Im going to say this for your knowledge. Im commercial HVAC tech and did residential in my early years. ICM products are top notch. They are used widely directly from the manufacturers as OEM components. From control boards , timers , three phase monitors ect.... the list goes on. Highly recommend this.
I installed 2 Easy Start soft starters on my 4 ton units in June (SW Florida Heat). Last night the upstairs was blowing warm air. I 1st thought the unit had a leak but my tech came out today and the compressor had shut down. He hosed it off and removed the Easy Start from the connections. The compressor worked fine. I asked him to hook it back up to verify it was the soft start and sure enough the compressor would not start up. I have now removed the Easy Start and initiated a support ticket with the company. I expect better from a company selling $300+ soft starters. Cost was only $114 for the diagnotic work because I do have a contract. Just wanted to pass this info along to others in case this happens to you!~
Fantastic content. I just installed ICM-870 soft starter for my Carrier 2.5T and it works beautifully. The AC is running quietly and it’s now working with backup generator and my DIY Solar inverter. Just a point to add, if on initial start you see a red blinking lights stating over current , just wait for a minute or so and disconnect and retest. The capacitor needs to be fully charged and most of us will short it during installation for safety. Next time, it will run without fault light and only green led will be on. My unit went down from 35 AMP to 6 AMP. What a wonderful kit at the right price.
Thanks to this video I had the info I needed to complete the job. I ordered my 32A version for a 4 ton from Supply House 10 months ago just when there was a parts shortage so I just finished the install. I had little room in the compressor compartment so I used a 10x8 weatherproof box for mine. It comes with a fairly generous whip so just enough wire without making any jumper extensions. The four minute delay when it detects a power issue seems a bit excessive but otherwise works like a charm. I simulated a power issue by plugging/unplugging the disconnect a couple three times before seating it properly. The compressor fan came on and it immediately went to fault with no compressor and after four minutes the compressor spun up and light went green. Though the instructions are pretty clear this video really reinforces the process and makes it a no brainer. Thanks for the tutorial!!
Awesome info. I went to ac school and left the residential and commercial field after a couple of years. The Texas heat and attics was brutal. Now I am an HVAC operator at a facility with 6 3000 ton chillers. I forgot so much about residential over the years, I really enjoy your videos.😊
I was looking to get into hvac and was disappointed to see the average earnings was $38k for hvac people.. I thought that was soo low compared to what companies are charging thousands for service. and the hvac jobs only pay 38k a year in this brutal texas heat? And they want at least 3-4 years experience in the field to qualify for a 38k job? no way. So im looking into something else. Can do that working from home selling things on ebay.
I installed this on my 3 ton. I watch his install video. Worked just like he said... For a week. Brand new compressor with an RLA of 11amps (well within range of the 16amp model). Managed to get a replacement and got a professional to install it. Ran like a top... For a week then same code, can't detect compressor. Removed the device and Reconnected everything to stock and the compressor works fine.
@@SangLeWeb Yes, the higher current ICM units will probably not limit start current as much as the lower current units so you may not get as soft of a start as you should.
Thank you so much for this video and did this install easily!!! Just note the new ICW install the red light will blink for 4 minutes and then turn to green once it starts the compressor. I got the 32 amp version for my 5ton unit! Keep up the great work!!!
I bought one a d the instructions stated NOT to be installed outdoors. I bought a nice small hinged latching box from Amazon and mounted that on AC with the softstart inside that. Installing today.
I've seen a number of complaints about failures on some of the ICM870 videos but just talked to a tech at ICM and learned that they've upgraded their internal start capacitor as well as some other components in 2024 so reliability should be much improved now.
I can see how a soft start kit can extend the life of equipment. However, as long as you have a quality generator running your AC in not an issue. Also, a soft start kit is not necessary with Inverter units.
Great video and awesome information! I have the Micro-air for my Trane 4-ton A/C-only system, which works great. As you mentioned, The price was steep, but I felt better when you said ICM didn't have a kit for > 4-ton units. Before installing the Micro-air, my inrush amps were 133.9, and with the Micro-air installed, my inrush amps are always right around 35 amps. I'm not sure about the ICM unit, but another thing I liked about the Micro-air unit is that my condenser fan comes on first, and then after five seconds, it kicks on the compressor.
What about build quality/operating life for these units ? And warranty? That might also help decide if the extra $ of Micro Aire is worth it. Thanks for all the info.
You decreased in-rush by around 85%, does this brand of soft start decrease other higher amp AC's by 85%? I have a soft start on mine and it used to have an in-rush of 69 amps before soft start and now, the in-rush is 42 amps. Seems fine but no where near the drop you are seeing. If I could drop the in-rush by a few more amps, I could power everything in the house with my generator. Hell, I could get some good ecoflow batteries and run the whole house on a power outage. By the way, this is a very good demonstration of how to do what you are talking about. My electrician did not explain anything to me.
Just bought one of the icm870 last week and installed it on my unit. I seen a previous vid of yours and another hvac guy on utube. Really easy to install. I have the same unit as yours but the 3ton version. Good video
This is probably one of those items that should be installed regardless if using a Generator or not. Using that many less amps to start a device (regardless if an A/C or not) will save a lot of money down the road on power costs, and save money on repair costs as well. It would be interesting how many kWh's it saves over the course of a day, but I'm sure it's not going to be insignificant.
The inrush last a few ms, highly doubt you'll see a huge difference in power consumption. However I agree this protects the compressor in the long run plus quiet start.
