AC tripping generator

JBarca wrote:


Hi,

I am very familiar with the Sunline campers. A 2003 Sunline, 27 ft would most likely have 13.5K btu AC on it unless someone upgraded it.

See this post where I did some amp testing on my Sunline. Before on the 13.5 K btu unit and then on the 15 K btu unit with the soft start.

***Link Removed***

On my coil cleaned 13.5K btu unit, with the power converter running on a charged battery, no other 120 VAC on in the camper, but the AC fan was on before the compressor kicked on, and I got 37 amps in rush.

As I was typing this, something dawned on me, what model is your Sunline? Or, more importantly, do you have a ducted system, meaning multiple ceiling ducts, OR do you have no ducts and all the cold air comes out of the center area of the AC unit inside? (a non-ducted AC) The control systems are different for the ducted and non-ducted.

Hmm, have you ever run the AC on your genny successfully in the past?

I can see maybe 2 things giving you an issue if you are on the ducted AC system.

Your compressor starting capacitors may be weak on the older motor, (there should be 2 caps in your AC junction box up the roof if it is the original)

Your genny does not have much surge spike forgiveness. Again this comes back to, did that genny ever run the AC unit well or are you just trying it now for the first time?

Dirty coils on the AC will pull a little more current, but not that should stop your genny from working.

Hope this helps

John

It is a ducted system. Do these AC units just happen to draw a ton of current when starting?

It's always been hit or miss since I got the generator. I would say it starts about 90% of the time unless I purposely short cycle it then I can pretty consistently trip it.

I did test both the motor starting Capacity and the main capacitor and they are within spec. I tested the coils as well to make sure there aren't any resistances in the coils and all seems good. The unit does work most or the time after all, and it is cold. It's just unreliable.