Unable to get Generator to power Air Conditioner |
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GCRicker
Newbie Joined: 22 May 2018 Location: New Hampshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 33 |
Topic: Unable to get Generator to power Air Conditioner Posted: 27 May 2020 at 9:30am |
I'm going to try contact Briggs and Stratton and see what they say. Forgetting all the numbers and math, I'd like to know why others can run their Dometic AC using that generator and I can't.
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 27 May 2020 at 12:16pm |
You are underestimating the startup current demand on the Dometic 13.5. It can be in excess of 40A, but they are not identical and even with the same unit the current requirement varies with temperature and with how long the compressor has been off. This isn't the first report that a 3KW generator failed to be able to start one. A typical residential circuit breaker is designed to hold at least 7x its rated current for a few tenths of a second, which is plenty long enough. Depending on its design and protection electronics a generator might or might not be able to do the same thing. Generators store energy in their rotating mass to handle surges, but inverter generators have to be able to pass that power through their electronics without damage. Briggs is limiting those currents more that Honda is, proportional to the continuous power ratings of its generators. That is not a coincidence, I would bet Honda uses relatively higher capacity components than Briggs does. That would increase their costs but provide a higher level of reliability, and that's what we see: Hondas cost more but have a top notch reliability record. The Easystart reduces that 40-ish A startup surge by about 2.5-3X, well within the range of a Honda 2K. |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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Colt
Senior Member Joined: 16 Nov 2019 Online Status: Offline Posts: 383 |
Posted: 28 May 2020 at 1:41pm |
GC,
Please report what you find from B&S. |
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John
'16 R-Pod 180 |
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GCRicker
Newbie Joined: 22 May 2018 Location: New Hampshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 33 |
Posted: 09 Jun 2020 at 9:43am |
Briggs and Stratton finally got back to me. They said that because the test that I did with the hot water heater and microwave, that I posted above, proves that the surge circuitry is working in the generator. Therefore, they insisted it was the Dometic air conditioner. I'm going to try the capacitor that Dometic sells and see if I can install it myself. I just can't afford th Easystart right now.
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6326 |
Posted: 09 Jun 2020 at 10:00am |
I'm sorry they did not provide a viable solution or admit that their generator does not work for the purpose intended.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 09 Jun 2020 at 10:14am |
That is exactly the response I would have expected. They have their protection circuitry set at their max rating. Probably they have to to protect undersized FETs in their inverter section. So, they meet their published specs but not a smidge higher. I guess its another example of getting what you pay for (or not getting what you don't pay for).
If you're close the Dometic starter might get you over the top. But of course it might not, sometimes those starters are designed to help the compressor motor get started at the expense of even higher line load. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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Tibof
Senior Member Joined: 19 Sep 2017 Location: North Idaho Online Status: Offline Posts: 115 |
Posted: 14 Jun 2020 at 6:50pm |
I find that the new Honda 2200 does run the AC with no problem. No soft start installed.
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2015 Pod Hood River Edition
2012 Tacoma Crew Cab 4 Liter |
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podwerkz
Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966 |
Posted: 14 Jun 2020 at 8:02pm |
Hmmm....BS from B&S.
Many years ago I bought the smallest Generac inverter generator, rated at 800 watts IIRC. It would barely run a 100 watt light bulb. Junk it was.
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r・pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 15 Jun 2020 at 7:39am |
It might or might not, reports vary.. This depends on multiple factors, including ambient temp, how long since the last a/c cycle, refrigerant charge, altitude, phase of the moon, throw of the dice, etc. IOW, don't count on it. If you want to be sure, get an Easystart or a larger genny.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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D&H
Newbie Joined: 08 Jun 2020 Location: AK Online Status: Offline Posts: 32 |
Posted: 15 Jun 2020 at 12:50pm |
Great info here all. I wasn't aware that the AC needed that much starting current! Alos, funny enough I was looking at the B&S gen sets this morning, although I was looking at the 6.5k version.
Question in line with this thread topic. If you have a 3k generator AND you get the AC cranking how much capacity is left on the generator to run other appliances, lights, etc, and will your onboard battery be able to charge? I am looking at a gen set to charge my batteries primarily, but if the temps rise or we are camping without tree cover the AC would be great to run in the evening or during my kiddos nap time.
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2017 R-Pod 182G Hood River
2017 Tundra TRD Crew Max 5.7L V8 |
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