Running a BriskAirII A/C on a Yamaha 2400iSHC Genny !
After a long time and a couple unsuccessful tries, there is a very strong solution to doing this without incurring the brown-outs associated with a Capacitor-based type solution.
Started with the capacitor based solution...Dometic Quick Start or a SUP6(E) hard start, etc, whatever you use, it will generate a brown-out. Measure it and you will see. This was unacceptable.
Then heard of the higher end such as the Dometic SmartStart or the Hyper-Engineering Sure Start (bEWARE OF THIS ONE ! !)
These are software assisted starters which control the voltage and are aimed at learning the starting characteristics of your A/C and then modifying the way it starts so as to reduce if not eliminate the surge spikes. They do work, but in each case there are drawbacks:
1. The Dometic is very expensive and designed for yacht HVAC systems, so it is to be mounted in a weather protected installation. The briskairII has a molded foam enclosure with no space to install this where it would be weatherproof. Also very expensive: $400+
2. Hyper Engineering Sure Start: Not a reliable nor competent outfit. Based in Australia without any support staff here. Has 1 slick salesperson who convinced me in an email and a phone call that they had done installations on the Dometic BriskAirII but when the HVAC installer called them he could not help him at all, knew nothing of electronics, and had to ask a 3rd party electrical engineer to help with the installation. After 3.5hrs it was determined the unit needs the A/C to have a contactor so as to wire into it. The BriskAirII does not have an accessible contactor (uses relays) so the home office finally mentioned this from Australia, and said they would take back the unit, because the saleperson in Chicago did not want to. He eventually docked me $40 for the "restocking fee". They do not have the resources to be competent in this market, and the only tech support available is in Australia. I was left to pay the HVAC installers 3.5hr fee!
Did more research and found that all these products were developed using the skills of Mr. M. Giovannetti, who has moved on to Micro-Air. The Dometic and the H.E. software assist start units have not developed the product after Mr. Giovannetti left them. The product that does not need a contactor to be installed, and has a fully weatherproof enclosure with the easiest installation instructions possible is called the MicroAir Easy Start #364.
Had it installed, took 15 minutes, ran the A/C through 10 startups. Waited a day for another hot afternoon, started the genny, started the A/C and it works. Very interesting...when it starts you do not hear the kick on of the compressor, but the genny ramps up, then levels out at a slightly increased RPM, then inside you barely here the compressor start humming along with the fan. There is absolutely NO discernable impact to the rest of the electronics. I am very impressed and grateful.
Price on the unit is not cheap, $300, but the design and performance is stunning! Reduces the voltage needs and torque demands of the startup process and controls the motor along the way. absolutely works!
We now can run the electric needs of this Winnebago Micro Minnie with a generator that either one of us can lift and put into the bed of the truck, and it is very very quiet. Came with a 4 year warranty for $1200. With the expense of the unit and install $1600+
Luckily believing HyperEngineering's hyper marketing did not ding the wallet as much as I thought...the installer was very very kind.
But the next person may not have that luck, so go ahead try the micro-air solution first - it works better than you might feel it is possible.
There is a video that explains how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjhhOgud4Lo
I hope this may help the next person considering using a lighter genny to run their A/C without hurting it.
Again, many thanks for all the suggestions along the way.
Cheers
Bob
Started with the capacitor based solution...Dometic Quick Start or a SUP6(E) hard start, etc, whatever you use, it will generate a brown-out. Measure it and you will see. This was unacceptable.
Then heard of the higher end such as the Dometic SmartStart or the Hyper-Engineering Sure Start (bEWARE OF THIS ONE ! !)
These are software assisted starters which control the voltage and are aimed at learning the starting characteristics of your A/C and then modifying the way it starts so as to reduce if not eliminate the surge spikes. They do work, but in each case there are drawbacks:
1. The Dometic is very expensive and designed for yacht HVAC systems, so it is to be mounted in a weather protected installation. The briskairII has a molded foam enclosure with no space to install this where it would be weatherproof. Also very expensive: $400+
2. Hyper Engineering Sure Start: Not a reliable nor competent outfit. Based in Australia without any support staff here. Has 1 slick salesperson who convinced me in an email and a phone call that they had done installations on the Dometic BriskAirII but when the HVAC installer called them he could not help him at all, knew nothing of electronics, and had to ask a 3rd party electrical engineer to help with the installation. After 3.5hrs it was determined the unit needs the A/C to have a contactor so as to wire into it. The BriskAirII does not have an accessible contactor (uses relays) so the home office finally mentioned this from Australia, and said they would take back the unit, because the saleperson in Chicago did not want to. He eventually docked me $40 for the "restocking fee". They do not have the resources to be competent in this market, and the only tech support available is in Australia. I was left to pay the HVAC installers 3.5hr fee!
Did more research and found that all these products were developed using the skills of Mr. M. Giovannetti, who has moved on to Micro-Air. The Dometic and the H.E. software assist start units have not developed the product after Mr. Giovannetti left them. The product that does not need a contactor to be installed, and has a fully weatherproof enclosure with the easiest installation instructions possible is called the MicroAir Easy Start #364.
Had it installed, took 15 minutes, ran the A/C through 10 startups. Waited a day for another hot afternoon, started the genny, started the A/C and it works. Very interesting...when it starts you do not hear the kick on of the compressor, but the genny ramps up, then levels out at a slightly increased RPM, then inside you barely here the compressor start humming along with the fan. There is absolutely NO discernable impact to the rest of the electronics. I am very impressed and grateful.
Price on the unit is not cheap, $300, but the design and performance is stunning! Reduces the voltage needs and torque demands of the startup process and controls the motor along the way. absolutely works!
We now can run the electric needs of this Winnebago Micro Minnie with a generator that either one of us can lift and put into the bed of the truck, and it is very very quiet. Came with a 4 year warranty for $1200. With the expense of the unit and install $1600+
Luckily believing HyperEngineering's hyper marketing did not ding the wallet as much as I thought...the installer was very very kind.
But the next person may not have that luck, so go ahead try the micro-air solution first - it works better than you might feel it is possible.
There is a video that explains how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjhhOgud4Lo
I hope this may help the next person considering using a lighter genny to run their A/C without hurting it.
Again, many thanks for all the suggestions along the way.
Cheers
Bob