@@nobytes2 From my tests I've seen inrush as long as 2 seconds spiking 3-5x the running amps. So in worse case situation, if a motor is rated at 5A, 5x is 15A @ 220V = 3300W. Just 20 cycles would add up to an hour, which can be done in a day or 2 easy depending on location, which gives about 66,000Wh And at my power costs, $0.11/kWh, this would yield $7.16/day, or 2! That's a HUGE difference if the soft start can keep this from happening. Again, this is "worst" case numbers. But don't think just because a surge current 'only' lasts a few seconds that it's inconsequential. It's add up over time
@@korishan Math check needed here - - - - - Yes, if the rush current spike is 15 amps, 15 times 220 is 3300 Watts. (But you probably have 120/240 volt service) If that spike lasts 2 seconds, how many Watt-Hours is that? One hour is 60 seconds per minute times 60 minutes per hour, so 60 X 60 = 3600 seconds in one hour. For two seconds per 3300 Watt startup-pulse, that is 2/3600 hours each startup, or 1/1800 of 3300 Watt-Hours. 3300/1800 = 1.83 Watt-Hours. Then using your 20 starts per day, 1.8 Watt-Hours per start, times 20 starts is 36.6 Watt-Hours per day. Dividing by 1000 to convert to kWhrs = 0.0366 kWhrs. At your electric rate of $0.11 per kWhr, that is 0..0366 X $0.11 = $0.004 PER DAY. Yeah, that IS non-zero, but to me seems inconsequential. Does it add up over time? You are in Florida, so you run your unit 24 X 365? Then per year, $.004 X 365 = $1.47. Big Macs here, near NYC, are $5.00+. Your treat with the savings from your soft-start? Rich
Just wanted to let you know on the website it does say that it needs to be enclosed in a separate box or installed like you did yours. It does not like water.
Fantastic. You sold me. I had our house wired for a generator but couldn't run the HVAC. Now I can, thanks to your tutorial. My question is, why don't all HVAC systems come with a soft start?? Also, how many amps does a typical electric furnace draw?
Wow, great video. If I don’t have a generator or problems with flickering light, and all I want is to extend the life of my compressor, would you recommend the 5-2-1 instead? Or LEAVE IT ALONE, if not broken don’t try to fix it?
I had a hard start kit installed on mine before I put in the soft start so I can run it off my generator. So I say do a 5-2-1 hard start if you have no interest in using a generator to power it 👍🏼
Getting ready to install solar panels with some battery backups and our solar contractor mentioned I would need a "soft start" device to tame my 14.1 LRA on our 3-ton Lennox AC that way we can power the entire house from the batteries including AC. Gonna install the ICM870, they wanted more.
5 amps after the installation? That is the fan motor current, check the inrush after the compressor starts. I installed the micro air and it was drawing close to 40 amps of inrush current at first. after the installation, it only draws about 25 inrush, then drops to 12 amps compressor running. I guess that is the nice thing about micro air, you get all the details in the app. BTW, do not get me wrong, it is a nice video showing the installation. Thanks.!
The run winding’s power wire formerly the red wire on the contactor that was removed then connected to the Brown wire. Now the run winding must get it’s power from the red wire connected to C on the DRC then sends it to the soft start and out the brown brown wire to the original red run wire to the run winding. That wasn’t mentioned so it threw me off. You make well explained videos. I’ve watched several.
The capacitor is discharged practically instantly through the motor windings when the motor is taken off the line. Just the same, it is good to treat them with respect as they can bite if they’re in a circuit that does not inherently discharge them.
Bad advice. Not all systems are wired this way and will leave a charge on the capacitor. Some capacitors have a bleeder resistor running across the spade connectors to allow discharge. I noticed in this video, that this capacitor does not have a bleeder resistor on it. That being said, you can push in the contactor after power is off and this will sometimes discharge the capacitor substantially without putting a nice arc on your tool.
@@richard6150 I wouldn’t count on that Richard. It is assuming that particular part of the circuit has a reference to ground. Since the motor starter contacts are not engaged while off, circuits are not complete and may not find a path to ground. It’s always fun to just disconnect the assembly with insulated tools, throw the cap to a fellow shop mate and say catch. 😊
You my friend is a life saver, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us common folks lol. You are truly appreciated, our power goes out often during storms and the generator struggles when we try and turn on the ac.
There is one big problem here - if you look at the ICM870 literature, it says it ALREADY INCLUDES A START CAPACITOR. Furthermore, the ICM870 'TYPICAL INSTALLATION' instructions, in the lefthand column clearly state in Step #2: "If there is a Start Capacitor and/or Start Relay already in place, DISCONNECT them prior to installing the ICM870." The 'INSTALLATION' instructions in the righthand column, also clearly state in step #1: "If there is a Start Capacitor and/or Start Relay already in place, additional steps will be required to DISCONNECT them." So I'm sure that by leaving the original start cap in place, the capacitance is much higher, maybe double, what it should be. However, you would still want to leave the fan connected to its proper capacitor terminals as it needs it to run and the ICM870 doesn't include a capacitor for the fan.
I had to install a hard start kit to my AC this summer. I would like to install a Slow Start Kit. Do I remove the hard start kit to do this? And will the Slow Start kit take the place of the hard start kit needed previously if removed?
Update on the ICM 870-16a they added a new feature so your furnace blower and your outside AC fan runs for 4 minutes before the compressor kicks on. No idea why but ICM claims it's because of rapid compressor cycling. I get it but 4 minutes ❔
Any Idea where I can get one? they seem to be out of stock everywhere except drop ship scam sites *edit* nevermind. reading reviews and lots of them saying failed within a month or 2. Customer service wont replace unless proof of professional install... F that. I will just pony up and get a microair.
@diyhvacguy Do you have any alternative to the ICM870 units if they are not available on Amazon currently? Thanks for your instructive videos. Great Teacher!
Hi Dave, great tutorial. I bought the ICM870-32A soft start, and installed it yesterday. All went well with the AC for about 12 hours then I get a "Fault #3", high current. I disconnected the soft start and the AC ran fine. Any thoughts? Darrell.
Thank you for all of your great information! I live in an area where we use reheat to remove moisture from our home. For this process to work efficiently all year we have a low ambient kit installed on our system. The low ambient kit calls for a hard start kit though we do not have one and have not had any issues. I love the idea of a soft start as our systems winds up and down more with the low ambient kit. As we also live in a forest fire zone the idea of having our hvac system running when the power company turns us off is also appealing. My question is will the soft start kit allow the low ambient kit to remain in function?
Great videos! I have a question. My home outside unit has a loud buzzing noise after power blip happens in my house and the AC was running during the power blip last time this happened and knocked the power out in the whole house. Would this item be something to prevent that or is there something else to install that will prevent the compressor from jamming up on a power blip?
