Fired my Honda 2200 up yesterday after sitting in the garage all winter
- Thread starter Wayne
- Start date
spasm3
Active member
I have been looking for a generator to take with us. I've been worried that a small one will damage my A/C if its shy on amps. I think my unit pulls 12.5-15 amps depending on whether its a 13500 or 15000btu unit.
Dometic lists the minimum generator to be 3.5kw. But i'm sure thats to cover other things running.
https://www.rvpartscountry.com/Dometic-Duo-Therm-BRISK-2-AIR-RV-Air-Conditioner-13500-BTU.html
Dometic lists the minimum generator to be 3.5kw. But i'm sure thats to cover other things running.
https://www.rvpartscountry.com/Dometic-Duo-Therm-BRISK-2-AIR-RV-Air-Conditioner-13500-BTU.html
The 2200 will pull 18 amps for a while, but steady run it is rated for 15 amps. It will not start a 15,000 BTU A/C, because it can't surge to the 45 amps it takes to start the compressor motor. I installed Easy-Starts on both A/Cs from Micro-Air: https://www.microair.net/ They reduce the surge it takes to start the A/C motor down to about 20 amps, which the 2200 can easily do. As long as you don't run any other high current load, the 2200 will run a 15,000 BTU A/C all day, I think the A/C draws about 12 amps when running.
Since you have the brand new Dometic A/C, you could have gotten the new model that has Dometic's soft starter built into it already. It's definitely worth the time to research it. I like the smaller generator, because it's very quiet and I can easily lift it in and out of the back of the truck. Not so much with a larger generator.
Since you have the brand new Dometic A/C, you could have gotten the new model that has Dometic's soft starter built into it already. It's definitely worth the time to research it. I like the smaller generator, because it's very quiet and I can easily lift it in and out of the back of the truck. Not so much with a larger generator.
spasm3
Active member
I found this dometic capacitor as a hard start kit.
https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-3310...7931722&sprefix=dometic+hard+s,aps,167&sr=8-6
Same item , different seller.
https://www.rvpartscountry.com/Dometic-Duo-Therm-RV-Air-Conditioner-Hard-Start-Capacitor.html#tab-1
Wayne, is there anything more in the kit you bought other than a different capacitor?
https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-3310...7931722&sprefix=dometic+hard+s,aps,167&sr=8-6
Same item , different seller.
https://www.rvpartscountry.com/Dometic-Duo-Therm-RV-Air-Conditioner-Hard-Start-Capacitor.html#tab-1
Wayne, is there anything more in the kit you bought other than a different capacitor?
The Microair Easy-Start I bought is this one: https://www.microair.net/products/e...rter-for-air-conditioners?variant=30176048267
It's more than a starting capacitor.
From their FAQ: https://www.microair.net/pages/easystart-installation-faqs
"
What does EasyStart™ do and how does it work?
Consider how a regular compressor starts. When power is first applied to the motor it creates a magnetic field that presses against a rotor. The rotor is connected to the compressor and these components have mass so it takes time and energy to get up to speed.
Compressor motors are connected in a way that lets them draw as much energy as needed to get up to speed quickly. Because of this design the motors draw a huge current surge when they start.
On every motor plate there is a specification called LRA. This stands for Locked Rotor Amps and is the maximum current the motor can draw according to the manufacturer. During a start you can expect your compressor to draw this current from the supply.
RV rooftop 16 KBTU compressors are rated around 50 to 60 amps LRA. A typical 2000 watt inverter generator is rated at 2000 watts peak which is about 16.7 amps at 120 volts AC. There is no way will the generator start a load that draws four to five times its peak rating!
The solution is to reduce the peak LRA so we created EasyStart™. EasyStart™ is designed to connect directly to the compressor motor and reduce the power surge that occurs on start. It does this by controlling the power supplied to the windings of the motor on each AC cycle. EasyStart™ gradually increases this power until the compressor is running.
This increases the time it takes the motor to get up to speed and creates a very smooth start that reduces the peak current by 50 to 70%. An RV rooftop 16 KBTU, 120 volt compressor can now start with under 20 amps of current."
It's more than a starting capacitor.
From their FAQ: https://www.microair.net/pages/easystart-installation-faqs
"
What does EasyStart™ do and how does it work?
Consider how a regular compressor starts. When power is first applied to the motor it creates a magnetic field that presses against a rotor. The rotor is connected to the compressor and these components have mass so it takes time and energy to get up to speed.
Compressor motors are connected in a way that lets them draw as much energy as needed to get up to speed quickly. Because of this design the motors draw a huge current surge when they start.
On every motor plate there is a specification called LRA. This stands for Locked Rotor Amps and is the maximum current the motor can draw according to the manufacturer. During a start you can expect your compressor to draw this current from the supply.
