Easy Start By Micro Air
I wanted to run my 13.5 Dometic AC on my generator but having only a 2000 watt Honda EUI, it was either buy a bigger generator or try the Easy Start from Micro Air. I decided to go with the Easy St...
Forum Discussion
fj12ryder wrote:theoldwizard1 wrote:Just curious what the difference is between the Micro-Air EasyStart and the SoftStart by SoftStartRV.
The Micro-Air EasyStart works differently than most "hard start" add-on, which is why it actually works !
I am NOT intimately familiar with EITHER design, but the most common "hard start" add-on are basically just a large(er) start capacitor.
The short (lots of hand waving) electrical engineering explanation is as follows. Electric motors make their most torque (mechanical power) are zero RPM, so it makes sense that this is where they draw the most current (electrical power). A start capacitor gives them an extra "shot" to get them started (they likely would not start at all without the start capacitor)
The problem is, a fully discharged capacitor "looks like" a dead short until it charges up (less than a second). That split second is enough to trip the breaker. The solution is to limit how fast the capacitor charges up (limit the amount of current it can draw). Once the capacitor is "full" it discharges starting the motor. This all happens within 1-2 seconds so you don't even notice it.
DIY soft starter
