Це відео не доступне.
Перепрошуємо.
Micro-Air EasyStart Installed on a 5Ton Central HVAC - All The Important Details In Seven Minutes
Вставка
- Опубліковано 22 сер 2021
- This video covers the installation of a Micro-Air EasyStart soft start unit on my 5 Ton central HVAC heat pump. This allows a whole home to run from power from more reasonably sized (and priced) portable generators without the AC Compressor drawing too many amps on startup. Includes the testing results, mobile app, and the basics of operation.
Also of note, while the soft start unit reported a max of 45amps on startup, my clamp on amp meter consistently reported around 10amps LESS for the max.
So the actual result may be ~10amps better (I'm opting to believe the softstarter, and err on the greater number in the video) The actual amps used/needed also seems to vary a bit over time, based on the weather and 'mood' of your AC compressor.
The following is a link to the full playlist of the video series on these generators, there are now (5),
All The Technical Tidbits
Home Built Parallel Kit
Generator Power vs. Line Power
Easy Start by MicroAir to let a portable generator run your central AC
How To Connect A Generator To Your Home
Playlist: • Predator 9500 Generato...
Hope this helps people!
I did the same with my 3 ton trane heat pump. I can run my Westinghouse 9500 on propane and it will start my central air and run two refrigerators along with lights and TV. It’s a game changer and allows me to keep my 93 year old mother in law in the house.
It is really remarkable how it solves the need to have a very oversized generator just to initially kick off the compressor.
Nice video! I’ve probably watched 6-8 videos on the topic of the Micro-Air Easy-start and yours has the best explanation of how it works!
Magic pixi-dust is about the best explanation I can come up with (and manipulating the relationship between the phases going to the motor). :-) But it certainly seems to work.
For anyone having inconsistent peak or inrush amps, check your meter. The min/max function does not sample very fast. A meter specifically designed to capture inrush will typically have a button or setting that displays the word “inrush” on the screen. With that setting the meter samples much faster than the min/max function and is very consistent. Good video, seems like a legit product.
Very true. This is why I tend to trust the EasyStart's Bluetooth App Amperage reporting vs. that of my meter. The easy start is designed to catch, monitor, and deal with those loads.
@@Texas_DIY It cant do that. Anybody that believes that this thing starts the same motor and load with alot less current, just doesnt get it.
Thanks for the video. This thing is no joke. Thanks to microair I got a 4 ton with tvs refrigerators, lights stereo and computers on a 7000watt running inverter generator
Yeah, I don't know what magical pixi-dust they're using to accomplish it, but it's really amazing what this thing can do. I've been quite impressed.
Trust me its a joke.
I installed mine about a week ago and I noticed that there were some faults detected even though the system state was showing up as normal. Eventually while I was watching it on my tablet for a good 10 minutes it went into over-current fault and shut down the compressor for the default 3 minute timeout. A little bit of Google searching, it was pointing me in the direction of a faulty run capacitor. I found it testing outside it acceptable tolerances of a 40 uF cap. What I can figure out is that the running current was going outside its acceptable limits and the EasyStart was picking it up and shutting down the compressor to mitigate potential damage to the compressor. So I have a new run capacitor on order and it should be delivered by tomorrow to fix it. It definitely saved me a $125 service call for a $20 part.
Results on my 2.5 ton condensing unit brought LRA from 56 amps down to 20. I definitely have no complaints about it, I will have to initiate the relearning process once I get the capacitor replaced. I agree that the jumper that the 32" wiring harness is a bit on the short side, unfortunately there's no such thing as a cable stretcher to make life easy. Mounting options for me is to index the cover and use stainless machine screws and nylock nuts to form the mounting studs for the unit to mount to. I have a bucket of stainless hardware leftover from another project and it needs to find a new home anyway.
My only gripe is that it would be nice if I could pull up the fault history from the app and it would've sped up the process on where to start my troubleshooting. Maybe they might add that feature on the next firmware or app update. :- )
It's a really impressive device. Although i don't think it has much memory capacity beyond the last start. There doesn't seem to be a "log"
I ordered a 364 and a 368 EasyStart with extra wires from the MicroAir, is like 3 dollars per foot, I bought a 12"x10"x4" Metal Junction Conduit Box, and some electrical conduits and I mounted that on the wall. My Homes has 2 ac units, 3 TON and a 1.5 TON, The 3 Ton went form 78 LRA to 26 LRA.
I had no idea it was even an option to get a longer cable. I would have been more than happy to mount it to the house next to the power box, but there was just no way with the length of the leads I received. That's a great drop in startup power, nice.
@@Texas_DIY I emailed MicroAir asking them to sell me cables. In the beginning, they were hesitant about it. They told me that I could use any wires. Still, I explained to them that I would not be able to find orange and brow cables at Lowes of Home Depot that it makes more sense to buy them directly from them and that plan to install wire schematics so when a technician comes to service the units knows what is going on with the wires. If you still wants to do it email them directly.
@@Texas_DIY By the way, I ordered the magnets, I can hang the EasyStart inside the junction box.
Be sure to coat them with something (I used a clear lacquer), otherwise they will rust and probably leave rust stains on the side of the AC.
@@Texas_DIY too late. I noticed that they get rusted a month after installed. However. I do not have the EasyStart installed inside or side of the A/C units. I bought an extra 15 feet of cable directly from MicroAir and I installed them on the wall inside of a junction box 13x13 inches inside I used the magnets to hang the EasyStarts. By the way the electric junction box came painted grey like any other electrical box and also started to rust on the edges. Very bad quality. I might need to buy that electrical grey color paint and paint it.
