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  1. #21
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    My new 2021 337RLS came with the airflow installed. Works great. Actually I see no need for a 2nd AC in bedroom. Stays very cool. Leave in on on and not auto at night so you get the steady airflow into the bedroom. I now need to look into the slow start. I doubt mine has it in it. Where is the best place to go to for purchase and install or is it a simple installation?

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  2. #22
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    If you're camping in a cool or overcast climate, I can see only one A/C. In the sunny, hot west, my two A/Cs cannot keep up once the temp hits 100. I question our insulation - going to start a new thread on that.
    2020 Ford F150 XLT with HDPP, 3.5L TT V6, 6.5' bed, 3.73 axle, Curt A16 manual slider hitch.
    2021 GD Reflections 150 series 295RL 33' 5th
    Long ago: Carriage Lite 35' 5th, towed by Dodge Ram 2500 V10

  3. #23
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    Have not experienced those extremes yet.

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  4. #24
    Fireside Member Mediocrity's Avatar
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    Dug a little deeper into the Coleman A/Cs. They have what Coleman calls a 'Start Kit', which is a start capacitor with a PTCR relay. These work by pre-loading the capacitor, prior to starting the compressor, and then used in conjunction with 120v power to reduce the surge in amperage required to get the compressor going.

    I put an ammeter on my 15K unit. When the compressor first kicked on, my meter flashed 21A in the blink of an eye, before dropping to 11A. The amperage continued to rise by .1A every 2 seconds, until it hit a peak of 14.9A. This explains how I'm able to run mine on a 15A receptacle. I then tried it on a Honda 2200, and it ran on that as well.

    My neighbor has two Dometic units on his toy hauler, so I was able to run the same test on one of his A/Cs (I believe it was a 15K unit as well). When his compressor first kicked on, my meter flashed 32A, and then tripped the 15A breaker in his house panel. I figured I would give it a try on the Honda 2200 just to see if it faired any better. The generator ramped up pretty good, and then faulted out after about 3 seconds. No dice.

    MicroAir's installation instructions for Coleman units that have start capacitors, calls for disconnecting the wiring to the start capacitor and removing it.

    For transparency, I put in an RV hook-up at my home about 3 years ago. It has a 20A, 30A, & 50A outlet in it. If the trailer is going to be sitting un-used for a while, I typically keep it plugged into the 20A receptacle. Cheaper to replace the heavy duty extension cord, than the 50A trailer cord.
    We boondock more often than not, and I bring a Generac 3000i generator. I've never had an issue running one unit at a time, but it can't handle running both. I'm just curious if putting EasyStart's in both my Coleman A/C's, will allow me to run both on my 3000W generator.
    2021 Reflection 337RLS | TireMinder i10 TPMS | Progressive Dynamics 60A Converter | Progressive Industries EMS | MORyde X Factors | Renogy Solar & MPPT Controller
    2012 Ram 2500 CCSB 6.7L Diesel | Tuned w/ DPF Stolen | Tekonsha P3 Brake Controller | Airlift Bags w/ Wireless Compressor | B&W Turnover Ball | Anderson Ultimate Hitch

  5. #25
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    Interesting ! Your ammeter experiment shows the quick spike where my EMS didn't (makes sense). We were camped at an elevation of 8500 ft last week, running one A/C on two paralleled Honda 2000s - one genny ran out of gas, and A/C went down. Altitude loss of power means no running on one 2000 watt genny. Glad I have two gennys and plenty of gas!
    Quote Originally Posted by Mediocrity View Post
    Dug a little deeper into the Coleman A/Cs. They have what Coleman calls a 'Start Kit', which is a start capacitor with a PTCR relay. These work by pre-loading the capacitor, prior to starting the compressor, and then used in conjunction with 120v power to reduce the surge in amperage required to get the compressor going.

    I put an ammeter on my 15K unit. When the compressor first kicked on, my meter flashed 21A in the blink of an eye, before dropping to 11A. The amperage continued to rise by .1A every 2 seconds, until it hit a peak of 14.9A. This explains how I'm able to run mine on a 15A receptacle. I then tried it on a Honda 2200, and it ran on that as well.

