Forum Discussion
ktmrfs
Jul 23, 2018Explorer II
A bit more info on the micro air easy start. I spoke with a tech resource at micro air about the fact that on my honda 2000 that the easy start detects overload before the honda actually goes into overload.
Paraphrasing micro air here is a summary.
his answer is yes, it most likely will. the easy start monitors not just voltage but also the motor running rpm and detects the rpm dropping. (now adding my EE background to this, when an inductive motor drops RPM, input current goes UP, NOT DOWN. it is an inductive load and the motor also produces what is refered to as back emf) when it detects motor rpm drop over some limit it will turn off the AC for 5 minutes then start up again.
so as voltage goes down, current goes up, which the additional load causes voltage to drop more, downward spiral if the generator can't get to a spot where it can supply the current w/o additional voltage drop.
Now for more of my comments based on our conversation.,
Inductive motors can get very hot if run at low voltage as well. So, for operation on a generator, IMHO they have done a great service to protect the motor from constant overheating which reduces life as well.
Some will say, well it's an inductive AC motor it runs at constant 3450 or 1725 etc based on 60Hz line or it quits. Well, that's the nominal rpm, it will drop rpm on heavy load before it finally gives up and come to a fast stall.
He also mentioned one advantage to this scheme. Since the generator does not go into overload itself, no need to restart or reset the generator. He also mentioned that suppose the AC is running fine, and DW decides to turn on the microwave or plug in a hair dryer. the easy start detects the overload fast enough to shut the AC off before the generator overload, microwave comes on, or DW gets her hair dry, 5 minutes later the easy start tries to start up, if the load is gone, it's on it's happy way AC is running again.
IMHO they have done a great job designing this system.
BTW they are updating the manuals and site data to highlight more of how it operates.
And as another side note, monitoring the honda (and likely other inverter generators) the voltage and current waveforms become not very sinusoidal with inductive loads. that means a voltage reading with a non RMS voltmeter is not very accurate, and the drive to the inductive load is much different than what they are designed for, a 60 HZ sine wave, not a distorted waveform with harmonics.
Paraphrasing micro air here is a summary.
his answer is yes, it most likely will. the easy start monitors not just voltage but also the motor running rpm and detects the rpm dropping. (now adding my EE background to this, when an inductive motor drops RPM, input current goes UP, NOT DOWN. it is an inductive load and the motor also produces what is refered to as back emf) when it detects motor rpm drop over some limit it will turn off the AC for 5 minutes then start up again.
so as voltage goes down, current goes up, which the additional load causes voltage to drop more, downward spiral if the generator can't get to a spot where it can supply the current w/o additional voltage drop.
Now for more of my comments based on our conversation.,
Inductive motors can get very hot if run at low voltage as well. So, for operation on a generator, IMHO they have done a great service to protect the motor from constant overheating which reduces life as well.
Some will say, well it's an inductive AC motor it runs at constant 3450 or 1725 etc based on 60Hz line or it quits. Well, that's the nominal rpm, it will drop rpm on heavy load before it finally gives up and come to a fast stall.
He also mentioned one advantage to this scheme. Since the generator does not go into overload itself, no need to restart or reset the generator. He also mentioned that suppose the AC is running fine, and DW decides to turn on the microwave or plug in a hair dryer. the easy start detects the overload fast enough to shut the AC off before the generator overload, microwave comes on, or DW gets her hair dry, 5 minutes later the easy start tries to start up, if the load is gone, it's on it's happy way AC is running again.
IMHO they have done a great job designing this system.
BTW they are updating the manuals and site data to highlight more of how it operates.
And as another side note, monitoring the honda (and likely other inverter generators) the voltage and current waveforms become not very sinusoidal with inductive loads. that means a voltage reading with a non RMS voltmeter is not very accurate, and the drive to the inductive load is much different than what they are designed for, a 60 HZ sine wave, not a distorted waveform with harmonics.
About Technical Issues
Having RV issues? Connect with others who have been in your shoes.24,260 PostsLatest Activity: Jun 08, 2025