Forum Discussion
road-runner
Oct 21, 2015Explorer III
Are these soft starters easy to install and I wonder if they will void the warranty of the A.C. unit?The links I used previously were all for fixed-location heat pumps and air conditioners and might be too big for RV use. Some municipalities are requiring their use to reduce strain on the power infrastructure. Dometic has a soft start device for small air conditioners but it looks like they're actively marketing it just for marine use. From what I have heard, as expensive as RVs are, boat owners spend even more money. Here's a link to the Dometic soft starter and its spec sheet:
Dpmetic SmartStart-II web page
Spec sheet
In a video accessed from the web page they show the start current of a 16k air conditioner reduced from 49.1 amps to 16.8 amps. Interestingly, on the spec sheet it says that starting the motor slowly reduces stress on the compressor, just the opposite of what we've been reading on the forum for years. On the page from one of the prior links, it again makes the opposite claim "Reduced stress and heating of compressor/motor therefore extending the life". To directly answer the question, it appears pretty easy to install, and I'd sure hope the Dometic soft started woouldn't void the warranty of a Dometic air conditioner!
The second post on this page has a lengthy writeup from Dometic. http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/62158-honda-eu2000i-air-conditioning-3.html No need for anybody to point out the the Dometic device behavior is different than simple current-induced voltage drop. That's pretty obvious.
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