Running A/c With Generator

Mark Trammell said:
On mine the power level goes as high as 515 watts when running. I don't know what the inrush starting power is. My Honda EU2200i stays at the same RPM after the AC starts, but you can hear the increased load on the motor. Just to measure the inrush starting power, I would have to go buy a new meter for close to, or over $100.00 for just the one time use. Not gonna happen. Just guessing it could be as high as 2000 watts, which is why it kills the 1000 watt generators on startup. With a 2000 watt inverter generator or smaller it could be possible to start the AC with Eco Mode turned off, and then turn it on after it starts, to run at a lower speed as long as the compressor doesn't cycle off/on. Some on this forum run the AC with the windows open and the vent fan running, maybe just to stop the compressor from cycling. I replaced the FanTastic Vent fan on mine with the MaxxFan because it can run much slower and quieter, also you don't have to close it when it rains.
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I posted it some where here in the past....its close to 15 amps if I recall, but it is very short time. If I'm not in ecomode, its not bad but I want the quietness and fuel efficiency of eco...

Yes, the bigger size room makes the 5k btu AC work a LOT better. Coming through our warm spell, last two night we had an ARB side room and kept 1 door open. The camper area was much more comfortable than it is when closed up. Its counterintuitive, but it works.

If I don't have the arb side room, my maxxair is open about 3 inches and pulling out...somehwere in the middle of its speed ranges.
 
Sweeney said:
Thats kind of a bummer. let us know how the ACS20PT works.

I was about to pull the trigger myself...Tell him he has at least 2 sold on day 1. I want my ecomode for it quietness. the burp steals my calm.

I really don't care about software, something like this is perfect as a device you simply plug in and it works....
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On the first use it is necessary to connect to the ActiveStart via a smart phone with blue tooth in order to customize it to your particular use, generator size and startup power level. After that the phone app works to allow you to monitor power usage, voltage, ac frequency, current usage - amps, watts, re-settable energy, total energy used, and surge protection status. You can install the app on your phone for free just to look at the features. I sound like a salesman already, and I haven't even gotten it to work yet. LOL
 
LOL no worries, I think there are several if not many of us who are interested in this.

This also applies to people to are living on solar and still use AC on an inverter. One of the fellas here has a 3000 watt inverter for his, and was thrilled at the idea of possibly being able to use something smaller...

There's a market for this....

I did some youtubing -- it looks like what is happening is mostly adding resistance to the AC line, then latching to a full line voltage state after the inflow, combined with "starting" the surge at the right portion of the sine-wave. I can see how this is possible on a rooftop style with the soft start connected directly to the comprsesor -- but I dont understnad how this guy is doing it for line voltage, unless he is not concerned with the portion fo the sine wave when the appliance is turned on.

App for configuration bugs me --- gimme ol dip switches...with 4 switches you can have 15 combinations -- andunder 20 amp there's not that many common generator sizes....but...what do I know. :)

What happens when the app is removed from the app store becuse the author went out of business for some reason. Now you have a brick you can't configure. That bothers me.
 
Sweeney said:
LOL no worries, I think there are several if not many of us who are interested in this.

What happens when the app is removed from the app store becuse the author went out of business for some reason. Now you have a brick you can't configure. That bothers me.
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I guess you just have to keep an old phone that already has the app loaded.
 
Well, the new ActiveStart controller came today and I tried it with several different settings, but it didn't stop the annoying change in the motor noise when the compressor started. Was just hoping for a gradual loading of the motor that wouldn't be so noticeable but it couldn't do it. Some settings even caused the generator to rev up wildly so that I was turning the AC back to fan only to stop it. It may take something like a conventional softstart to do what we are hoping for, but I'm not gonna take my AC out just to do that. Maybe Thomas can engineer something else that will work.
 