    My neighbor has two Dometic units on his toy hauler, so I was able to run the same test on one of his A/Cs (I believe it was a 15K unit as well). When his compressor first kicked on, my meter flashed 32A, and then tripped the 15A breaker in his house panel. I figured I would give it a try on the Honda 2200 just to see if it faired any better. The generator ramped up pretty good, and then faulted out after about 3 seconds. No dice.

    MicroAir's installation instructions for Coleman units that have start capacitors, calls for disconnecting the wiring to the start capacitor and removing it.

    For transparency, I put in an RV hook-up at my home about 3 years ago. It has a 20A, 30A, & 50A outlet in it. If the trailer is going to be sitting un-used for a while, I typically keep it plugged into the 20A receptacle. Cheaper to replace the heavy duty extension cord, than the 50A trailer cord.
    We boondock more often than not, and I bring a Generac 3000i generator. I've never had an issue running one unit at a time, but it can't handle running both. I'm just curious if putting EasyStart's in both my Coleman A/C's, will allow me to run both on my 3000W generator.
    2021 Solitude 3540 GK, Reese Goosebox 20K, TST 507 TPMS, RV Airflow
    2020 Chevy Silverado 3500 Duramax/10 speed Allison, LB DRW 4WD
    previous: First "rig" was a '68 VW Bug and 2 backpacks
    1972 Starcraft 8 tent trailer, '73 Chevy Blazer
    2006 Fleetwood Williamsburg tent trailer, '07 Toyota 4Runner
    2015 Jayco Jay Flight 29QBS, 2012 Ford F-150 EcoBoost 4WD, Equal-i-zer hitch


  6. #26
    Seasoned Camper Conner58's Avatar
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    That's some great info !
    I just installed a 50amp watchdog and now my generator will not start my ac has low voltage alarm . So I the pulled cover and no soft start . So I must have what you have described. Now I ordered a soft start hope it will now run we shall see.

  7. #27
    Seasoned Camper
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    The spike in amps drawn on startup is very quick and most Amp meters will not detect the peak amp draw and in most cases will calculate or average it out and give you a misinformed reading that is much lower than the actual peak amp draw that occurred. You almost need an Oscilliscope to capture it because it happens so quickly. If you are getting a reading of 32 amps instantaneously on your amp gauge, the true peak draw is likely much closer to 50 amps or so. Most 2200W or larger generators will appear to handle this instantaneous spike since it occurs too quick for the overload circuit to kick in. But it is very hard on the compressor if it is not receiving the required amps needed to properly kick start the compressor. You may not have an issues right away but it is likely going to shorten the life of the compressor.

    The Easy Start reduces the needed amps to start the compressor by starting the compressor in multiple stages which according to Micro-Air, does not harm the compressor and reduced the starting amps by 45-60% on average.

    So the moral of the story is just because your generator can run your AC (or AC circuit at your house using a long extension cord with inappropriate gauge of wire resulting in line loss) without faulting out or tripping a breaker doesn't mean it isn't causing harm to the compressor over the long term. You should check the actual manufacturer's specs to see the maximum amp draw needed for your AC unit (not the running amp requirement) and make sure you can supply that amount of current. Some manufacturer's will not list this in their documentation and lead you to believe that your 13.5K BTU AC only draws 13.1amps which is misleading. As you can see from the example below, this AC uses an average of 1400 running watts (11.66 amps) under A.R.I. standard test conditions but this goes up as the outside temperatures go up. In comparison, it uses 1800 watts (15amps) in desert conditions. These values are based on a constant 120VAC supply source.

    So if your generator or home power source is putting out something other than 120VAC, the lower the supply voltage, the higher the amp draw required.

    EXAMPLEWattage = Voltage X Amperage) The 13.5K BTU Coleman MACH AC unit shown below uses an average of 1400 running watts (11.66 amps) in normal conditions and 1800 watts (15amps) in desert conditions. If your power source (i.e. generator or home power outlet with long under-rated extension cord) is only putting out 110VAC, you now effectively need 12.7 or 16.4amps respectively to operate your AC. You can see how this is putting you dangerously close to the threshold for a 15amp breaker or even a 20 amp breaker if you have other devices running or your inverter is trying to charge your batter etc...as well as your 2200W generator rated for 1800W continuous use.