Thank you for this video, very well done.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I purchased an Easy Start 368 Blue directly from Micro Air. I had it installed by an HVAC certified technician. With the Easy Start installed the compressor on my four ton residential unit would not work. I disconnected the Easy Start and the AC worked fine. I contacted Micro Air by email and the technician was very helpful with photos and directions for the correct wiring using my wiring diagram and photos. Come to find out, The Easy Start was connected correctly the whole time. I completed the warranty info and sent the unit back to Micro Air at my expense, $29.00. Their customer service department received the unit and acknowledged that the unit had a loose wire. My unit was repaired and returned to me. I installed the unit and although it works it still draws between 52 and 74 amps upon start-up depending on whether you use a clamp gauge (74 amps)or the reading on the Easy Start (52 amps). I am not happy with Micro Air sending out defective equipment, acknowledging it was defective and having the customer pay to have that same defective equipment returned to be put into working order. Requests to Micro Air for a refund of my shipping charges have been ignored. Use caution if you consider purchasing from Micro Air their Quality Control and Customer Service has something to be desired.
Paying for shipping back, and having the replacement shipped to you is pretty standard still for repairs and warranty work. They seem to be a small company. And most folks have had very good results with them.
But I certainly get what you're saying. In the era of "Amazon" "Free returns, free shipping", having to pay when it was their defective issue, and you have zero fault can be jarring and frustrating. I'd be pretty frustrated with that as well.
It's interesting that your clamp gauge is higher than the MicroAir reading. Usually the Micro Air is higher because it's fast enough to catch the peaks and the clamp meters often miss the highest points. Are you putting the clamp around both hots or just one? If it's around both, that will very much exaggerate the reading.
Very kool, we need this.
I'm up to 17,145 starts since I installed it, and it's still running just the same as new. Pretty happy with it so far.
I would like some information on the longevity and reliability of these units.... I wanna hook this up to my house but I'll only be using it or needing it when running a generator ,,,,don't like the idea of 99% of the time running it when I do not need it,,, Is this something I can leave hooked up and run it for the next 5 ++ years or should I only have connected when I'm using a generator....
Great video
I've had mine on the whole time. It's intended to be permanently installed. If anything, it reduces the wear a bit on the compressor by not having it start as hard as it normally would. I consider it something to extend the life of the compressor, in addition to it allowing the AC to run on generator power. It also makes a nifty diagnostic tool, you can log in any time and see if your compressor is behaving differently (using more or less power)
Great video. Right to the point, and has data.
Glad it was helpful!
I came across with a reddit article "AC Soft Start and Generator Size" (UA-cam won't let me paste the link) and it says that if your AC unit has a non-bleed txv, the soft started might not be able to work properly. The guy contacted Micro-Air and they said due to the a non-bleed txv they need to add a bigger capacitor to the soft starter, which they did and now it works properly. They guy's unit it also Trane. You might have to check if you unit that the non-bleed txv and contact micro-air
Mine has been running for several years now problem free (knock on wood). Rock solid.
One note to add, you can get shocked by the capacitor in the AC even if the power is off. You should use a screwdriver to short out heat leads on the capacitor to make sure it is discharged before working on the unit.
Oh yeah. Capacitors are not to be messed around with... they'll rock your world.
Great info. Do you know if the soft starters can be programmed to delay startup by some interval of time, so after a power cycle not everything is trying to turn on at same time?
My AC system has a delay circuit built in to prevent it trying to start while under pressure. After turning off losing power it has to pause for a bit.
But as far as the soft start, the only delay I noticed was the ability to have the fan turn on about 1 second before the compressor (this can be deactivated so it's starts at the same time if needed). As motors take more juice when starting initially, this further reduces load by staggering the starts / surges.
This is a great video. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Interesting the micro air reported 43 and the clamp meter reported a peak of 31. Any ideas on why the discrepancy?
I think the most intense part of the load happens faster than the meter can read it, even on the max/min setting. If I had to choose between them, I would assume the Micro-Air is more accurate. It's a lot more sophisticated than one might think. I'm told the diagnosis that it can send in for troubleshooting even includes a waveform of the power.
That said, if the pulse is really that brief... does it count? Meaning if the clamp meter can't even register it, would it even really impact the generators to any significant degree? Basically, overall, my clamp meter seemed to consistently read the STARTING Amps to be about 10amps LESS than the Micro-Air unit reported.
But, the running amps reported, is almost an exact match between the two. So which one is truly right for the startup? I can't answer that, but it's interesting.
Got one and on my way to install it
Let me know how it works out. I'm really curious to hear the difference in consumption from others.
With less start up amperage does the start up noise level go down?
It does seem to help some yes. Less of a "thunk" when it kicks off.
Excellent job on the video. Very informative! I’m Subscribed
Thanks!
I see you have the orange from the EZ Start going to the herm tab on the capacitor. Isn't that supposed to bypass the cap now, and go direct to the start winding?
Honestly, I sent a picture of my wiring to Micro-Air, and they were kind enough to send it back with markings showing where to hook up what. I just followed what they sent, and it's been working brilliantly for several years now... been very happy with it.
Why do you suppose the run current went from 11.5A before adding the soft start to 14A afterward?
Overall my run current has remained around 11 to 12A depending on the weather and mood of the system. The soft start just does it's magic to reduce the initial rush startup requirement, the normal run current should be unchanged.
@@Texas_DIY
That's what I expected. It shouldn't affect steady state full speed current draw. That's why it seemed counterintuitive that the run current reported at the end was twenty something percent higher than that reported at the start. Maybe the conditions were that different between those two times.