I just put the icm870 on my unit. Works good for it for 150…easy install. My unit has lra70 amps. I don’t know before and after as I don’t have an ampclamp the does inrush. Mounted in the condenser
amazon reviews state 25 percent 1 star due to failure in the first weeks and months of service. Now they are not available. Perhaps the 1/2 price of the micro is not such a great deal.
Can you do a video with step by step instructions on installing the ICM493? With all of the inverter systems available, I think it would be beneficial for your audience!! Thanks for the detailed videos!!
The variable speed inverter driven compressors like those commonly found in the current generation of mini split heat pumps are inherently soft starting. There is no large inrush current.
As long as your generator is large enough you can run your HVAC unit with out the need of one of these soft start devices, all these do is reduce the initial start up amps of the condensing unit so it’s not as great of a initial load on the generator.
Good luck getting the ICM32. I ordered it for about a month or more. They said I would get it on the 19th of September. They took my money after they took my money. They sent me an email telling me I won't get it till mid-December. I am sure if I call to cancel the order. They will probably return my money in December. Also before I ordered. I wasn't sure of the 16 or 32. So I called. I was not able to get any support. A voice mail would come on and tell me that all support people were not there. Then it would tell me that the mailbox was full. Then would hang up on me. SO BEWARE BEFORE YOU BUY FROM ICM!!!!!!
Hi, thanks for sharing your knowledge. One question, are soft starts available in Canada or even, allowed to be installed in ACs in Canada? Thanks again
The ICM has a big con to me. The website says there is a 4 minute delay on every start cycle. 👎. I could understand have one delay after a power loss but for not for every single run cycle during the day. Any thoughts on that?
Just went through this with a power outage. Never tested anything running on a gen. Well, now was the time. Everything worked great until I tried the HVAC (heat pump) So now looking at soft starts. Honest question...does a soft start help with electric usage too (not that it matters)
Great info sir! For those of us not in da know....what is advan😢tage of soft start over a hard start kit? I was under impression that a hard start kit was another reason why we would want to add a hard start kit was the ease of adding some help for starting scroll compressors on a genny or on reg utility. Just trying to understand why i would spend 10x the money for this apparatus. Thanks showing us the options!😮
Extremely easy to install and so far, no issues and good results. Would this have similar benefits for a heat pump heating and cooling system? Thanks for presenting this so easy to understand. Also, the nutdriver you recommend is great as well!
Is there any downside to installing this? If the compressor needs a certain amount of power to start (lock rotor amps) then how does the impact the life of the system. There is no free lunch in physics. I’m interested in learning about this from seasoned, licensed HVAC professionals.
Great video, thanks for sharing your knowledge. With the soft touch icm-870-16a attached, what watt generator would you suggest? 1600 sq ft. home during and after a hurricane here in Florida I would not need to use all of the other items at one time such as dryer, hot water heater, spa pump. I think a 13000 watt dual fuel could do it but I am not certain. Thank you in advance for your time.
It's far less expensive because it's not rated to the operating loads of larger units. 16A running an 84A starting load is what, a 2-3 ton unit? They claim a 32A unit is "coming soon" but no word on price.
This is very good and straightforward but you should have shown how to discharge the capacitor (which you later did) with a screwdriver. You also should have shown removing the compressor wire from the contacts. ... And I'm still waiting for you at 9:25 to put something back where you took that red wire off. Not completely necessary because the Spade connector was insulated, but a lot of people would have used heat shrink.
I finally figure this all out. This video was a huge help except my run wire is yellow not red or black as Goettl told me. I found the compressor wire which was yellow. And when I connnected to brown wire it didn’t start right away. I waited 2 minutes and it started working. When I did 2nd AC it worked from the start. Video should show exactly where red compressor wire came from. Another video showed it came off the main terminal.
Will this let my solar inverter run my AC? Lets say i have a 1hp or 1.5hp AC and a 5kw inverter. Some inverter will trip if you run the AC, so to prevent this from happening, can i use a soft starter on the compressor?
Question: Is there any wisdom in installing these on a new 2023 system? Will it void a warranty? My 18 year old Payne system pulls 39.90 at startup, runs about 10.27 after that. I have a new system coming next week.
It looks like the ICM870-9A is going for $170, the ICM870-16A is going for $190 and the ICM Controls 870-32A is going for $225. Other than possibly wasting $35 dollars is there any reason not to buy the ICM Controls 870-32A instead of the ICM Controls 870-16A to protect myself in case I ever need a larger AC unit?
Thanks for the video. The 32A version has been delayed until the end of the year now. Do you think the 16A will work on my 17.9A heat pump? If not do you know what other brand/model would work? If like to get this before a hurricane hit me in central FL. Thanks
Thank you for this comparison, very helpful. Can you please consider connecting the Micro-Air to that same unit and see if it's capable of bringing the in-rush amps below the 5.1 achieved with the ICM (with the reported number being after 5 starts due to learning)? This would be an additional (and important) element in helping one to decide which one is "better" given their preferences and environment. If it's capable of being more effective in limiting the in-rush amperage, it may be worth it to some to spend the additional money. Thanks so much!
I have a micro air on a 3.5t unit and an ICM on a 2.5t unit. 25a inrush on the 3.5t, with the micro air, 18a running. 27a inrush on the 2.5t with the icm, 12a running. The micro air draws 5a then slowly ramps up. It is better but more money. Editing this... I replaced my ICM with a Microair on the 2.5t. It pulls 29a. I'm 7 starts in. My 2.5t just pulls more than the 3.5t with bith slow starts. It was 67.5a. So, Save your money, Get the ICM.
@@linvol20 I'm not an expert, but yes, due to the controlled manner in which a soft start kit initiates the compressor, a side effect and benefit can be a quieter & smoother start-up. Please note that your mileage will vary. If there's something physically wrong with the compressor that's causing the bang, a soft start kit is unlikely to resolve it. Unfortunately, I don't know if the Micro-Air will be quieter. I have an ICM on my 2.5 ton and a Micro-Air on my 4 ton but haven't swapped them to see if one is better than the other at controlling the in-rush amps or the start-up noise. This is why I was / am hoping that The DIY HVAC Guy will connect his Micro-Air to the same unit in the video to see how it compares to the ICM. If the Micro-Air is able to be more effective at reducing the max in-rush amps, I feel it would be a safe assumption that it would also provide for a quieter start-up.
