Dometic AC Hard Start Kit

[TECMike]

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?

[ktmrfs]

SoundGuy wrote:

ktmrfs wrote:
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.

No doubt - according to Honda the EU2000i's stock #62 jet should be good to 5,000' but nevertheless Honda still expects ~ 3.5% decrease in engine horsepower for every 1000' of elevation above sea level - that's ~ 15.75% @ 4500'. Between 5,000' and 10,000' the main jet should be changed to a #60, above 10,000' to a #58. At 10,000' though that still can't overcome a 35% loss in engine horsepower. However, the larger EU3000iS with more horsepower to start with should handle the task of powering a Micro-Air equipped 13,500 BTU A/C. 🙂

correct. In all reality the honda 2000 is in the "barely adequate" category to supply running current to most older AC units at near sea level. Then it goes to "almost adequate" at some higher altitude around 3-4K feet. And "barely" and "almost" are NOT the same thing!

Now, many of the newer AC units are higher efficiency and draw around 11A max load instead of the 13-15A. I have a polar cub 9000BTU unit that draws about 11A max on my small trailer. It also has a lower locked rotor draw and lower inrush. My honda 2000 will start and run that factory configuration in eco mode everyplace I've been. That includes altitudes near 8000ft with temps in the 90's.

Now if the honda 2000 was either 2000W continous or 2200 watts peak, that would with the microair solve almost every problem.

Or, use it with the newer high efficiency AC units.

[SoundGuy]

ktmrfs wrote:
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.

No doubt - according to Honda the EU2000i's stock #62 jet should be good to 5,000' but nevertheless Honda still expects ~ 3.5% decrease in engine horsepower for every 1000' of elevation above sea level - that's ~ 15.75% @ 4500'. Between 5,000' and 10,000' the main jet should be changed to a #60, above 10,000' to a #58. At 10,000' though that still can't overcome a 35% loss in engine horsepower. However, the larger EU3000iS with more horsepower to start with should handle the task of powering a Micro-Air equipped 13,500 BTU A/C. 🙂

[ktmrfs]

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.

[SoundGuy]

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.

[bobndot]

microAir results any problems with the install, just call the comapny, i have heard they are very helpful . I plan to install one in the spring.

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/29275334/print/true.cfm

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/29312304/print/true.cfm

[ependydad]

I bought an “EasyStart” from MicroAir. I can start (and run) my 15k unit on my Honda 2000.

I can start and run both it and the 13.5k on my pair of Honda 2000s.

[newman_fulltime]

just leave the fan on high should be ok