SoundGuy wrote:
TECMike wrote:
Bought a new 13,500 Dometic Brisk Air AC unit, but my Honda 3000 has a difficult time starting it.
Anyone had experience with Dometic's hard start kit & did it solve the hard start problem for you?
Reports from those who have added a Micro-Air Easy Start Soft Starter Kit to a 13,500 BTU A/C indicate quite clearly that the A/C will easily start in ambient temps up to at least 100F using just a Honda EU2000i as source power. Given this, it would seem this task would be even easier with the larger Honda EU3000iS so if it were me I'd cut to the chase and install an Easy Start which from any reports I've read would virtually guarantee success.
I agree. I installed the micro air easy start on trailer with a Coleman Mach III.
All in all it is one of the best upgrades we've done. For the vast majority of our camping we can run the AC off the honda 2000 with it set to eco mode, no muss, no fuss, no issues. Even at 4500 ft at near 100F with the honda 2000 in eco mode the micro air easily starts the Coleman Mach III no problem.
Now for the downside. The micro air seems to do a quicker job than the honda 2000 of responding to an overload. So, what I did observe at 4500F and 100F, the AC would run for 10 to 15 minutes, then shut down for about 5 minutes, then restart. Honda never went into overload shutdown, just idled down. Going through the micro air information I concluded it was detecting overload, either via a low voltage or change in frequency and turning off the AC. At that altitude the little 2000 was indeed running full throttle with only the AC on. and voltage was down near 110-115 instead of the 120 or so I observed at sea level.
Once down to 3000 ft or so with the same temperatures no problem, it will run the ac all day long.
Now, at 4500Ft and 100F, the little honda 2000 is probably running at or near max output with the AC on.
You can't overcome the physics of power loss due to altitude and temperature and the increased power needed by the AC unit at high temperatures and increased electric motor losses due to high temp running.
The micro air addresses the issues that usually plague the honda 2000 and AC units, the inability to supply the inrush locked rotor current draw. But it can't overcome the honda's max power output limits under load at high altitude and high temperature.
So, around 4000Ft I need two hondas with the microair, no different than I've done before. but the generators can both be in eco mode and easily start the ac.
But most everywhere else, one little 2000 does the job while in eco mode.
I'm going to say, the honda 3000 should have NO problem in eco mode starting and running the AC at 4500ft. the 2000 is "almost adequate" at that altitude and high temperature.
