Micro-Air EasyStart 364 Soft Starter

[Micro-Air]

Title:
I just posted a new ad on Airstream Classifieds.

(Retail price is $299. Enter "AIRSTREAM" Coupon Code at checkout for $40 off!)

EasyStart is a one-of-a-kind, custom-developed soft starter for single-phase motors. It can support both 115V and 230VAC motors. (A specialized model now exists for 115V-only RV applications, at a reduced cost!) EasyStart employs a 4-part start ramp sequence that is self-optimizing, resulting in the lowest possible start-up current. EasyStart can deliver up to 75% start current reduction as compared to a compressor's LRA (locked-rotor amperage). It also has numerous specialized fault checks not found in any other soft starter to provide further protection for your compressor.


EasyStart is the perfect solution that allows an air conditioner or refrigeration compressor to operate on a generator, inverter, or limited utility power when it would otherwise not have functioned. It can also be applied to air compressor and fluid pump motors.


The EasyStart 364 is capable of supporting up to a 36000 BTU (3 ton) compressor. It includes a fully-weatherproof (IP65), flameproof, plastic enclosure with an integrated mounting flange and wire harness. Specialized models exist for various applications.

*** MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE ***
EasyStart will allow to start and run your Dometic Penguin II (commonly used on Airstreams) on a Honda EU2000i generator. Of course, we expect you will be willing to work with us to help you troubleshoot it if it does not initially work for some reason. If after that, it still does not work and/or you still want to return it, we will refund you the purchase price.
You can contact us by filling in the form on the right hand column of the ad listing:

http://www.airstreamclassifieds.com/...-soft-starter/

[faberm]

A friend and I just installed the Easy Start 364 on my Airstream today. It took watching Youtube videos, looking at the included instructions etc , and calling the Easy Start help line to figure it all out. I am a novice and he has a electrical engineering degree. He commented that the instructions seemed a bit confusing at least on the stage 4 as below. General Instructions are desperately needed. I would have summarized the instructions as follows:


Big Idea: You'll eliminate the Starter Capacitor and use two wires of the Easy Start for that function. They will wire into the Running Capacitor. You'll splice the two remaining wires of the Easy Start into wires that come off of the compressor. They will not be connected to the running capacitor in any way.


Here are the basic steps we did:



1 The Easy Start has four wires: orange, white, black, brown


2 The existing Starter Capacitor (the small one) is removed and now redundant. Unplug it from the Running Capacitor (the large one) and substitute the orange and white wires on the Easy Start in place of the wires that were coming from the old starter capacitor. (This takes care of the first two wires on the Easy Start)


3 Splice the black wire from the Easy Start into the blue wire that you can follow back from the compressor. We cut the blue wire, stripped the two ends where we cut it, and soldered it to the black Easy Start wire.


4 There is a white wire that connects the compressor to the running capacitor. Disconnect it from the running capacitor and splice/connect/butt connect the brown wire from the Easy Start onto the white wire where you've disconnected it from the running capacitor. It will no longer be connected to the running capacitor in any way.


Hope these help. There was some confusion as we tried to read the instructions. I have a Penguin II low profile 15,000 BTU AC on my 24 foot Flying Cloud 2014 Airstream. We started it with a normal 20 amp plug at home. We did it about 6-7 times. It got harder and harder to tell when the compressor came on. It is very quiet. I am using a Honda 2200i and had to cut off all the other breakers in the trailer to get it to all come on okay. I can tell the generator is working to power the AC. I don't think it should be used in economy mode.

[thiel]

I agree that the instructions could be simpler, but I do understand that they need generic instructions that will work with a lot of trailers/ACs

BUT, I don't really know what a capacitor any of the electrical thingys are.

Just saying.

[faberm]

Originally Posted by thiel

I agree that the instructions could be simpler, but I do understand that they need generic instructions that will work with a lot of trailers/ACs

BUT, I don't really know what a capacitor any of the electrical thingys are.

Just saying.

I would not try this if you don't know what a capacitor is. The capacitors are round cylinder looking things. Often the "running capacitor" is silver colored and the "start capacitor" is black. I am accustomed to them because I live in the country and change them in my water well. The "start capacitor" stores up a charge and gives the electric motor the "kick" that it needs to get going. The "running capacitor" just keeps it running along smoothly. Capacitors store electricity and then discharge it.