After installing the Easy Start unit, did you happen to notice a decrease in your electric bill? Also, I heard if you install an Easy Start unit, it will extend the life of your compressor. What have you heard about this claim?
I've heard the same thing. A more gentle start, is easier on the compressor and prolongs life.
Apart from reduced light flickering, though I doubt that you will see any difference on your electric bill though. The huge amount of amps it needs are for such a short time, that it's not going to register very much on the meter.
what is the gizmo you have on your generator that shows the output?
It's covered in some of the other videos I did about the Parallel kit. It's a voltage / amp meter that I found on Amazon
ua-cam.com/play/PLzoNthJzzMFQ877vyCfoc53oDQqGFAIKN.html
Curious if the magnets have any effect on the easy start components?
Not that I would imagine. There's a capacitor in there, but not anything that looked like it would care. Plus the magnets are outside the case, and enough distance away that even if it were highly sensitive to it, I seriously doubt it would be an issue.
Two 9k generators, it's time for a diesel Aurora, light tower type unit, or a converted diesel RV generator.
That's what I was thinking. Imagine how fuel they fuel they use a day.
You're not wrong. But these aren't designed to run for weeks at a time. It's just for emergencies. In hindsight, if I could have found diesels for a similar price, yeah.. particularly as the fuel doesn't have to be rotated the same as these do.
Great idea on the hooks. What about mounting inside the unit by taking the fan off?
On my unit the whole interior is pretty much lined with the copper coils, and there wasn't much room in there or cable length to try. I would have preferred to mount it on the house next to the disconnect box, but there wasn't remotely enough cable length for that. This was the best and most flexible solution I could come up with.
Keep that condenser clean and it will keep running amp draw down I have seen systems with condenser so dirty that the heat will melt the disconnect
It's only a few years old, and I keep her pretty clean. :-)
My compressor makes a lot of noise upon starting (it kind of ‘explodes’ on). Would this reduce the noise or the sudden jarring start? My unit is next to a bedroom and I’ve already tried soundproofing, so just wondering.
It does soften the starting noise quite a bit. (If the fan is noisy it won't help with that)
@@Texas_DIY Thank you. I may have to give this thing a try.
@@Texas_DIY Also thank you - exactly what I wanted to know, hoping this will help with our thunking/banging start ups. Pretty sure my A/C doesn't already have soft start - our lights dim - so hopefully this also helps us.
It does seem to make things easier on the compressor. I bet it will improve the lights dimming (might not solve it completely, but I get it will help a lot)
Question for you. I installed my Micro Air Soft Start on my 5 ton about 3 weeks ago. The 5 ton unit is less than 3 years old so it's fairly new. In the heat of the day, I get a "Over Current" fault. It'll be 93+ degrees out when I get that fault. Micro Air says it may be a weak run capacitor...... But I doubt it being so new. They also tell me to have the soft starter to relearn in the heat of the day. That hasn't solved it. Have you ever experienced this with your unit?
Mine has been rock solid for several years now. I took photos of the inside of mine and Micro-Air was kind enough to show me exactly where to hook things up. I'd work with them to see if you can come up with a solution. They seem to be a really small shop, so it's not instant answers... but those same guys are the designers and seem to really know their stuff. The unit also has a diagnostic function where it will email them diagnostic info (including your power waveforms), use that from the app, so the can see exactly what your unit is doing.
@@Texas_DIY I commented on their UA-cam company install video. They responded within minutes and an Engineer contacted me shortly after. He knew what to do instantly. He guided me through a couple of adjustments to perform on the Easy Start unit via the app, and problem solved. Great customer service and company. I was very impressed with them. They even emailed me the next morning (which was a Saturday by the way) to check on the unit. Outstanding group of people there!!
I have a 34 years 6 tons Carrier A/C using R22 and it still working fine and I do not need generator to power my A/C.
If I invest this AC Soft Starter, would it prolong my old A/C or it is too late for that because other parts such as A-Coil, compressor is near end of the life. Thanks in advance.
Notes: I did have a loud noise click and dimmed light when compressor starts.
I've noticed it does seem that my compressor has an easier time. I'd say yes, it would likely prolong the life of the compressor... but I'm not an AC tech, nor do I play one on TV.
Just ordered mine! Thanks
Good luck. Mine is still plucking right along, no issues so far.
Nice video! Do you have a video that explains how you wired your house panel to switch power from line to generator power?
Hoping to get that one done soon.
Just got that one done. it's uploaded and on the playlist now.
Could you please provide the link to your video showing how you paralleled the two Predator 9500's with a home built parallel kit? I couldn't find that video. Thank you!
ua-cam.com/play/PLzoNthJzzMFQ877vyCfoc53oDQqGFAIKN.html
Fantastic Video!
Glad you liked it!
Very thorough and simple explanation. I know this was geared towards using a generator, but would this also work for something like running your AC off solar / battery back up? I know Tesla's Powerwalls have max LRA requirements and was wondering if bringing that number down with this process would then make it possible.
I would think so, yes. These generators convert high frequency AC to DC, then feed it into an inverter to make clean power.
A tesla power wall just swaps out the motor for a battery bank. You still have to be careful not to overload the inverter in either case.
So yeah, I’d think it would almost be required equipment, particularly if you have a large central air conditioner unit. .
@@Texas_DIY Good to know, thanks for the info / insight! Any thoughts on installing one of these, either by yourself or by an AC company, would this affect a manufactures warranty?
@@Texas_DIY And one more thing. Does the app show the new LRA value once it's gone through a couple of cycles? Or did your numbers just come from your meter clamps?