    Also, a key metric on this spec sheet that is most commonly overlooked is the Compressor Locked Rotor Amps. This particular AC unit needs 50.5 amps at compressor startup to properly fire up the compressor! This is that magic number we see instantaneously on our amp meters that I mentioned above. But since it happens so quickly, it typically doesn't error out the generator or trip our 15amp breaker at home, but is indicative of the labored sound the compressor makes when it starts up when it isn't receiving the required amperage needed to properly fire up the compressor. The hard start capacitor on most units is used to offset this instantaneous amp draw on startup but can only provide this "boost" for a very short period of time (milliseconds). So if your generator stumbles during AC compressor startup, it is an indicator that it is having a difficult time providing the required amps needed to start up your AC unit. (remember Wattage = Voltage X Amperage. So if your generator stumbles and your voltage drops, your amperage requirement just went up). You can physically see this if you have a digital voltage gauge on your generator or put a meter on your wall outlet at home as you will see your voltage drop. As I stated above, it will most likely still start the compressor and it will run fine once it has started but it is slowly damaging the compressor each time it has to restart the compressor. And over time (maybe 6 months...maybe 2 years...maybe even longer) it will result in a premature compressor failure. The EasyStart reduces the required Compressor Locked Rotor Amps by around 45-60%. This means you no longer need 50.5amps on startup but rather somewhere around 20-27amps.

    So the takeaway is don't just think that because your AC starts up and your generator doesn't fault out that you are good to go. Or that you are fine running your AC on your 15amp outlet at home with a 50ft standard duty extension cord just because it doesn't trip the breaker. Do your homework and see what the manufacturer's specs are for your AC unit and then plan accordingly with the appropriate sized generator or extension cord when on shore power.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Jeff and Debbie
    2021 Imagine 2250RK
    2015 Ram2500 Laramie CC 6.7 Cummins Diesel w/air-ride auto leveling
    USMC Veteran

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Heavysledz View Post
    The spike in amps drawn on startup is very quick and most Amp meters will not detect the peak amp draw and in most cases will calculate or average it out and give you a misinformed reading that is much lower than the actual peak amp draw that occurred. You almost need an Oscilliscope to capture it because it happens so quickly. If you are getting a reading of 32 amps instantaneously on your amp gauge, the true peak draw is likely much closer to 50 amps or so. Most 2200W or larger generators will appear to handle this instantaneous spike since it occurs too quick for the overload circuit to kick in. But it is very hard on the compressor if it is not receiving the required amps needed to properly kick start the compressor. You may not have an issues right away but it is likely going to shorten the life of the compressor.

    The Easy Start reduces the needed amps to start the compressor by starting the compressor in multiple stages which according to Micro-Air, does not harm the compressor and reduced the starting amps by 45-60% on average.

    So the moral of the story is just because your generator can run your AC (or AC circuit at your house using a long extension cord with inappropriate gauge of wire resulting in line loss) without faulting out or tripping a breaker doesn't mean it isn't causing harm to the compressor over the long term. You should check the actual manufacturer's specs to see the maximum amp draw needed for your AC unit (not the running amp requirement) and make sure you can supply that amount of current. Some manufacturer's will not list this in their documentation and lead you to believe that your 13.5K BTU AC only draws 13.1amps which is misleading. As you can see from the example below, this AC uses an average of 1400 running watts (11.66 amps) under A.R.I. standard test conditions but this goes up as the outside temperatures go up. In comparison, it uses 1800 watts (15amps) in desert conditions. These values are based on a constant 120VAC supply source.

    So if your generator or home power source is putting out something other than 120VAC, the lower the supply voltage, the higher the amp draw required.

    EXAMPLEWattage = Voltage X Amperage) The 13.5K BTU Coleman MACH AC unit shown below uses an average of 1400 running watts (11.66 amps) in normal conditions and 1800 watts (15amps) in desert conditions. If your power source (i.e. generator or home power outlet with long under-rated extension cord) is only putting out 110VAC, you now effectively need 12.7 or 16.4amps respectively to operate your AC. You can see how this is putting you dangerously close to the threshold for a 15amp breaker or even a 20 amp breaker if you have other devices running or your inverter is trying to charge your batter etc...as well as your 2200W generator rated for 1800W continuous use.


