microair easy start results

[ktmrfs]

Well, here is a summary of the microair easy start on my coleman MachIII 13.5KBTU AC.

First, the current results before installation. I had the supco soft start cap along with a 10 second time delay on the fan start.

Measured Peak current required to start is 60A,

Results with a single honda 2000
At low altitude, lower temps, with everything else off in the trailer, and the honda eco start OFF.
If I was lucky, the honda would struggle and start the AC, but note something to count on. The honda really struggled. above about 1000Ft or above about 85F, SOL, no way would it start the AC.

With honda 2000 in parallel,
If both had the eco throttle on, usually the honda voltage would drop low enough to have the Progessive Industries EMS relay chatter, even with the PI in bypass mode, voltage was dropping way low,
If one was off eco throttle, then it would start the AC without issues.

So, here is data after the easy start install. Which by the way was pretty straightforward, good instructions. And the easy start removes any start cap on the AC unit, but there IS a start cap INSIDE the easy start, along with the control board.

starting current on a 30A service using the 5 starts recomended before using a generator

No easy start 60A
easy start 1 27.6A
easy start 2 21.5A
easy start 3 22.4A
easy start 4 25.3A
easy start 5 25.0A

now, connected to a honda 2000 in eco mode,
no load honda Voltage 126V RMS
starting voltage sag 116V RMS
running voltage 123V RMS
peak starting current 22.0A

and the generator ramped up the rpm as it started, no overshoot in rpm, start was smooth.

So, IMHO success. We shall see when it hits 90F and 4,000 Ft to see if it will still start in eco mode, but I suspect it definitely will start fine with eco mode off.

Now, all that said, if you want to run the AC and much else you still will be out of luck. the easy start doesn't defy the laws of physics, so running current is still the same, so not much headroom left. But if you run honda's in parallel, running them in eco mode should work just fine.

[marcsbigfoot20b]

I just realized something......

With 115 degrees at 1400 ft at my house, the density altitude is around 5000+ ft.

I may change to the next smaller jet for my EU2000i and see if I can squeeze out a little more power since it is technically running rich.

The 4000-7000 jet should work better.

[road-runner]

A few of the previous posts highlight that just because a given generator can start a given air conditioner, it doesn't mean it's ok to run it for long. And when you measure the power draw, it needs to be in the conditions you'll be running the air conditioner in, and after the power consumption has peaked, which one post pointed out could be 30 minutes.

[pianotuna]

My 13500 was drawing over 1900 watts today. Temperature inside was 25.4 c (76 f) and outside it was 33 C (91.4 f).

The 15 amp shore power supply was 115 volts unloaded and I was using load support plus a Sola Basic autoformer. Voltage in RV was 108.

I had originally "clamped" the shore power to a maximum of 12 amps. Then I got stupid and moved it up to 14 amps. The breaker tripped and I have no access to it.

[marcsbigfoot20b]

Chris Bryant wrote:

marcsbigfoot20b27 wrote:

I tested mine at 1400 ft at 95 degrees and it worked....didnt try eco mode. At 120 degrees it did not work with the lowered power output and locked rotor amps of 59.....even with the help of the Microair.

A rule of thumb is the a/c will draw about 1 amp more for every 10 degrees above 95, and I can imagine it may have been over 120 up on the roof.

Yeah that is the truth....parked in full AZ sun in 120 ambient it gets stupid hot. I just bought one of those cable splitter things so I can read the amps with a clamp on meter instead of having the shroud and covers off. I have all summer left to do hot testing..lol.

[Chris_Bryant]

marcsbigfoot20b27 wrote:

I tested mine at 1400 ft at 95 degrees and it worked....didnt try eco mode. At 120 degrees it did not work with the lowered power output and locked rotor amps of 59.....even with the help of the Microair.

A rule of thumb is the a/c will draw about 1 amp more for every 10 degrees above 95, and I can imagine it may have been over 120 up on the roof.

[ewarnerusa]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

Could you not run it before on the 2400? Any idea what the voltage was when running?

ewarnerusa wrote:

ewarnerusa wrote:
...Then the generator test -> Yamaha 2400.

Generator test was a success! High altitude blazing hot temps will be the true test though.

It was 95F yesterday and I thought I'd try another generator test run while parked at home. It was 102 in the camper and the generator started the air con with no problem. Before the compressor kicked on, the Kill-A-Watt said 124-125V and once the compressor came on it dropped to 120-121V. Volt-amps were in the 1450 range at the beginning, about a half hour later it was up in the 1600's. Voltage stayed at 120-121V. I forced through a couple cycles and each time the generator did fine.