I just install one on my trane package unit heat pump and now my growatt inverter with just 300 amp hour eg4 batteries from signature solar was able to start the ac. It wouldn’t start before I installed it so it does work.
Shouldn't impact the warranty, that said, it's removable if you're concerned about it. Installation wasn't bad. If you've ever put in an electric outlet, or wired a switch, it's not much worse than that. Main thing is to make sure you have the right tools to crimp the connectors.
Wow, very clean, thorough, professional video
Much appreciated! I tried to cut out the fluff found in most UA-cam videos these days and just get to the point(s) people need. You don't have to sit through 10min of BS for 30sec of content or have to look at a thumbnail featuring a stupid expression on a floating cut out of my face.
Thank for the awesome video,
i am wanting to purchase a backup generator for my home and prefer to use natural gas or propane to run it,
would like to know why you chose the Predator , and did you consider the Duromax inverter set, they come with duel fuel systems, i am trying to decide which set to purchase, there are high quality propane/ natural gas conversion kits made for the predator , and if installed would both cost about the same as the Duromax.
The DuroMax XP9000iH, based on other reviews I've seen, is very nearly identical to the Predator 9500, except that it's about ~$500 more expensive, but, it supports propane, and has a cool auto start/remote start feature.
Getting that one might be cheaper and less hassle than converting the 9500 over to propane/natural gas. I don't have any first hand experience with it, but, I'd assume it's power profile would be similar if not identical, and if it has the features you value enough to justify the extra expense, would probably be great.
Thank you for this!
My pleasure!
Excellent video!!!!
Thank you very much!
Great information. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video. Thanks. I have a trane 4 ton heat pump and am afraid that installation is not as easy at it seems with all the electronics. You mentioned that you had some issues with them as well. Can you elaborate please? Am hesitant to do the install cause of it. Thanks
My capacitor was wired a little differently than their instructions showed. I sent a good photo of my setup to them, and they were kind enough to reply back with the same photo, but with a simple drawing over it showing where the connections should go.
One part of it calls for a wire that was on the relay (or capacitor, I forget) to be connected to the lead on the Micro-Air. Normally this would mean cutting the wire and crimping (or using a wire nut) to join them together. However I didn't want to modify my setup, such that if I needed to remove the Micro-Air I could easily do so and put it back like it was.
So what I did was add heat shrink tubing around the lead, crimped on a spade, and used a small nut/bolt to join the two spades together tightly. Then slid the heat shrink over it and covered the whole thing so it would be safe. Now, if needed, I can just unscrew it and put the spade back where it was should I need to undo it.
If you've ever done electrical outlets or switches in your home, this isn't really any much harder. Just make sure you do a good job on the spade terminals. If you're uncomfortable, I'd bet an AC tech wouldn't charge very much to put it on, especially if you had them out doing a yearly check or something anyway.
@@Texas_DIY Fantastic info! Thanks so much. I now feel comfortable doing it myself. You ROCK Jason!
I'll be moving in to my new home in a couple months. I'm considering purchasing a microair soft starter right from the get-go as my Carrier unit is rated for 107LRA and we'd like to use A/C during a power outage. Do you know if there's any evidence or concerns of this device causing damage to the HVAC system long-term?
Quite the opposite. This should prolong the life of the coils in the compressor, by reducing the amount of power that has to be dumped into it to start the compressor turning.
Can one Predator start the 5 ton with the easystart kit?
Depends on the current draw of the compressor, combined with all the other goodies running in your home. If you get a clamp meter you can get a pretty good read of what amperage is being pulled normally. Combine that with the best readings you can get from the compressor and that will give you a ball park. (be sure to use the peak mode to try to capture the peak of the current draw... and even then most meters aren't fast enough to reliably get the readings. So take a number of them, and use the highest number.)
Yes. Turn off all the other breakers until the AC kicks on. Turn the thermostat way down so it's not cycling on/off.
Great video, question; do you notice a decrease in your monthly electric bill do to the reduction in start up amperage reduction
As I recall from 20yrs in my past... I think that's what is referred to as "demand" (The max amperage that might be needed at any time, which the power company has to have capacity to provide). Typically electric companies don't charge for that on single phase residential service. So no difference for me in terms of cost.
But commercial users with 3phase power can be hit with demand charges for the max level of surges as large motors come on.
No it won't save you money on electricity in any way, its an initial draw of seconds which equates to nothing monetarily.
Great video and info. How is the Micro-Air EasyStart holding up since posting the video?
Thanks
It's been rock solid for several years now. Still trucking along. Everyone once in a while when I'm in that part of the house, I'll fire up the app and check in on it. So far so good.
Great job explaining and showing the product and installation! At 2:54, what are those two L.E.D. voltage/amp/frequency meters? Can you share the manufacture/model#, installation details and functionality?
Never mind, found it in your other video on doing the parallel setup for the Predators. Thanks!
@@mikar3601 No worries, this is the playlist for the whole series:
ua-cam.com/play/PLzoNthJzzMFQ877vyCfoc53oDQqGFAIKN.html
The parallel video, in the comments, has the links and such to all the parts.
Thank you for this well done video. I have installed the X48 on my 3 ton upstairs and 4 ton downstairs units. On the 3 ton, the start amps are consistent around 24 amps. However, on the 4 ton, the start amps can vary widely from ~40 amps to 75 amps on start. I have asked MicroAir if I should purchase the larger X72 unit for my 4 ton…no answer from them.
