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Soft Start Portable Setup Reports - Francine
Posted on 9/12/24 at 12:32 pm
Posted on 9/12/24 at 12:32 pm
I just ran my micro air soft start/WGEN 9500 setup for the first time for about 24 hours without any issues. I’ll admit I was anxious about the generator power damaging the AC somehow but everything seems fine. Is everybody still getting good service using a portable to run their whole house in extended power outages?
3
Posted on 9/12/24 at 12:43 pm to bigbuckdj
No definite correlation as I ran my AC on my generator for ~4 hours in the past. But after Beryl in the Houston area, I ran my AC for around 24 hours on the portable generator. AC was equipped with a micro-air soft start. Couple weeks later we had to replace that whole outside unit. The wires coming out of the micro-air to the unit had melted a bit. I wonder to myself if the generator power had done something that then took a little while to fully fail.
Can't imagine it would be that since those micr-air units are built for that, but a $6k bill makes you think hard about it.
Can't imagine it would be that since those micr-air units are built for that, but a $6k bill makes you think hard about it.
Posted on 9/12/24 at 1:36 pm to Jon A thon
quote:
The wires coming out of the micro-air to the unit had melted a bit.
Can you give some more detail here? So the wires going from the soft start module going to which part of the condenser unit? The compressor? The capacitor? Were the connectors on the end of the cables properly crimped and not loose?
Lots of questions but I highly doubt it has anything to do with your generator powering it. The power coming in from the utility is much more robust than a portable generator. There could have potentially been some harmonic distortion issues but that usually affects electronics like laptops or tvs more than an AC unit. I could be wrong there though.
Posted on 9/12/24 at 1:52 pm to bapple
It's was at the connectors where the micro air went into the contactor (It think that's the correct term) to send power to the condenser. I don't think the generator power melted them. I do worry the generator power damaged something in the micro-air system which then led to improper currents being sent through the wires.
Posted on 9/12/24 at 2:35 pm to Jon A thon
That’s interesting, I wonder if it is related, the soft start looks fine for me and of course it’s used all the time on utility power.
Edit: I checked my terminations on the soft start, everything looks ok but I’ll make a point to check them.
Edit: I checked my terminations on the soft start, everything looks ok but I’ll make a point to check them.
This post was edited on 9/12/24 at 4:48 pm
Posted on 9/13/24 at 12:28 am to bigbuckdj
Going on 25 hours now. No issues. Stopped it at 12 hours to check the oil and let her rip again. Will stop it each morning for an hour until we get power back.
Posted on 9/13/24 at 8:21 am to bigbuckdj
Have the predator 8750/7000 inverter. Hard start kits on my 3 ton and 2.5 ton. Started the 3 ton no problem and ran that and a 2800sq ft house with ease. Only ran it 1.5 hrs before we got power back. We were lucky.
This post was edited on 9/13/24 at 8:22 am
Posted on 9/13/24 at 8:46 am to bigbuckdj
quote:
That’s interesting, I wonder if it is related, the soft start looks fine for me and of course it’s used all the time on utility power.
It's truly a small chance that it was the issue. The units themselves have been pieces of shite since we bought the house. This is our 5th year in the house and these were installed the year before we bought it. We have had a technician out every single summer. One had fried a wiring harness already, but the damage was limited to that. They replaced the wiring and installed a hard start. Honestly almost just had them replace both of them while they were here.
This soft start has been on the other unit for 3 years with no issues. I just always have some concern with electronics running on my generator since it's not an inverter generator. And the fact that this happened soon after just has me wondering.
Posted on 9/13/24 at 9:01 am to magicman534
quote:
Have the predator 8750/7000 inverter. Hard start kits on my 3 ton and 2.5 ton. Started the 3 ton no problem and ran that and a 2800sq ft house with ease. Only ran it 1.5 hrs before we got power back. We were lucky.
are you using 30 plug in? I have a hard start on my 3 ton and a westinghouse 9500. hadn't had to use it yet. I have a 30 amp cord and plug in by my breaker box.
Posted on 9/13/24 at 9:03 am to Jon A thon
Connections are a huge point of failure for anything electrical. If those connections aren't very tight, or loosen over time due to vibration you get a lot of resistance and heat.
A common issue and example being the terminal block for a range. If any of those wires get even a little loose...
A common issue and example being the terminal block for a range. If any of those wires get even a little loose...
Posted on 9/13/24 at 8:14 pm to Butta
Yes. Electrician installed when we were building. Basically a 30a plug beneath the breaker box. Turn off cleco switch and flip on (2) 30a breakers
This post was edited on 9/13/24 at 10:49 pm
Posted on 9/16/24 at 9:19 am to TheBoo
Final report: ran a total of 35 hours, stopped for 30 seconds at 12 hours to check the oil.
All is well.
All is well.
Posted on 9/16/24 at 6:55 pm to TheBoo
Another friend of mine in the area ran for nearly 72 hours with a wgen10500 and Icm soft starts on both a/cs, no problems
Posted on 9/19/24 at 3:12 pm to TheBoo
Another update. Just got my gas bill after my meter was read two days after the storm. Came out to a dollar per hour to run the generator. I’ll take that all day long. Pun intended.
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