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Air conditioner "kickstart" capacitors?

Gents,

I had the HVAC guy out for my annual cleaning and he suggested I get a kickstart for my outside compressor. The AC is working fine but he said it would increase the life of it and draw less electricity.

Heres the link.

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Are these just PFC capacitors or is there something else going on. Looks like there is a relay in there and it appears it only engaged when the compressor first turns on. Then it switches out for the run capacitor to take over.

Don't really see how that will save that much electricity.

Is this just a gimmick or am I missing something?

Reply to
mook johnson
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Hmmm, the only Google hit for "Mechanical Potential Relay" is from:

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The label on the two products are not the same, but they look the same and they have the same function.!!!

Makes you wonder.....

hamilton

Reply to
hamilton

Google found lots of people that want to see the same product:

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But have not found a true discription.

h
Reply to
hamilton

This is just another scam to make people pay for useless crap. Never ever buy devices like these! If such a device where necessary the manufacturer of your AC would have included it already. If you are concerned about energy consumption by your AC; just buy a new high efficiency inverter based AC.

--
Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply
indicates you are not using the right tools...
nico@nctdevpuntnl (punt=.)
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Reply to
Nico Coesel

I have a nice bridge in Brooklyn, wanne buy it??(real cheap).

Reply to
Sjouke Burry

Caps get weak on those things, It maybe starting but could be dragging the line on start. They don't cost much.. replace it.

Reply to
Jamie

Jamie wrote in news:QFh5o.50868$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe22.iad:

I would check the PF during start-up and steady operation. Can use a current doughnut and compare it to the line voltage. If the peak current is very high and line sags too much on start-up you can use a AC cap on the input. But I would not go for the fancy ones. I would get a regular AC polypropylene cap (47uF-220uF) and leave it in in the circuit, it might improve the PF during the normal operation.

Reply to
CIC

It sounds like a way to convert a 3 phase motor to a capacitor start motor. It might help an old underloaded motor with a bad power factor. It would probably destroy an Energy Star air conditioner.

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I won't see Google Groups replies because I must filter them as spam
Reply to
Kevin McMurtrie

id it

Gee.. I don't know, the last (2) A/C outages (over the course of 12 years, and 2 different residences) turned out to be these capacitors. Of course, on one of those jobs, the compressor followed a few months later. :( Both were older A/C units.

Reply to
mpm

You are mistaken the running capacitors that produce a phase lag with a totally useless product. I see the Kickstart device retail around $85 while a new running capacitor will only cost $5 to $10.

--
Failure does not prove something is impossible, failure simply
indicates you are not using the right tools...
nico@nctdevpuntnl (punt=.)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to
Nico Coesel

Just another gimmick. Maybe even bad for your compressor if it a capacitor run type.

Reply to
JosephKK

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