Question for you, or anyone that reads this: Are the start amps pretty consistent for your 5 ton unit? These are new units with scroll compressors installed around July 1 of this year. The LRA for the 4 ton is 109 amps. I have not run tested these on generator power yet, but my old 4 ton started just fine with this X48. I am afraid that these higher start amp readings may overload my ~9kW starting power generator. Any input would be most welcome.
My start amps are fairly consistent from start to start, but seasonally I would expect it might change a bit.
You might log into the soft start with the amp, and trigger it to do the learning over again. Once it learns the first 5 starts, it remembers that and does not keep adapting.
Maybe you can get some better consistency if it tries "learning" your compressor again?
@@Texas_DIY Thanks for your reply. I have relearned it twice now with my new unit, and still the same results. I contacted Micro-Air and described my situation and they have recommended I purchase a new start capacitor for their unit which has a rating between the X48 & X72….I ordered it today ($12 and free shipping). I will install when I receive, and re-do the learning process and report results. My suspicion is these scroll compressors have higher LRA values and are beyond the capability of the X48. My old 4 ton unit with a PD compressor had absolutely NO issues with start amps, and they were consistently around 33 amps +/-. Thanks again for your video…first class and very helpful.
I have a 2008 Trane XR13 5-ton unit with the EasyStart X72 installed since 5/13/2023 and the LRA is rated at 148A. I'm seeing numbers fluctuating wildly for the Last Start Peak between 34A and 74A. But the Live Current readings are pretty solid - consistently between 12A and 14A
@@papajohn3182 were you able to fix your issue?. I just installed the x48 on my 4 ton unit, and it reduced the kick amp from 73 to 23 amp on the first learn, then it settled at 25 amps, in your case, you shouldn't have to use a X72.
@@papajohn3182 I am still researching the Micro-Air so have no hard data. The starting amperage is primarily dependent upon the load the compressor is pushing against. I have seen installation videos where the contactor is pushed in succession for the learning starts without letting the refrigerant pressures equalize. I know this will put a higher than normal load on the startup. The second thing is to make sure your capacitor is within spec. I have checked my caps periodically and found that many times they will drop out of spec (as per the label usually 6%ish +/-) and that could also create the excessive load on startup. A good DMM will have mF testing and an inrush reading for the amp clamp. As a last resort you can purchase an inverter condenser that will substantially decrease startup amps without the Micro-Air needed but this is pricey unless you are need to replace it anyway.
That is a 4 ton unit, not 5. Otherwise, great video and info.
Does your unit also have a start relay and start capacitor?
Yes. It's designed to play nice with those. So far it's held up for several years.
Jay, you mentioned something strange going on inside your unit wiring at time stamp 3:03 (approx.) that required EasyStart help. Would you briefly explain what the issue was with your Trane unit? Thanks
Honestly at this point, I don't remember what it was. The wiring my system did didn't match their diagrams. I think it went across an additional capacitor, not 100%.
Thank you for the video. What model Trane do you have (I couldn't read the number as the camera moved away too quickly)? I'm wondering if the soft-start has any issue with Trane's dual speed and variable speed compressors.
I would check with micro-air on that one. My GUESS is that it would have a problem with multi-speed, or, it might need more than one unit for each “speed” the compressor is wired for.
Mine is a single speed screw style compressor.
Great detailed video. Is the Bluetooth signal always on so that your phone can connect to it on demand; as long as the 240vac is available to the system?
The box has power and bluetooth works only when the compressor is actually running. You don't have to run constant power to it, it's designed to turn on and off with just the standard compressor wiring.
I am planning to install one in my Trane 5ton. Your video is the only one with the same 2-prong Capacitor, red and orange. How did you connect the wires from the soft start kit?
Honestly, don't remember at this point. I sent a photo of the wiring to Micro-Air, and they were kind enough to send it back marked up with what to hook up where. I didn't have to thing about that too much.
@@Texas_DIY thanks ， I figured it out and the device was installed
Hey Jason this is Rick are you running both red wires from both generators to let say x on the Rv box and both black wires to y on the Rv box thus giving 60 amps on both sides of the breaker to the house?
I built a parallel kit to combine the two generators together. (basically yes, it just joins the legs together, and the combined output goes into the box) I have a series of these videos that explain it all, this is the playlist:
ua-cam.com/play/PLzoNthJzzMFQ877vyCfoc53oDQqGFAIKN.html
How are these things protected against power surges? My concern would be the circuit board getting fried resulting in no A/C.
I'm not sure. It would be a bummer to have it pop with a power surge. But then again, that same power is going to the control boards and such, so if it were enough to kill the soft starter, other things are probably going to be having a hard day as well.
I've got a 5T AC with similar power characteristics. What size generator should I be looking at with a soft start installed? Will one predator 9500 be enough to handle a 44A surge/11A steady state?
Steady state, yes. It's the surge that will be the tricky thing. It will all depend on what else is running in your home. I went with two so I could live pretty much normally and not have to shut everything off (like the water heater and such). It also allows for some redundancy if you need to fuel one, change the oil, etc.
What's the difference between this and much less expensive hard start kits, aside from them not having all the gee-whiz features like Bluetooth?
My understanding (which may be incorrect) is that hard starts basically dump a crap-ton of current into the coils to force the issue of the motor not being in motion. The hardest, most electrically "expensive" part of starting them is getting them going from a dead stop. The soft start "massages" the two electrical phases being sent to the compressor coils, in order to more effectively (than just a starting capacitor alone does) get the axle initially turning at a lower energy cost.