@@srica7366 I also have a 3.5 ton mobile home a/c unit with the compressor, cooling fan and air handler all in one. Which ICM do I get? the icm 870-16A or the icm 870- 32A
I bought the 16 amp for my 3 1/2 ton split unit that is about two years old. I installed it according to your instructions, which were fine, however, after three weeks, my compressor would no longer start. I ended up returning the part. Probably gonna try the more expensive micro air.
35 inrush is really good. I just saw a video that had 130 start up amps, but he was using the max setting to get the start up which is not near as accurate as the inrush. I need to get me a soft start. Might lower the electric bill by a bit.
I installed this a few months ago. It worked perfectly, until today. I heard a loud noise and so I checked it out. The AC unit was shuttering. I turned it off. Looked inside and the soft start unit was fried. What would cause this?
I have a three and a half ton AC and I am going to go the interlock and power inlet route and connect a generator to my home. But the most important thing is that my AC runs. Do I have to have a soft start?
The 5.1A reading - was inrush of running? 5.1A seems low for running amps, let alone inrush. A commenter below, "27a inrush on the 2.5t with the icm, 12a running". So I'm confused by your number. The MicroAire does seem to have more bells an whistles, particularly in the monitoring aspect. But the ICM seems to offer basically the same performance (lowers the inrush current) at 1/2 the price. So it seems like definitely worth consideration, depending on what you want.
Hi Dave, I installed the icm870 16A on a 28yr old ICP ACS036A2B1 3-ton. Works great actually. I methodically checked all connections 8-9 times before starting. It kicks on, the fan won't spin. What did I do? :-{ Todd Start amps went from 81 to 40.
Any system? No. This kind of device is only applicable to "old school" single phase motors (compressors) that have a topology consisting of start and run windings with a capacitor to shift the current phase relationship between the two windings. Soft start controls like this trade off one of the deficiencies of this "split phase" of motor for other deficiencies which the system may be able to either mask or tolerate. If it were a perfect solution to high inrush currents, such a technique would have been incorporated into similar motors many decades ago.
Hi. Any thoughts? after installing icm870-32a ac takes more time to cool. After compressor is on more time needed. Compressor running amps are the same.
I have a central ac unit that was already there when I purchased the house. It’s been there since 1992. Very old unit but still works well. Just uses a lot of electricity. Does it make sense to replace all the attic hoses with insulted ones. And then replace the ac unit and the furnace. Trying to split up the costs.
I had a soft start installed with my new AC last year. It had to be removed as it would fail at the top of the day. I have been hesitant to install another since.
Amazon seems to be out of these. Not surprising given how popular they have become. Fortunately, we've got all winter now to find and install. One thing I don't understand is that they are marketed all over the Internet as an RV accessory. I get that they work for RVs, but I wasted a lot of time searching online until I realized these "RV soft-starts" were the same units that can be installed on residential ACs.
I watch a lot of videos and you are by far the best teacher on UA-cam. You need to start a HVAC school.👍🏻
Thanks man! That means a lot to me!
This is an HVAC school. Sit down and be quiet now.
My unit is 3.5 years old, will this affect my warranty?
@@diyhvacguythis is great but will the running amps shut down the generator?
Im going to say this for your knowledge. Im commercial HVAC tech and did residential in my early years. ICM products are top notch. They are used widely directly from the manufacturers as OEM components. From control boards , timers , three phase monitors ect.... the list goes on. Highly recommend this.
I installed 2 Easy Start soft starters on my 4 ton units in June (SW Florida Heat). Last night the upstairs was blowing warm air. I 1st thought the unit had a leak but my tech came out today and the compressor had shut down. He hosed it off and removed the Easy Start from the connections. The compressor worked fine. I asked him to hook it back up to verify it was the soft start and sure enough the compressor would not start up. I have now removed the Easy Start and initiated a support ticket with the company. I expect better from a company selling $300+ soft starters. Cost was only $114 for the diagnotic work because I do have a contract. Just wanted to pass this info along to others in case this happens to you!~
It looks like the device is no longer sold on Amazon. What a shame that they didn't make it robust enough to last.
I’ve had an easy start on an Rv air conditioner for 3yrs, it has lived an extremely rough life, so far it has worked flawlessly.
Same. Mine lasted 7 months (half of that ac was off being winter and all). No lights no nothing. Removed controller and ac works fine.
@@MrJasonwoodrow they did send a new unit. I will try one more time in April.
Hey Guy thank you for the information because I was thinking about purchasing one for my 4 ton unit.
Fantastic content. I just installed ICM-870 soft starter for my Carrier 2.5T and it works beautifully. The AC is running quietly and it’s now working with backup generator and my DIY Solar inverter. Just a point to add, if on initial start you see a red blinking lights stating over current , just wait for a minute or so and disconnect and retest. The capacitor needs to be fully charged and most of us will short it during installation for safety. Next time, it will run without fault light and only green led will be on. My unit went down from 35 AMP to 6 AMP. What a wonderful kit at the right price.
Thanks A LOT for this info it helped me out as this is what happened to me and I've been scouring the net trying to find the solution lol.
@johndoe-ek6vl do you completely disconnect soft start, or only certain wires? Thx!
Got my order, ICM870-16A today, got off work installed it, and cleaned my fins in less than an hour. Thank you for showing this.
Youre a breath of fresh air, no fluff, not life stories, just down and dirty, get to work. I love it. Thank you.
My local guys were willing to do this job for $3000 --- thanks for the video!
Is that a typo? How many zeros did you intend on putting after the 3?
Let me know if you need another one installed. I will do it for 10 percent less.
This is exactly what I was looking for! The MicroAir unit is nice but I don't need or want the extra features. The ICM 870 will be perfect!
Thanks to this video I had the info I needed to complete the job. I ordered my 32A version for a 4 ton from Supply House 10 months ago just when there was a parts shortage so I just finished the install. I had little room in the compressor compartment so I used a 10x8 weatherproof box for mine. It comes with a fairly generous whip so just enough wire without making any jumper extensions. The four minute delay when it detects a power issue seems a bit excessive but otherwise works like a charm. I simulated a power issue by plugging/unplugging the disconnect a couple three times before seating it properly. The compressor fan came on and it immediately went to fault with no compressor and after four minutes the compressor spun up and light went green. Though the instructions are pretty clear this video really reinforces the process and makes it a no brainer. Thanks for the tutorial!!
