Honda EU 2200i on Eco with AC??

Honda 2K on eco mode with 5K window unit right now in the sun..96 out and 71.6 in...But it is a lance..(laughing)

Post Camping Update:

After a bit more experimentation, and desert camping over the weekend trying my new Honda EU 2,200i, and after some informed fiddling with the pass-thru inverters voltage sag parameters, here’s what I can now report:

The 2,200i (not on Eco) had no difficulty repeatedly starting and running the 11k btu - ambient was about 100df and all other appliances (incl. Converter) were switched to OFF....The same is true for the inverter, the genny ran dry on gasoline (without my awareness...) the inverter took over and ran the ac seamlessly....

Before camping, I checked the FAQ on AirExcel’s (Coleman) website, wher they claim thet the starting amps (locked rotor) are 2.5 times running amps... For an inductive motor, at locked rotor start, I find this number highly suspect, I would expect something more in the vicinity of 4 times that amount or even more...

Also, AirExcel states the running amps at 6.6a (excluding fan) but strangely so they don’t say whether this is with or without any refrigerant!!...WT#!!

I’ve found that at least with truck campers, manufacturers go way out of their way to understate ‘actual weights’ of what the make (not counting batteries, LPG, water, factory options, lift jacks) because lighter weights sells more campers....

So having said all that, I now believe that the Easy-start may actually be a cotributor to this problem of not being able to run the AC when on Eco.... Understand, Eco operation is my only goal, and from watching the electronic indicators-inverter metering, what happens is that while the genny attempts to step-up RPM to whats the now heavier load (a seemingly lengthly matter), the Easy start sees the deficit and shuts down power to the compressor to the point where a cycling conditioning develops, Compressor ON, Compressor OFF, Compressor ON, etc) though the genny rpm never increases ..... Now, IF (and only IF) the inverter is on, it simply corrects this low voltage condition and happily takes over the entire load, and the generator continues blindly on its merry low RPM way...

So I kinda of the belief that the ‘non-programmable’ Easy-Start (as good as it may be in common applications) is not syncronizing well (or compatible??) with genny on Eco (due to cycling), and the inverter back up takes over without a hitch...

My next step may be to switch the Easy Start to a dumb hardstart kit and at this point I’m kinda disregarding AirExcels published Locked rotor amps and running amps data, UNTIL someone can provide additional clarity...At BEST, AirExcels data in my view is questionable - My unit has see little use and the coils are nearly spotless ...

Just Saying...

3 tons

It might me tool reading error.
I measured my power draw with in-line meters as well with "Kill a watt" meter.
My 15k AC was taking less than 9 amp, when whatever I have on TC (12.5 k ?) runs at 6.7 amp total.

Update:

Thanks to All !!....So at 90df in my garage I took the cover off the rooftop Coleman and using a clamp-on meter at the compressor (excluding fan), I came up with this having no other appliances on...

On shore power:
Shore power volts, no load 117v
Shore power volts w/compressor running 113v
Volts at compressor 111 to 112v
Amps at comp motor (minus fan) 9.2a

On Honda 2200i:
Volts at Generator, no load 127v
Volts at Generator, w/compressor running 124v
Volts at compressor 120v
Amps at compressor (minus fan) 9.4 to 9.5a

The results seem a bit ambiguous, but it appears that the compressor amps are high - If I can believe Colemans specs of 9.0 total amps (incl. fan) at 95df (90df during my test), and the fan is supposedly using about 2.5a, then the actual compressor only amps should be about 6.5a, which (if correct) means that the compressor is using 2.5-3.0 extra amps than the specs call for. Seems like quite an overage to me, yet the air runs fine otherwise - maybe a bad omen awaits - lol

The air unit is about 9.5 yrs old, but has not been used a whole lot...I have run it off the inverter only occasionally (for brief times), but the inverter seems to have no problem starting or running it, shore power always works too - Operationally, it’s only the genny that struggles (only when on Eco...), except when the inverter is set to ‘standby mode’ to assist with compressor starts...And this charicteristic is when at higher ambient temps and elevations (4,800’), so it’s not clear to me that it’s all that unusual (I just don’t know....??)....Absent other issues causes me to ponder the ‘outside-chance’ as to whether Coleman’s published spec’s for this particular unit are quite accurate or possibly outdated...Maybe just ‘wishful thinking’ here, admittedly, I have no other experience with a Coleman air conditioner...

3 tons

JimK-NY wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
......Either way, it's not healthy to hit the generator with a heavy amp load at low rpms and have it play catch up and there's no reason to run it on Eco because things like AC, microwaves, etc draw enough current to have it run high rpms anyway.

I very rarely operate my microwave or A/C. My current draw is typically very low as I use my generator to charge the batteries when I have been in the shade and my solar panels fall behind.

What is "not healthy" about having your generator on eco and then drawing power with A/C, a microwave, hair dryer or whatever? The generator has a lot of catching up to do even when it is not in eco.

Read posts after this for more explanation, but if you're maxing out the sure output capacity of the generator (like stating an AC without a capacitor/soft start), you stand less of a chance of catching up if the generator gets hi with that load at partial output and the corresponding drag on the engine doesn't let it spool up to get to max output quickly...or at all before the system faults.

This info is from a thread in 2017. I thought it was helpful info from ES.
rv.net reply from EASY START .

Logic dictates that if the eu2000 can do it, the eu2200 can do it better.

Your mileage may vary. Some people have no problems. Others have to disable Eco mode. Still others cannot get their AC units to start with a single eu2000. In some cases one eu2000 will start the AC, while another seemingly identical unit will not. There is no guarantee that it will work; all you can do is try.

I turn the refreg to Gas and make sure the hot water heater is on gas (or off).
than sometimes I flip my built in charger off.
If I am watching TV, I will switch my internal outlets over from Shore power to Inverter. I have switch to inverter for outlets because when AC starts on eco mode, the voltage drop causes the satellite receiver to reboot, which causes 5 minute wait as it aims the dish again :(.

stevenal wrote:


Thanks. On page 15, the link speaks of turning Eco mode off when connecting high electrical loads simultaneously. So I need to ask: Re folks setting their fridges to gas and turning off their converters when running AC from the Honda?

That might depend.
Where I usually have a need for AC, when I start it in the morning, it never goes off till late in the night.
So running fridge on AC as well, I start it with ECO off.
Once everything runs I turn ECO on to save some fuel. Probably not a big difference, but still.
It is the weather where AC kicks out-in where you might experience troubles with ECO.

3 tons wrote:

Ok I went to the Honda site, read the manual and could not find any such reference -perhaps you are referring to a different model (or in the abstract)??... Either way, upon start-up air conditioners do present a heavy load, but it might be sufficiently lessened when using the Easy Start...More data required!

http://cdn.powerequipment.honda.com/pe/pdf/manuals/00X31Z446010.pdf

3 tons

Thanks. On page 15, the link speaks of turning Eco mode off when connecting high electrical loads simultaneously. So I need to ask: Re folks setting their fridges to gas and turning off their converters when running AC from the Honda?