Bad Analogy: In gasoline engine terms, a hard start kit, revs the hell out of the engine, and pops the clutch. Whereas the soft starter, is more like carefully releasing the clutch in first gear, with almost no extra gas, and allowing things start moving much more gradually, without requiring tons of extra torque and energy. (this is an extreme example, because the softstart process still happens really quickly, but that's the best analogy I have that explains my limited understanding of the concept)
Can I user a 72 on a 4ton cooling only unit
I'd hit up MicroAir for that one. Couldn't tell you.
When my ac kicks on for the house my lights dim temporarily. Will this device abate that?
I would expect that it would help substantially. But it's still a lot of amps going out, so I wouldn't be able to say if it would completely solve it or not.
Oh brother,. Your rapid talk is for very Smart people to be able to follow and understand.... I'm just average and outta here 😂
Yeah, it's not for everyone. But folks who are comfortable doing something like changing an electrical outlet or adding an electric switch, can usually come around to this pretty quick. It's not all that much different or more complicated.
@@Texas_DIY Actually I Already installed 200 amps Main Breaker and A Brand new A/C unit and evaporator coil and Brand new Gas Furnace by myself., Like 6-7 years ago. It is just you talk Too fast to follow that's all...😂👍😅
@@Texas_DIY Thank you for your Video and info 👍
Since it uses less power to start does save money on electric bill in the long run?
I doubt that you would see any significant change in your electric bill. The surge AC compressors need is very brief, (less than 1 second) but it's a huge amount of power. The soft start "softens" that surge, into something a generator can handle.
In my experience, only commercial 3phase power is metered / charged extra based on surge "demand". With residential power they don't seem to make any distinction, it's just the over-all "amount" or "volume" of power that you've consumed that they track.
What size conduit connector is needed to enter the a/c electric box?
It depends on your box. I have several other videos, one of which goes into detail about how the home connection was done, and things to watch out for:
ua-cam.com/play/PLzoNthJzzMFQ877vyCfoc53oDQqGFAIKN.html
How does this affect the power bill? One would assume that it would be that much more affordable to run?
Minimal impact on a residential power bill. Average consumers generally aren't billed for surge power, and the surge is so brief (a second or less) that it doesn't add any significant amount to your overall bill. Once the compressor is running, it's using the same amount of power with or without the soft starter. The electric company provides 200Amp service to most homes. A pair of generators makes a absolute peak of just under 80 amps (40 for one), so it becomes much more important to limit the huge surge of power it takes to get the compressor started from a dead stop. Once the compressor is spinning, I think it was only around 11amps to keep it going.
Hi Jason, do you also have a hard start on your AC Unit?
This replaces what a hard start would do. No need for it.
In gasoline engine terms, think of a hard start like revving up an engine and popping the clutch. Lots of power stored up and dumped really quickly to jar the compressor into suddenly turning.
A soft start is like a much more gentle release of the clutch without needing to add much "gas" or additional power.
Do you know if this will save you on money on your monthly electrical bill?
It won't have any impact there. The electric company is measuring the 'volume' of electricity you're using. Starting the AC uses a lot, but it's just for a split second, so it doesn't really hit your electric bill one way or the other.
Jason, wonder if you would share a bit of data. What is the LRA rating on your 5 ton AC; and what is the typical starting amps value with the EasyStart? You told me previously that it was pretty consistent from start to start. Micro-Air sent me a higher rated capacitor to put in my X48, and I am still getting values of 45 start amps with my 4 ton unit with LRA of 109amps. I am considering buying the X72 to see if I can lower that 45 amps. Thanks.
Mine is 117A LRA. (the tag shown in the video is my actual unit) It was around 81A in real-world, and ended up being around 45A after to start (and around 11A to run). So you're not too far out of the ball park. Yeah it's a different ton rating, but it may be a different efficiency level, or there are other variables.
I have a 2008 Trane XR13 5-ton unit with the EasyStart X72 installed since 5/13/2023 and the LRA is rated at 148A. I'm seeing numbers fluctuating wildly for the Last Start Peak between 34A and 74A. But the Live Current readings are pretty solid - consistently between 12A and 14A
Can the learning be accomplished with the heat on (instead of cold)?
If you have a heat pump that uses the compressor for heating, I would think so (or guess so with reasonable confidence). The behavior should be similar.
If you don't have a heat pump and your air handler uses exclusively gas or electric for generating heat, then the Easy Start will do nothing for you while in heat mode.
@@Texas_DIY: I have a heat pum. Thank you. I tried it and it worked.
So which Micro-Air model did you use? Was it the 364? I thought the 364 was an RV unit?
There is a tool on their website that will help you select which model you need. I think I ended up with the "ASY-368-X72-BLUE" version.
I have a 2.5 ton which one is good to use so I can use it on solar
Their website has a sizing tool where you can enter what you have, and it will tell you which model you should get.
I finally understand LRA. Great and informative video. How can you tell your ac is 5 tons? I see a 1/5 hp on your label. Is that what determines the tonnage? Thanks in advance.
On your model number look for a set of numbers divisible by 12. 1 Ton = 12k btu.
Next look up 521 hard start kit
I'd just google the model number and see if the results tell you what you've got.
@@imdon8920 Thank You Don!
Jason, can this be added to a hardstart that was installed a few yrs ago to 10 yr Goodman?
I would expect that this would replace the hard start. But the folks at MicroAir could better direct you on that one. This is sort of the opposite to a hard start.
I have a question about what was your questions to micro-air about your wiring? I have the same heat pump unit as you, except a 3 ton. None of the instructions really follow Trane very well, and there is no manufacturer specific instructions. I got the 368 x48 in the mail a week ago and haven’t had a chance to even look at it yet.