RV rooftop 16 KBTU compressors are rated around 50 to 60 amps LRA. A typical 2000 watt inverter generator is rated at 2000 watts peak which is about 16.7 amps at 120 volts AC. There is no way will the generator start a load that draws four to five times its peak rating!
The solution is to reduce the peak LRA so we created EasyStart™. EasyStart™ is designed to connect directly to the compressor motor and reduce the power surge that occurs on start. It does this by controlling the power supplied to the windings of the motor on each AC cycle. EasyStart™ gradually increases this power until the compressor is running.
This increases the time it takes the motor to get up to speed and creates a very smooth start that reduces the peak current by 50 to 70%. An RV rooftop 16 KBTU, 120 volt compressor can now start with under 20 amps of current."
boost-start capacitors are not a difficult thing do install for a reasonably competent person. Plenty of YT vids on how to do it.
There are two types of controls for those units; PTCR and relay style. Both work fine.
With a 2200w genny and a decently sized boost capacitor, I've read a single genny can start a 13,500 AC with no issues (genny running with ECO mode off). I have yet to try it with my newly acquired genny units, but hope to do so in the next few weeks for a camping trip over the Memorial Day week.
There are two types of controls for those units; PTCR and relay style. Both work fine.
With a 2200w genny and a decently sized boost capacitor, I've read a single genny can start a 13,500 AC with no issues (genny running with ECO mode off). I have yet to try it with my newly acquired genny units, but hope to do so in the next few weeks for a camping trip over the Memorial Day week.
I think that's a great way to go - spend a little first, then more if needed. How much is the dometic starting capacitor?
spasm3
Active member
Ordered today. I don't have a portable generator. I have an hf4375 and a larger older 8-9 k unit. I want one to take with us. Either a 2200 unit like yours or a 3500. My plan is to install the capacitor and test it with some ones 2200 unit , before I buy.
You could buy the same genny Dave did in this post and save considerable $ over the Honda
I bought two of these:
https://www.ruralking.com/generac-powermate-2200-watt-inverter-portable-generator
Agreed; it's not a Yamaha or a Honda. But then it's $1000 either! I bought TWO gennys for less than the cost of ONE Honda or Yamaha. And I can be a brand snob as much as the next guy when it comes to equipment; always have been impressed with Honda and Yamaha motorcycles and I'm loyal to those brands. But $379 for a 2200w inverter genny is too hard to pass up. And before we write it off as China-junk, consider this fact: it's the brand mate to Generac's new unit. In fact, it's identical, and the PowerMate literature even has the Generac parts references and there are stickers on the PM unit that say "Generac" on them. It's the twin of this unit:
https://www.generac.com/all-products/generators/portable-generators/gp-series/gp2200i
Odd the identical Generac is $300 more than the PowerMate!
When I registered my PowerMate online yesterday, it takes you to the same Generac registration website!
Will they hold up as well as a Honda or Yamaha? Don't know. But as little as I'm likely to use them, I doubt I'd ever wear them out anyway. It's not like we boon-dock all the time. I got them for the "probably use them a couple times a year" approach, and not the "gonna live off the grid 24/7 for a decade" approach. Longevity is the unknown here. They appear well made, but time will tell.
As far as all other concerns (features, sound pressure, weight, fuel economy) they are dead-on with the major brands.
https://www.ruralking.com/generac-powermate-2200-watt-inverter-portable-generator
Agreed; it's not a Yamaha or a Honda. But then it's $1000 either! I bought TWO gennys for less than the cost of ONE Honda or Yamaha. And I can be a brand snob as much as the next guy when it comes to equipment; always have been impressed with Honda and Yamaha motorcycles and I'm loyal to those brands. But $379 for a 2200w inverter genny is too hard to pass up. And before we write it off as China-junk, consider this fact: it's the brand mate to Generac's new unit. In fact, it's identical, and the PowerMate literature even has the Generac parts references and there are stickers on the PM unit that say "Generac" on them. It's the twin of this unit:
https://www.generac.com/all-products/generators/portable-generators/gp-series/gp2200i
Odd the identical Generac is $300 more than the PowerMate!
When I registered my PowerMate online yesterday, it takes you to the same Generac registration website!
Will they hold up as well as a Honda or Yamaha? Don't know. But as little as I'm likely to use them, I doubt I'd ever wear them out anyway. It's not like we boon-dock all the time. I got them for the "probably use them a couple times a year" approach, and not the "gonna live off the grid 24/7 for a decade" approach. Longevity is the unknown here. They appear well made, but time will tell.
As far as all other concerns (features, sound pressure, weight, fuel economy) they are dead-on with the major brands.