[ktmrfs]

marcsbigfoot20b27 wrote:

ktmrfs wrote:
another successful test. near sea level, but today the temps broke 100F, and with the trailer nice and toasty this afternoon, I decided to plug it into the generator and see how the AC and generator did. Left honda 2000 in eco mode, let it warm up a few minutes, turned on the AC, AC started, no fuss, no muss, easy peasy. Generator ramped up smoothly and kept on running. Still had some margin, turning off eco mode the generator rpm increased noticeably.

Next test will be at 3-4K ft later this summer.

I tested mine at 1400 ft at 95 degrees and it worked....didnt try eco mode. At 120 degrees it did not work with the lowered power output and locked rotor amps of 59.....even with the help of the Microair.

Hey, at 120F I can't blame anything for NOT working. Wow, that's way to hot for me.

[marcsbigfoot20b]

ktmrfs wrote:
another successful test. near sea level, but today the temps broke 100F, and with the trailer nice and toasty this afternoon, I decided to plug it into the generator and see how the AC and generator did. Left honda 2000 in eco mode, let it warm up a few minutes, turned on the AC, AC started, no fuss, no muss, easy peasy. Generator ramped up smoothly and kept on running. Still had some margin, turning off eco mode the generator rpm increased noticeably.

Next test will be at 3-4K ft later this summer.

I tested mine at 1400 ft at 95 degrees and it worked....didnt try eco mode. At 120 degrees it did not work with the lowered power output and locked rotor amps of 59.....even with the help of the Microair.

[pianotuna]

Ktmrfs,

Thanks for taking the time to post.

[ktmrfs]

another successful test. near sea level, but today the temps broke 100F, and with the trailer nice and toasty this afternoon, I decided to plug it into the generator and see how the AC and generator did. Left honda 2000 in eco mode, let it warm up a few minutes, turned on the AC, AC started, no fuss, no muss, easy peasy. Generator ramped up smoothly and kept on running. Still had some margin, turning off eco mode the generator rpm increased noticeably.

Next test will be at 3-4K ft later this summer.

[ktmrfs]

pianotuna wrote:
ty ktmrfs,

Have you noted voltage drop on starting in eco mode?

ktmrfs wrote:
I don't know about the dometic, but my honda 2000 but with the microair it will start my coleman MachIII old style high LRA unit no fuss with eco mode on. ramps up the rpm smoothly no hunting, no fuss.

yes, I did a min and max hold on my RMS voltmeter. In eco mode no load voltage 126VRMS, starting load min voltage was 116VRMS, so about a 10VRMS drop, then running volts was about 123V. this was with the honda 2000 in eco mode.

[pianotuna]

ty ktmrfs,

Have you noted voltage drop on starting in eco mode?

ktmrfs wrote:
I don't know about the dometic, but my honda 2000 but with the microair it will start my coleman MachIII old style high LRA unit no fuss with eco mode on. ramps up the rpm smoothly no hunting, no fuss.

[ewarnerusa]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

Could you not run it before on the 2400? Any idea what the voltage was when running?

ewarnerusa wrote:

ewarnerusa wrote:
...Then the generator test -> Yamaha 2400.

Generator test was a success! High altitude blazing hot temps will be the true test though.

At home (~4400' elevation) I have had moderate success running it before the Micro Air but with a SUPCO SPP6 hard start capacitor. So last night's generator test wasn't too informative, although I was happy to have it work. Killawatt said 124V I believe with it running off gen? I know it read that much before I fired the air con up and I recall checking it again with it running and not being alarmed in any way. RPMs ramped up smoothly when compressor kicked in and there wasn't a bogging-down will-it-or-won't-it-trip-the-fault hesitation.

When I've tried running the air con during camping use, usually a lot higher elevation than home and of course blazing hot out, I have been disappointed enough with generator performance that I stopped trying or even bringing it along at all.

[ktmrfs]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

Any chance of a test with the eco mode *on*?

exploringcarolina wrote:
Completed installation of the Microair Easy Start 364 on a Dometic Penguin II 13.5K unit yesterday. After 5 start ups on shore power, tried AC operation with a Honda EU2000i, Eco mode off. The AC started & ran smoothly with outside temps at 86F at 900MSL.

I don't know about the dometic, but my honda 2000 but with the microair it will start my coleman MachIII old style high LRA unit no fuss with eco mode on. ramps up the rpm smoothly no hunting, no fuss.