It wasn't real clear to me how it hooked up. I took a clear photo of the wiring in my unit, and the folks at MicroAir were kind enough to reply back with a rough drawing on top of my photo showing where things should connect up.
It ended up being 3 spade connections, and one "splice" joining a wire to the MicroAir wire. I didn't want to chop my existing wire to do the splice, so, I ended up using a small bolt to join the two spade connectors together firmly, (that way I could easily undo it back to the way it was) and then heat shrinking around the "splice" to protect/insulate it.
@@Texas_DIY gotcha, that makes tons of sense. I also like the idea of not cutting the two wires. Makes warranty claims much easier. I’m guessing you will remove it prior to any claims too.
I had no luck with contact micro-air! I didnt see the guide before I talked to micro-air and they sold me a soft start that will handle a 6 ton unit, By the way I gave the guy the spec's on my 2 1/2 ton unit and I bought what this guy from Micro-Air told me what I needed, I found the guide a day or so after ordering and when I got It I emailed and asked even though this is to large for my units needs will it still work 0k? It's been over 2 weeks and they havent replied yet.
I had pretty good luck communicating with them. Try calling them directly if needed. They seem like a fairly small outfit so be patient.
Does this device in any way save on electricity usage to help lower energy bills?
No, for consumer power the electric company doesn't pay attention to what they call "demand" or surges like they do for commercial power. The're just looking at the overall volume of power usage, not the tiny peaks that last less than half a second or so.
I would be very surprised if there was any measurable impact to your electric bill.
43 doesn't seem all that great for the price. A simple and cheap hard start kit dropped my 4 ton from 99 down to 58. did you try a hard start kit first?
For... reasons... heat pumps seem to get a bit less benefit from them than run of the mill compressors. But I have no data to back that up apart from what I've "heard" from comments and such.
A hard start shortens the startup time, but doesn't really reduce the amount of current needed to start the compressor... it still needs that huge amount for a shorter time. This dumping of extra power into the coils to make it start faster, would also seem to shorten the lifespan of the compressor.
hvacrschool.com/start-capacitor-inrush-facts-myths-part-4/
hvacrschool.com/this-is-not-a-soft-start/
The soft start, through magical hoodoo voodoo manipulation of the phasing between the two coils, seems to genuinely use less energy to get it turning and as such will reduce light flickering. And it is said that the more gentle start (in theory) will help prolong compressor life.
So I ordered a Micro-air EasyStart but made a mistake because I needed one for a 4 ton I thought 40k BTU was 4 ton actually it's 48k btu. I found that they have no published phone number to call speak to anyone. They do have emails addresses I sent email explaining this I received nothing from them. I waited about 4 days I filled out a support ticket I did receive an email telling me to fill out a RMA and mail it back to them. Okay but the RMA form says I need RMA # they didn't give me one. I emailed them again nothing from them now I have to fill out a support ticket to just get a simple answer to a simple question. This cost $411 with shipping I don't feel good about blind shipping something back to them has no RMA # . I get it probably be okay with the printed form I put in the box. This support doesn't make me feel good I understand they get lot of calls if there is an issue how well do they respond??
I get the impression they are a pretty small shop with just a few people working there. But it's a solid product, and at least in my limited experience they'll take care of you. Just ship it in a traceable way, and you'll probably be good.
Make sure you get two 2.5 ton systems instead of one big 5 ton, when it comes time to replace.
Mine was relatively recently replaced in the last few yrs. Hopefully it will be a long time until that needs to happen again.
what's the advantage
@@03otlol Smaller units use less energy on their own. So for a two story house, maybe you don't need the full cooling of the whole home. So you can run the cooling in areas where it's more needed. I ended up with a single system, but, did split ducting where the upper and lower levels can cool / heat independently. This didn't get me much in the way of energy savings, but is is nice to have the upper floor temps and the lower floor temps stay where you want them.
Great video Jason
Can you do a video on your oscilloscope setup and what you did to get the sine wave?
I had been carrying around an old school oscilloscope for like 15-20 years in my garage, and didn't know how to use it. I finally get it out, watch some videos to learn so I could test the generator power and make that video... and it smokes. All that time keeping and storing the thing "just in case", and it turns out to be dead. lol.
I ended up purchasing a fairly inexpensive unit off Amazon that is battery powered (which is nice, because plug in units share a common ground / neutral, and that can make weird / bad things happen when you're testing the power your also plugged into) Search Amazon for "2 channel tablet oscilloscope" and you'll see them. They're fine for general work, but just be aware that this isn't some high end crazy advanced unit.
For 240v stuff, you'll want a 100x probe that has more attenuation so you're not dumping too much voltage into the oscilloscope. Search Amazon for "High Voltage Oscilloscope Probe P4250 100:1"
From that point tap the screen where it shows 10x for the probe and change it to 100x, put the alligator clip on either the neutral or on a hot leg (if 240) and the probe on one the other hot, tap the "auto" button on screen so it will auto calibrate, and "bam" you're looking at a waveform. You can use the options menu to turn on the other on screen measurements. Tap the screen to zoom in/out, or drag it around. It's really super simple.
Kids 🧒 🤨😁👍
do you have a link for this device? I cannot find it anywhere
I'll see if it allows me to paste the link... if not, the website is "micro [dash] air [dot] com"
www.micro-air.com/products_groups_easystart_soft_starters_microair.cfm
can i leave my start capacitor hook up when i install the micro air?
just got my answer from micro air. remove any and all start cap and relay. my inrush with micro air is around 60 amps
They had me leave all the capacitors in place. I'm surprised they told you to remove them. You must have something unique going on.. but glad they got you pointed in the right direction.
