Air conditioner "kickstart" capacitors?

Hmmm, the only Google hit for "Mechanical Potential Relay" is from:

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

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

But have not found a true discription.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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