Awesome info. I went to ac school and left the residential and commercial field after a couple of years. The Texas heat and attics was brutal. Now I am an HVAC operator at a facility with 6 3000 ton chillers. I forgot so much about residential over the years, I really enjoy your videos.😊
Glad you like em! Cheers man
I was looking to get into hvac and was disappointed to see the average earnings was $38k for hvac people.. I thought that was soo low compared to what companies are charging thousands for service. and the hvac jobs only pay 38k a year in this brutal texas heat? And they want at least 3-4 years experience in the field to qualify for a 38k job? no way. So im looking into something else. Can do that working from home selling things on ebay.
I installed this on my 3 ton. I watch his install video. Worked just like he said... For a week. Brand new compressor with an RLA of 11amps (well within range of the 16amp model). Managed to get a replacement and got a professional to install it. Ran like a top... For a week then same code, can't detect compressor. Removed the device and Reconnected everything to stock and the compressor works fine.
This is why I put 32A unit on my 3 ton. RLA and Reality are not the same on VFD. been running for 4 months thru August heat!
@@dkraft it should work running at 65% darn it
@@dkraft This is what I am wondering, mine AC is right at 16A RLA, should I get the 32A or 16A. Is there any downside using a larger amperage.
@@SangLeWeb Yes, the higher current ICM units will probably not limit start current as much as the lower current units so you may not get as soft of a start as you should.
Thank you so much for this video and did this install easily!!! Just note the new ICW install the red light will blink for 4 minutes and then turn to green once it starts the compressor. I got the 32 amp version for my 5ton unit! Keep up the great work!!!
Does that model ICW run the blower for 4 minutes, each time, before the compressor kicks in ? Thanks
I bought one a d the instructions stated NOT to be installed outdoors. I bought a nice small hinged latching box from Amazon and mounted that on AC with the softstart inside that. Installing today.
This is the video that explains it in easy terms for the amateur. Thanks it's perfect.
I've seen a number of complaints about failures on some of the ICM870 videos but just talked to a tech at ICM and learned that they've upgraded their internal start capacitor as well as some other components in 2024 so reliability should be much improved now.
The 32A is coming out in mid-August. I was told by their customer service.
I can see how a soft start kit can extend the life of equipment. However, as long as you have a quality generator running your AC in not an issue. Also, a soft start kit is not necessary with Inverter units.
Great video and awesome information! I have the Micro-air for my Trane 4-ton A/C-only system, which works great. As you mentioned, The price was steep, but I felt better when you said ICM didn't have a kit for > 4-ton units. Before installing the Micro-air, my inrush amps were 133.9, and with the Micro-air installed, my inrush amps are always right around 35 amps. I'm not sure about the ICM unit, but another thing I liked about the Micro-air unit is that my condenser fan comes on first, and then after five seconds, it kicks on the compressor.
Yea I like that about the micro air units too. Pretty slick. They look rad too!
Where I can buy this I cannot find it nowhere
What about build quality/operating life for these units ? And warranty? That might also help decide if the extra $ of Micro Aire is worth it. Thanks for all the info.
Their right, when ever I watch your videos I say he shoud teach, you are very skilled!
Thank you for presenting this video in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. I appreciate the effort you put into making it accessible.
Question, I see you listed 3 different soft start. I have a 3.5 ton ac. Would i need to purchase the 4 to 5 ton soft start? Thanks
You decreased in-rush by around 85%, does this brand of soft start decrease other higher amp AC's by 85%? I have a soft start on mine and it used to have an in-rush of 69 amps before soft start and now, the in-rush is 42 amps. Seems fine but no where near the drop you are seeing. If I could drop the in-rush by a few more amps, I could power everything in the house with my generator. Hell, I could get some good ecoflow batteries and run the whole house on a power outage. By the way, this is a very good demonstration of how to do what you are talking about. My electrician did not explain anything to me.
Just bought one of the icm870 last week and installed it on my unit. I seen a previous vid of yours and another hvac guy on utube. Really easy to install. I have the same unit as yours but the 3ton version. Good video
How has your icm870 held up since your purchase? I'm thinking about getting one.
@@jimmitycricket i haven't had any problems at all with it. It still works
This is probably one of those items that should be installed regardless if using a Generator or not. Using that many less amps to start a device (regardless if an A/C or not) will save a lot of money down the road on power costs, and save money on repair costs as well.
It would be interesting how many kWh's it saves over the course of a day, but I'm sure it's not going to be insignificant.
The inrush last a few ms, highly doubt you'll see a huge difference in power consumption. However I agree this protects the compressor in the long run plus quiet start.
@@nobytes2 From my tests I've seen inrush as long as 2 seconds spiking 3-5x the running amps. So in worse case situation, if a motor is rated at 5A, 5x is 15A @ 220V = 3300W. Just 20 cycles would add up to an hour, which can be done in a day or 2 easy depending on location, which gives about 66,000Wh
And at my power costs, $0.11/kWh, this would yield $7.16/day, or 2! That's a HUGE difference if the soft start can keep this from happening.
Again, this is "worst" case numbers.
But don't think just because a surge current 'only' lasts a few seconds that it's inconsequential. It's add up over time
@@korishan Math check needed here - - - - -
Yes, if the rush current spike is 15 amps, 15 times 220 is 3300 Watts.
(But you probably have 120/240 volt service)
If that spike lasts 2 seconds, how many Watt-Hours is that?
One hour is 60 seconds per minute times 60 minutes per hour, so 60 X 60 = 3600 seconds in one hour.
For two seconds per 3300 Watt startup-pulse, that is 2/3600 hours each startup, or 1/1800 of 3300 Watt-Hours. 3300/1800 = 1.83 Watt-Hours.
Then using your 20 starts per day, 1.8 Watt-Hours per start, times 20 starts is 36.6 Watt-Hours per day.
Dividing by 1000 to convert to kWhrs = 0.0366 kWhrs.
At your electric rate of $0.11 per kWhr, that is 0..0366 X $0.11 = $0.004 PER DAY.