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Any chance you can post a video of the "best" setting? I've got an anonymized youtube channel if you want to post something without privacy concerns...PM me
 
Sweeney said:
Any chance you can post a video of the "best" setting? I've got an anonymized youtube channel if you want to post something without privacy concerns...PM me
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Actually, the generator seamed to do better without it at all. The ACS20PT power tool controller is best suited to start a high amperage motor with the generator at full speed, such as a high amperage vacuum motor not using a start capacitor. The standard model ACS20P had even less effect on the Eco Mode burp.
 
I'm no electronics wizard, but it seems like it is going to take something with a large capacitor built in to give that inrush before the generator kicks in.
 
Mark Trammell said:
I'm no electronics wizard, but it seems like it is going to take something with a large capacitor built in to give that inrush before the generator kicks in.
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Need an EE for that....I think the discussion turns back towards the soft start on the AC motor itself rather than the inline. I kind of had a "this is too good to be true" feel to it when I saw it :(

I thought about crackng open the AC to see what it would take to put a soft start externally -- but it would have to be mounted inside the camper somewhere and at least for my application, thats lost storage space which is already maximized. Maybe it could be put in the foot well in the corner?

Its a bigger project than I have time for at the moment....just too much going on.
 
Sweeney said:
Need an EE for that....I think the discussion turns back towards the soft start on the AC motor itself rather than the inline. I kind of had a "this is too good to be true" feel to it when I saw it :(

I thought about crackng open the AC to see what it would take to put a soft start externally -- but it would have to be mounted inside the camper somewhere and at least for my application, thats lost storage space which is already maximized. Maybe it could be put in the foot well in the corner?

Its a bigger project than I have time for at the moment....just too much going on.
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I've replaced my AC one time, and not gonna pull it out just for fun, or for an internal softstart. How about just some kind of box that could keep the generator quieter?
 
Mark Trammell said:
I've replaced my AC one time, and not gonna pull it out just for fun, or for an internal softstart. How about just some kind of box that could keep the generator quieter?
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Thats where I'm at --- I figure it will take a half day to pull and reassemble under ideal conditions. And that never happens. Plus, the day to rewire the AC. It sounds like a full 2 or 3 day project.

Then theres the question of where to drill holes....and put the box. Assuming the terminals are accessible inside the AC unit. And we KNOW they design these to a price point, not for serviceability....so ... yah.

Trouble with a box is ventilation and cooling, combined with just "one more thing" to carry with me, and speaking for myself, I'm alerady "maxed out"
 
Sweeney said:
Thats where I'm at --- I figure it will take a half day to pull and reassemble under ideal conditions. And that never happens. Plus, the day to rewire the AC. It sounds like a full 2 or 3 day project.

Then theres the question of where to drill holes....and put the box. Assuming the terminals are accessible inside the AC unit. And we KNOW they design these to a price point, not for serviceability....so ... yah.

Trouble with a box is ventilation and cooling, combined with just "one more thing" to carry with me, and speaking for myself, I'm alerady "maxed out"
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Since you'll have it out, they have a direct wired softstart controller ACS4W16. I'm don't know what the dimensions are but the ones that I tried out would fit in a space of 2.25" wide. The area where the AC unit fits on my 550 looks like it has that much room between the box sidewall and the AC unit, as long as it doesn't block too much of the air flow. Maybe mount it as low as possible on the side of the AC unit. Could mount it somewhere in the galley area. Their website says it can reduce the inrush surge by up to 80%.
SoftStart 16 AMP - ACS4W16
 
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Mark Trammell said:
Since you'll have it out, they have a direct wired softstart controller ACS4W16. I'm don't know what the dimensions are but the ones that I tried out would fit in a space of 2.25" wide. The area where the AC unit fits on my 550 looks like it has that much room between the box sidewall and the AC unit, as long as it doesn't block too much of the air flow. Maybe mount it as low as possible on the side of the AC unit. Could mount it somewhere in the galley area. Their website says it can reduce the inrush surge by up to 80%.
SoftStart 16 AMP - ACS4W16
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Oh, I'm not at this point :) I am in a strange employment situation right now, and can see a profound lack of freetime, having come from a situation where I had 6 weeks of vacation a year.

I anticipate this will improve, but not this summer...
 
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