    Also, a key metric on this spec sheet that is most commonly overlooked is the Compressor Locked Rotor Amps. This particular AC unit needs 50.5 amps at compressor startup to properly fire up the compressor! This is that magic number we see instantaneously on our amp meters that I mentioned above. But since it happens so quickly, it typically doesn't error out the generator or trip our 15amp breaker at home, but is indicative of the labored sound the compressor makes when it starts up when it isn't receiving the required amperage needed to properly fire up the compressor. The hard start capacitor on most units is used to offset this instantaneous amp draw on startup but can only provide this "boost" for a very short period of time (milliseconds). So if your generator stumbles during AC compressor startup, it is an indicator that it is having a difficult time providing the required amps needed to start up your AC unit. (remember Wattage = Voltage X Amperage. So if your generator stumbles and your voltage drops, your amperage requirement just went up). You can physically see this if you have a digital voltage gauge on your generator or put a meter on your wall outlet at home as you will see your voltage drop. As I stated above, it will most likely still start the compressor and it will run fine once it has started but it is slowly damaging the compressor each time it has to restart the compressor. And over time (maybe 6 months...maybe 2 years...maybe even longer) it will result in a premature compressor failure. The EasyStart reduces the required Compressor Locked Rotor Amps by around 45-60%. This means you no longer need 50.5amps on startup but rather somewhere around 20-27amps.

    So the takeaway is don't just think that because your AC starts up and your generator doesn't fault out that you are good to go. Or that you are fine running your AC on your 15amp outlet at home with a 50ft standard duty extension cord just because it doesn't trip the breaker. Do your homework and see what the manufacturer's specs are for your AC unit and then plan accordingly with the appropriate sized generator or extension cord when on shore power.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Capture.jpg 
Views:	29 
Size:	92.7 KB 
ID:	35533

    Jeff, thank you for the technically detailed answer and it all makes sense - I had looked up the locked rotor amps (50 as you pointed out), but what I didn't know was how that could be assisted (and was hoping the pre-charged capacitor might handle it). So it looks like my just turning on the fan first snd then the compressor with capacitor assist would be okay (and leave the fan running continuously). Anyway, your explanation was excellent and I'll be going to soft starts........ 3 of them. Ultimately I want to put an Onan generator in.

    Mark
    2021 Solitude 3540 GK, Reese Goosebox 20K, TST 507 TPMS, RV Airflow
    2020 Chevy Silverado 3500 Duramax/10 speed Allison, LB DRW 4WD
    previous: First "rig" was a '68 VW Bug and 2 backpacks
    1972 Starcraft 8 tent trailer, '73 Chevy Blazer
    2006 Fleetwood Williamsburg tent trailer, '07 Toyota 4Runner
    2015 Jayco Jay Flight 29QBS, 2012 Ford F-150 EcoBoost 4WD, Equal-i-zer hitch


  9. #29
    Seasoned Camper
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lady and the Fishfinder View Post
    Jeff, thank you for the technically detailed answer and it all makes sense - I had looked up the locked rotor amps (50 as you pointed out), but what I didn't know was how that could be assisted (and was hoping the pre-charged capacitor might handle it). So it looks like my just turning on the fan first snd then the compressor with capacitor assist would be okay (and leave the fan running continuously). Anyway, your explanation was excellent and I'll be going to soft starts........ 3 of them. Ultimately I want to put an Onan generator in.

    Mark
    No problem...glad I could articulate it in words so that it made sense to you....The EasyStart kits are awesome and do what they are stated to do. I just wish they were a little cheaper....
    Jeff and Debbie
    2021 Imagine 2250RK
    2015 Ram2500 Laramie CC 6.7 Cummins Diesel w/air-ride auto leveling
    USMC Veteran

  10. #30
    Rolling Along
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    Quote Originally Posted by Heavysledz View Post
    No problem...glad I could articulate it in words so that it made sense to you....The EasyStart kits are awesome and do what they are stated to do. I just wish they were a little cheaper....
    TechnoRV currently has a huge sale on the EasyStarts - 5% off!!
    2022 Solitude 378MBS-R
    2021 Ford F450 CC Lariat Ultimate FX4
    1966 Shasta Astroflyte (1 year restoration project that is going on year 6)

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