Yeah, that IS non-zero, but to me seems inconsequential.
Does it add up over time? You are in Florida, so you run your unit 24 X 365?
Then per year, $.004 X 365 = $1.47.
Big Macs here, near NYC, are $5.00+.
Your treat with the savings from your soft-start?
Rich
Just wanted to let you know on the website it does say that it needs to be enclosed in a separate box or installed like you did yours. It does not like water.
Fantastic. You sold me. I had our house wired for a generator but couldn't run the HVAC. Now I can, thanks to your tutorial. My question is, why don't all HVAC systems come with a soft start?? Also, how many amps does a typical electric furnace draw?
Thanks for the Install video. I was able to install the ICM870-32A using your video. It was quick and precise. Really appreciate it.
Where are you by yours because I cannot find it nowhere
Wow, great video. If I don’t have a generator or problems with flickering light, and all I want is to extend the life of my compressor, would you recommend the 5-2-1 instead? Or LEAVE IT ALONE, if not broken don’t try to fix it?
I had a hard start kit installed on mine before I put in the soft start so I can run it off my generator. So I say do a 5-2-1 hard start if you have no interest in using a generator to power it 👍🏼
Getting ready to install solar panels with some battery backups and our solar contractor mentioned I would need a "soft start" device to tame my 14.1 LRA on our 3-ton Lennox AC that way we can power the entire house from the batteries including AC. Gonna install the ICM870, they wanted more.
5 amps after the installation? That is the fan motor current, check the inrush after the compressor starts. I installed the micro air and it was drawing close to 40 amps of inrush current at first. after the installation, it only draws about 25 inrush, then drops to 12 amps compressor running. I guess that is the nice thing about micro air, you get all the details in the app. BTW, do not get me wrong, it is a nice video showing the installation. Thanks.!
I agree. I didn't hear the compressor at all, just the fan.
The run winding’s power wire formerly the red wire on the contactor that was removed then connected to the
Brown wire. Now the run winding must get it’s power from the red wire connected to C on the DRC then sends it to the soft start and out the brown brown wire to the original red run wire to the run winding. That wasn’t mentioned so it threw me off. You make well explained videos. I’ve watched several.
correct
What is DRC ?
The capacitor is discharged practically instantly through the motor windings when the motor is taken off the line. Just the same, it is good to treat them with respect as they can bite if they’re in a circuit that does not inherently discharge them.
Bad advice. Not all systems are wired this way and will leave a charge on the capacitor. Some capacitors have a bleeder resistor running across the spade connectors to allow discharge. I noticed in this video, that this capacitor does not have a bleeder resistor on it. That being said, you can push in the contactor after power is off and this will sometimes discharge the capacitor substantially without putting a nice arc on your tool.
@@Do_the_Dishes Can you also just short the capacitor to ground to discharge it?
@@richard6150 I wouldn’t count on that Richard. It is assuming that particular part of the circuit has a reference to ground. Since the motor starter contacts are not engaged while off, circuits are not complete and may not find a path to ground. It’s always fun to just disconnect the assembly with insulated tools, throw the cap to a fellow shop mate and say catch. 😊
Best instructions, I couldn't install it the first time with the manufacturer video.
Thanks
You my friend is a life saver, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us common folks lol. You are truly appreciated, our power goes out often during storms and the generator struggles when we try and turn on the ac.
Those locked rotor amps seems incredibly low at 32 and then 5 ??? How many ton unit was that?
There is one big problem here - if you look at the ICM870 literature, it says it ALREADY INCLUDES A START CAPACITOR. Furthermore, the ICM870 'TYPICAL INSTALLATION' instructions, in the lefthand column clearly state in Step #2: "If there is a Start Capacitor and/or Start Relay already in place, DISCONNECT them prior to installing the ICM870." The 'INSTALLATION' instructions in the righthand column, also clearly state in step #1: "If there is a Start Capacitor and/or Start Relay already in place, additional steps will be required to DISCONNECT them." So I'm sure that by leaving the original start cap in place, the capacitance is much higher, maybe double, what it should be. However, you would still want to leave the fan connected to its proper capacitor terminals as it needs it to run and the ICM870 doesn't include a capacitor for the fan.
Bro! Your videos rock! You would make an excellent instructor. Once again, excellent video!
I had to install a hard start kit to my AC this summer. I would like to install a Slow Start Kit.
Do I remove the hard start kit to do this?
And will the Slow Start kit take the place of the hard start kit needed previously if removed?
Update on the ICM 870-16a they added a new feature so your furnace blower and your outside AC fan runs for 4 minutes before the compressor kicks on. No idea why but ICM claims it's because of rapid compressor cycling. I get it but 4 minutes ❔
Are these the ones that are blowing up according to many amazon reviews?
Any Idea where I can get one? they seem to be out of stock everywhere except drop ship scam sites
*edit* nevermind. reading reviews and lots of them saying failed within a month or 2. Customer service wont replace unless proof of professional install... F that. I will just pony up and get a microair.
@diyhvacguy
Do you have any alternative to the ICM870 units if they are not available on Amazon currently?
Thanks for your instructive videos. Great Teacher!
Hi Dave, great tutorial. I bought the ICM870-32A soft start, and installed it yesterday. All went well with the AC for about 12 hours then I get a "Fault #3", high current. I disconnected the soft start and the AC ran fine. Any thoughts? Darrell.
My unit's starting amperage is 47 amps, and then it drops to 7 amps for operation, would that unit work for me? thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Thank you for all of your great information! I live in an area where we use reheat to remove moisture from our home. For this process to work efficiently all year we have a low ambient kit installed on our system. The low ambient kit calls for a hard start kit though we do not have one and have not had any issues. I love the idea of a soft start as our systems winds up and down more with the low ambient kit. As we also live in a forest fire zone the idea of having our hvac system running when the power company turns us off is also appealing. My question is will the soft start kit allow the low ambient kit to remain in function?
Great videos! I have a question. My home outside unit has a loud buzzing noise after power blip happens in my house and the AC was running during the power blip last time this happened and knocked the power out in the whole house. Would this item be something to prevent that or is there something else to install that will prevent the compressor from jamming up on a power blip?
