LPG, water, factory options, lift jacks) because lighter weights sells more campers....
So having said all that, I now believe that the Easy-start may actually be a cotributor to this problem of not being able to run the AC when on Eco.... Understand, Eco operation is my only goal, and from watching the electronic indicators-inverter metering, what happens is that while the genny attempts to step-up RPM to whats the now heavier load (a seemingly lengthly matter), the Easy start sees the deficit and shuts down power to the compressor to the point where a cycling conditioning develops, Compressor ON, Compressor OFF, Compressor ON, etc) though the genny rpm never increases ..... Now, IF (and only IF) the inverter is on, it simply corrects this low voltage condition and happily takes over the entire load, and the generator continues blindly on its merry low RPM way...
So I kinda of the belief that the ‘non-programmable’ Easy-Start (as good as it may be in common applications) is not syncronizing well (or compatible??) with genny on Eco (due to cycling), and the inverter back up takes over without a hitch...
My next step may be to switch the Easy Start to a dumb hardstart kit and at this point I’m kinda disregarding AirExcels published Locked rotor amps and running amps data, UNTIL someone can provide additional clarity...At BEST, AirExcels data in my view is questionable - My unit has see little use and the coils are nearly spotless ...
Just Saying...
3 tons
“You keep mentioning the generator struggling to start it, especially in eco mode. Sounds like a small inverter generator, while the a/c is rated for 9 amps running its rated at 45 amps lock rotor startup current. That isn't bad, my 15k btu is 70 amps startup.
Most small generators can't even start a rooftop air at least in 13k btu and up even though they can supply enough running amps. Eco mode at least on my Honda 2000 throttles down to reduce fuel consumption then will react to heavier load by throttling up but it has enough delay that a large startup surge from an A/C makes it struggle even worse.
If you want to resolve the compressor start issues the best way is a soft starter like a Micro Air easy start, it greatly reduces startup surge. I added one and now I can start my 15k btu off my inverter”.
You keep mentioning the generator struggling to start it, especially in eco mode. Sounds like a small inverter generator, while the a/c is rated for 9 amps running its rated at 45 amps lock rotor startup current. That isn't bad, my 15k btu is 70 amps startup.
Most small generators can't even start a rooftop air at least in 13k btu and up even though they can supply enough running amps. Eco mode at least on my Honda 2000 throttles down to reduce fuel consumption then will react to heavier load by throttling up but it has enough delay that a large startup surge from an A/C makes it struggle even worse.
If you want to resolve the compressor start issues the best way is a soft starter like a Micro Air easy start, it greatly reduces startup surge. I added one and now I can start my 15k btu off my inverter.”
Got it...
After a bit more experimentation, and desert camping over the weekend trying my new Honda EU 2,200i, and after some informed fiddling with the pass-thru inverters voltage sag parameters, here’s what I can now report:
The 2,200i (not on Eco) had no difficulty repeatedly starting and running the 11k btu - ambient was about 100df and all other appliances (incl. Converter) were switched to OFF....The same is true for the inverter, the genny ran dry on gasoline (without my awareness...) the inverter took over and ran the ac seamlessly....
Before camping, I checked the FAQ on AirExcel’s (Coleman) website, wher they claim thet the starting amps (locked rotor) are 2.5 times running amps... For an inductive motor, at locked rotor start, I find this number highly suspect, I would expect something more in the vicinity of 4 times that amount or even more...
Also, AirExcel states the running amps at 6.6a (excluding fan) but strangely so they don’t say whether this is with or without any refrigerant!!...WT#!!
I’ve found that at least with truck campers, manufacturers go way out of their way to understate ‘actual weights’ of what the make (not counting batteries, LPG, water, factory options, lift jacks) because lighter weights sells more campers....
So having said all that, I now believe that the Easy-start may actually be a cotributor to this problem of not being able to run the AC when on Eco.... Understand, Eco operation is my only goal, and from watching the electronic indicators-inverter metering, what happens is that while the genny attempts to step-up RPM to whats the now heavier load (a seemingly lengthly matter), the Easy start sees the deficit and shuts down power to the compressor to the point where a cycling conditioning develops, Compressor ON, Compressor OFF, Compressor ON, etc) though the genny rpm never increases ..... Now, IF (and only IF) the inverter is on, it simply corrects this low voltage condition and happily takes over the entire load, and the generator continues blindly on its merry low RPM way...
So I kinda of the belief that the ‘non-programmable’ Easy-Start (as good as it may be in common applications) is not syncronizing well (or compatible??) with genny on Eco (due to cycling), and the inverter back up takes over without a hitch...
My next step may be to switch the Easy Start to a dumb hardstart kit and at this point I’m kinda disregarding AirExcels published Locked rotor amps and running amps data, UNTIL someone can provide additional clarity...At BEST, AirExcels data in my view is questionable - My unit has see little use and the coils are nearly spotless ...
Just Saying...
3 tons