@@Texas_DIY Ted Latavong must be talking about a hard start kit on his ac. I have one which was originally installed on my trane unit which must be removed before hooking up my easy start.
There is a substantial capacitor in the Micro-Air... I don't know enough about the Voodoo that it does to be able to say if it would be capable of running the compressor without the existing capacitors or not but...
Since (without the Micro-Air) the capacitors only really serve to knock the power a bit out of phase to sort of act as a fake 2-phase setup to the compressor, and the Micro-Air is also doing something along those lines with simulating and manipulating 2 phases of power to get things moving more efficiently... it may well be totally capable of operating without or in place of, the original capacitors.
Did you ever hear of buying the proper generator?
Yup. I have a series of these videos. In those I explain why I went the way I did. But I'll write it here also. My neighborhood doesn't have natural gas or propane. The added expense of a whole home generator, plus leasing a tank, plus making a suitable pad, plus plumbing the gas from it, made it extremely cost prohibitive. So I opted to go with gasoline instead. Natural gas / propane is superior in that it doesn't go stale in the tank. But I had to work within my budget and my yard.
Is the relationship in results linear; meaning about a 50% reduction in start up no matter what the pre-install starting draws are?
I just went and tested my unit it’s 25 A to start and 10 to run. Wasn’t sure if you had any information on results for different variabilities with start up amps?
Unless it's a window unit, 25A seems really low for a central AC compressor startup, particularly when running is 10A. Maybe unless you have a ductless split unit with a DC compressor or something...
Does your meter have a "max/min" function? Just watching it live doesn't work because the meter usually can't refresh fast enough to reflect the actual power level(s).
My understanding is that many people see a greater reduction than I did. I think heat pumps may maintain some higher pressures on the compressor making it harder to start initially. (not 100% there), but I get the feeling that people with regular (non-heat pump) units tend to see lower/better results.
Yeah I was amazed with these readings, and I actually didn’t take readings, my AC company did. Ironically the same day I found your video and learned about this micro air easy start my AC company knocked on the door to do their routine maintenance; crazy numbers.
You cant go by those clamp meter readings. It wont read them accurately because its too fast. So you really dont know how much good this thing does.
The SoftStart has a bluetooth interface and an app where it will report the current amperage running and starting. It's pretty cool. I trust it's readings a lot more than my ~$50 amp meter.
It's doing some cool HooDooVooDooMagic, and does seem to make a genuine difference.
@@Texas_DIY It cant possibly measure it. Its takes laboratory equipment to do that, its bogus. Magic? I dont think so, but the manufacturer wants you to believe it.
It is entirely possible this soft start can measure the actual inrush current. Modern microprocessors often contain the necessary converters to allow the processor to acquire the analog voltage and current data, time correlate it with the start command and produce an accurate output so it is just a matter of software. While this is non trivial the engineer that designed this particular unit knows what he is talking about.
@@RadioRich100
A long video of the designer being interviewed by a reputable HVAC is here:
ua-cam.com/video/7Gim96oyczw/v-deo.htmlsi=lt2150-ZWxjNIwSG
Based on many decades of working with over 10,000 engineers and techs in my metrology career I can tell you this guy is in the top 10% of everyone I have met.
Mateo also works on HVAC as a tech so he has unusual multi dimensional knowledge and experience.
Results 6:37
its not rated load amps . its RUN load amps
Great video. I am considering doing the same thing for running a 5 ton AC. Do you think a single Predator 9500 generator could start your generator?
It looks like the running amps is lower with this device, how is that possible?Once the AC is running, your video has 12.9 amps being used the first time and 11.3 amps being used the fifth time.
The softstarter is just reporting the amps that it is dealing with. It's around 11.3 or so on average to keep just the compressor running (once started). The additional stuff: condenser fan, evaporator fan, electronics, etc. all add a bit more to the overall number.
If you had a gas home, and weren't dealing with an electric hot water heater (20amps), electric stove, etc. etc. You could possibly get away with a single unit. You may need to load shed a bit to keep things under control, but one could probably do it. Particularly if your central AC were smaller, such as what is found in more Northern climates. Here in Texas, AC is life support and must be sized accordingly.
Our neighborhood is unfortunately 100% electric, and I wanted to be able to live relatively normally on generator power, so two units were needed to not have to make very harsh compromises. Even so, if it becomes cold enough to make the heat pump ineffective (which is rare, but certainly happened this past winter) and I have to go 100% heat strip electric heat, I still may not have enough capacity (it will be very very close)
@@Texas_DIY Great video, thank you. My HVAC has the same LRA and RLA as yours. I'm definitely going to purchase this for my unit. Have you had a chance to run the heat to see if it will work? I'm also in Texas in an all electric subdivision. We were without power for 3.5 days in February so just wondering if this will work for heat as well as AC. Thank you again.
My setup uses 3 breakers. 1 for the compressor, 1 for the heat strips, and one for the air handler and a few heat strips. I've elected to when I need crazy heat, to not turn on the breaker dedicated totally to the heat strips. That will allow some heating, but not risk overloading the whole thing. I've not had the guts to fully test that as I think it may significantly exceed what the inlet and such are equipped to handle... particularly so if I don't pretty much shut off everything else in the house.
No it doesn’t. Micro air does not give easy instructions of diagrams
Admittedly I had to ask MicroAir how to hook it up because my wiring didn't match their diagram. I sent them a picture, and they were kind enough to quickly respond with markings on the photo showing exactly where to connect it. Worked out great.