I don’t have a need to run with a generator, but will these devices help improve compressor longevity?
I just put the icm870 on my unit. Works good for it for 150…easy install. My unit has lra70 amps. I don’t know before and after as I don’t have an ampclamp the does inrush. Mounted in the condenser
I’m sure it lowered it to 20 amps if not less. Glad you are happy with it!
amazon reviews state 25 percent 1 star due to failure in the first weeks and months of service. Now they are not available. Perhaps the 1/2 price of the micro is not such a great deal.
Can you do a video with step by step instructions on installing the ICM493? With all of the inverter systems available, I think it would be beneficial for your audience!! Thanks for the detailed videos!!
The variable speed inverter driven compressors like those commonly found in the current generation of mini split heat pumps are inherently soft starting. There is no large inrush current.
This is either out of stock or Currently unavailable almost everywhere. Is it still being made?
That ending 🫶🥲 so good. Thanks!
As long as your generator is large enough you can run your HVAC unit with out the need of one of these soft start devices, all these do is reduce the initial start up amps of the condensing unit so it’s not as great of a initial load on the generator.
Good luck getting the ICM32. I ordered it for about a month or more. They said I would get it on the 19th of September. They took my money after they took my money. They sent me an email telling me I won't get it till mid-December. I am sure if I call to cancel the order. They will probably return my money in December. Also before I ordered. I wasn't sure of the 16 or 32. So I called. I was not able to get any support. A voice mail would come on and tell me that all support people were not there. Then it would tell me that the mailbox was full. Then would hang up on me. SO BEWARE BEFORE YOU BUY FROM ICM!!!!!!
Wow, what a nightmare. Hopefully they get their affairs in order soon. Sorry you are having to deal with that!
Hi, thanks for sharing your knowledge. One question, are soft starts available in Canada or even, allowed to be installed in ACs in Canada? Thanks again
Excellent Instructional video. Best on UA-cam.
The ICM has a big con to me. The website says there is a 4 minute delay on every start cycle. 👎. I could understand have one delay after a power loss but for not for every single run cycle during the day. Any thoughts on that?
Safety to protect compressor.
Just went through this with a power outage. Never tested anything running on a gen. Well, now was the time. Everything worked great until I tried the HVAC (heat pump) So now looking at soft starts.
Honest question...does a soft start help with electric usage too (not that it matters)
No it just slows the current being delivered so it’s not all at once
@@diyhvacguy ok, I just thought the surge might be more. Anywho, how to tell what size unit I have (goodman gsz140421kd is a 3.5T ? )
Great info sir! For those of us not in da know....what is advan😢tage of soft start over a hard start kit? I was under impression that a hard start kit was another reason why we would want to add a hard start kit was the ease of adding some help for starting scroll compressors on a genny or on reg utility. Just trying to understand why i would spend 10x the money for this apparatus. Thanks showing us the options!😮
The main advantage is to be able to run your air conditioner on a generator in the event of an emergency.
It's better than hard start kit? Just trying to decide if I should upgrade.
@@hitekrednek66 it's much easier on the components as it gently ramps the compressor up rather than hitting it with a ton of power from a dead start.
@@johndoe-ek6vl thank you sir!
Extremely easy to install and so far, no issues and good results. Would this have similar benefits for a heat pump heating and cooling system? Thanks for presenting this so easy to understand. Also, the nutdriver you recommend is great as well!
Is there any downside to installing this? If the compressor needs a certain amount of power to start (lock rotor amps) then how does the impact the life of the system.
There is no free lunch in physics. I’m interested in learning about this from seasoned, licensed HVAC professionals.
Don’t ask this guy about reactance…..he doesn’t have a clue about phase shift and it’s negative effects on household electronic components
Great video, thanks for sharing your knowledge. With the soft touch icm-870-16a attached, what watt generator would you suggest? 1600 sq ft. home during and after a hurricane here in Florida I would not need to use all of the other items at one time such as dryer, hot water heater, spa pump. I think a 13000 watt dual fuel could do it but I am not certain. Thank you in advance for your time.
It's far less expensive because it's not rated to the operating loads of larger units. 16A running an 84A starting load is what, a 2-3 ton unit? They claim a 32A unit is "coming soon" but no word on price.
Have a newer style Bosch Heat Pump with a computer like circut board behind the panel. Will a Micro Air soft starter run newer units??
This is very good and straightforward but you should have shown how to discharge the capacitor (which you later did) with a screwdriver. You also should have shown removing the compressor wire from the contacts. ... And I'm still waiting for you at 9:25 to put something back where you took that red wire off.
Not completely necessary because the Spade connector was insulated, but a lot of people would have used heat shrink.
I finally figure this all out. This video was a huge help except my run wire is yellow not red or black as Goettl told me. I found the compressor wire which was yellow. And when I connnected to brown wire it didn’t start right away. I waited 2 minutes and it started working. When I did 2nd AC it worked from the start.
Video should show exactly where red compressor wire came from. Another video showed it came off the main terminal.
Will this let my solar inverter run my AC? Lets say i have a 1hp or 1.5hp AC and a 5kw inverter. Some inverter will trip if you run the AC, so to prevent this from happening, can i use a soft starter on the compressor?
It will, I have a Renogy diy Solar kit with Lycan inverter and it’s working fine.
@@mtn_av8rthat is nice to hear! By the way, how large is your AC unit? And what is the max continuous wattage that your inverter can do?
Seems like this product goes out fairly quickly according to reviews. Does it even save on bills?
Great video….and a good piece of equipment to extend the life of a compressor….
Question: Is there any wisdom in installing these on a new 2023 system? Will it void a warranty? My 18 year old Payne system pulls 39.90 at startup, runs about 10.27 after that. I have a new system coming next week.
It looks like the ICM870-9A is going for $170, the ICM870-16A is going for $190 and the ICM Controls 870-32A is going for $225. Other than possibly wasting $35 dollars is there any reason not to buy the ICM Controls 870-32A instead of the ICM Controls 870-16A to protect myself in case I ever need a larger AC unit?
Thanks for the video. The 32A version has been delayed until the end of the year now. Do you think the 16A will work on my 17.9A heat pump? If not do you know what other brand/model would work? If like to get this before a hurricane hit me in central FL. Thanks
Great video! Your amazon links no longer work - I actually think they don't sell the ICMs anymore, at least not higher amp ones.
