Micro-Air EasyStart Flex - HVAC soft start kit

[oldcodger]

I have had a Micro Air EasyStart on my 4 ton Rheem unit for 5 years with no problems at all. I did the install myself. My service guy had nothing but praise for them. I can run my AC using my 10kw dual fuel generator. It dropped the inrush current from 118 to 40-60 depending on temperature.

 

[Nukeman7]

I mentioned on another thread about soft starts (SS) and the harmonics. During the start-up, the units can produce harmonics exceeding 25%. IEEE519 wants to see less than 3% from a device and less than 5% total on a system.
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Is there a link you can post about the product you bought? I'm curious about it

The link to the product is in the OP's second sentence of Post #1.

 

[4wd]

I'd be curious about what you've heard about it causing issues for the compressor. What specifically is the issue it causes? Mine being a PSC unit, I cannot fathom any harm comes from the soft-start. Perhaps the control boards in an ECM unit might not like the kit in the long term?

I did a search can find nothing which would indicate it's an issue. To the contrary, most of them debunk the myth that these are harmful. It certainly is stressful on a compressor to have such hard starts repeatedly over its entire life without the soft-start. Most of the complaints or concerns are about the high cost of unit and professional install. I would argue that a $400 device which can perhaps double the life of my compressor is worth it, at least to me. And the professional install is NOT a necessity if you have any skills that the average DIY guy would have.

https://duckduckgo.com/?ia=web&origin=funnel_home_website&hps=1&q=will+a+soft-start+controller+harm+a+PSC+driven+HVAC+compressor?&atb=v376-1

After reading this again - I’m reminded why my guy recommended a soft start that I paid for. He was about to change a compressor under warranty - then said the new one did not reset the warranty clock - but felt the SS was prime mitigation against future issues …

 

[Touring5]

I, too, don't understand the "heats the compressor on start up" complaint.

Compressors by nature get hot; that's part of the adiabatic process after all. But, the whole point of the soft-start system is to REDUCE the amp load at start-up. That can only have one effect; LESS HEAT. Not more heat. The complaint is counter intuitive.

Also, some of you may not realize that heat pump compressors actually have heater elements inside them to warm the oil in the crankcase. So, if they need heat in the crankcase in heating mode, then how can "heating the compressor" be detrimental.

The more I read about these "complaints" about soft-starts, the more I realize it's uninformed hooey. As I said before, there's a large bucket of misunderstanding and misinformation about these new soft-start systems and how HVAC compressors work in general. If a person cannot accurately and articulately describe HOW they believe the soft-start causes failure, I just have to assume it's ol' skool shade-tree blabbering.

I'm with you.

I have experience with Airgo soft starter. On a new 3 ton with scroll compressor, the inrush current was reduced from ~ 80 amps to 19.x amps. The entire duration of the soft-start seems to be around 1 second.

Seems to me this would benefit the compressor by vastly reducing the sudden surge of current and presumably mechanically as well.

My install is in the third year and works well.