Is this the same as a Surge Suppressor? The ICM 870 is now $237 on Amazon rated for 1 TN unit.
I wish I knew about this product before I bought my Soft Start RV....:) Thanks again for another great video 👍
Thank you for this comparison, very helpful. Can you please consider connecting the Micro-Air to that same unit and see if it's capable of bringing the in-rush amps below the 5.1 achieved with the ICM (with the reported number being after 5 starts due to learning)? This would be an additional (and important) element in helping one to decide which one is "better" given their preferences and environment. If it's capable of being more effective in limiting the in-rush amperage, it may be worth it to some to spend the additional money. Thanks so much!
I have a micro air on a 3.5t unit and an ICM on a 2.5t unit. 25a inrush on the 3.5t, with the micro air, 18a running. 27a inrush on the 2.5t with the icm, 12a running. The micro air draws 5a then slowly ramps up. It is better but more money. Editing this... I replaced my ICM with a Microair on the 2.5t. It pulls 29a. I'm 7 starts in. My 2.5t just pulls more than the 3.5t with bith slow starts. It was 67.5a. So, Save your money, Get the ICM.
@@srica7366my ac starts with a bang… do you think either one will help? Do you think the micro air will be quieter?
@@srica7366 Thank you!
@@linvol20 I'm not an expert, but yes, due to the controlled manner in which a soft start kit initiates the compressor, a side effect and benefit can be a quieter & smoother start-up. Please note that your mileage will vary. If there's something physically wrong with the compressor that's causing the bang, a soft start kit is unlikely to resolve it. Unfortunately, I don't know if the Micro-Air will be quieter. I have an ICM on my 2.5 ton and a Micro-Air on my 4 ton but haven't swapped them to see if one is better than the other at controlling the in-rush amps or the start-up noise. This is why I was / am hoping that The DIY HVAC Guy will connect his Micro-Air to the same unit in the video to see how it compares to the ICM. If the Micro-Air is able to be more effective at reducing the max in-rush amps, I feel it would be a safe assumption that it would also provide for a quieter start-up.
@@srica7366 I also have a 3.5 ton mobile home a/c unit with the compressor, cooling fan and air handler all in one. Which ICM do I get? the icm 870-16A or the icm 870- 32A
Where can you buy this for $150 ?
What if you don't have power for several days? How long will it keep the A/C running?
I bought the 16 amp for my 3 1/2 ton split unit that is about two years old. I installed it according to your instructions, which were fine, however, after three weeks, my compressor would no longer start. I ended up returning the part. Probably gonna try the more expensive micro air.
Bummer. Sorry to hear that!
Just to be sure, this soft starter would work regardless if you were using a generator or not? ty
Nice video. Thanks. I measured mine and started with 9 and stabilized in 11 amps. I saw your at 32. Where i am wrong ?
35 inrush is really good. I just saw a video that had 130 start up amps, but he was using the max setting to get the start up which is not near as accurate as the inrush. I need to get me a soft start. Might lower the electric bill by a bit.
I installed this a few months ago. It worked perfectly, until today. I heard a loud noise and so I checked it out. The AC unit was shuttering. I turned it off. Looked inside and the soft start unit was fried. What would cause this?
Would you recommend a soft start for a, two stage condensing unit?
QUESTION: Does a soft start provide a benefit for the life of the capacitor?
I doubt that it will increase the life of the AC compressor run capacitor.
I have a three and a half ton AC and I am going to go the interlock and power inlet route and connect a generator to my home. But the most important thing is that my AC runs. Do I have to have a soft start?
The 5.1A reading - was inrush of running? 5.1A seems low for running amps, let alone inrush. A commenter below, "27a inrush on the 2.5t with the icm, 12a running". So I'm confused by your number.
The MicroAire does seem to have more bells an whistles, particularly in the monitoring aspect. But the ICM seems to offer basically the same performance (lowers the inrush current) at 1/2 the price. So it seems like definitely worth consideration, depending on what you want.
Hi Dave, I installed the icm870 16A on a 28yr old ICP ACS036A2B1 3-ton. Works great actually. I methodically checked all connections 8-9 times before starting. It kicks on, the fan won't spin. What did I do? :-{ Todd Start amps went from 81 to 40.
just a dumb question here: I have 24k BTU inverter A/C, can this be used on my unit?
Amazing device!! I can definitely use this in my old Rheem. Can you use this on the newest heat pumps too?
This may be a ridiculous question but I dont hear anything that answers my question directly. Will this work on any heat pump system?TIA
Any system? No. This kind of device is only applicable to "old school" single phase motors (compressors) that have a topology consisting of start and run windings with a capacitor to shift the current phase relationship between the two windings. Soft start controls like this trade off one of the deficiencies of this "split phase" of motor for other deficiencies which the system may be able to either mask or tolerate. If it were a perfect solution to high inrush currents, such a technique would have been incorporated into similar motors many decades ago.
Hi. Any thoughts? after installing icm870-32a ac takes more time to cool. After compressor is on more time needed. Compressor running amps are the same.
I have a central ac unit that was already there when I purchased the house. It’s been there since 1992. Very old unit but still works well. Just uses a lot of electricity.
Does it make sense to replace all the attic hoses with insulted ones. And then replace the ac unit and the furnace. Trying to split up the costs.
I had a soft start installed with my new AC last year. It had to be removed as it would fail at the top of the day. I have been hesitant to install another since.
Amazon seems to be out of these. Not surprising given how popular they have become. Fortunately, we've got all winter now to find and install. One thing I don't understand is that they are marketed all over the Internet as an RV accessory. I get that they work for RVs, but I wasted a lot of time searching online until I realized these "RV soft-starts" were the same units that can be installed on residential ACs.
Does it save you money on electricity bill?
Hi I am a slow learner, is the ICM870 a generator if not why do we need this if we already have a generator? Thanks,
EXCELLENT---thank you so much for this excellent upgrade for us DIYs
ICM soft start Is this a surge protector also. Should I add a surge protector when I install this?
I have two capacitors. The smaller one is for the fan. Can I combine them into a dual capacitor in correct size?