# Installing Hard Start Kit On Ac



## W5CI

Anyone done this Mod, and was it worth the Trouble?


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## john7349

Yes, I did that and it worked out great. Much easier on the Honda generators when the compressor kicks in.


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## CamperAndy

Lets us know what size capacitor you get.


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## W5CI

it is a Supco # SPP6E for a 1/2 to 3 hp 88-106 uf Will advise how it works out.


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## H2oSprayer

I'll be curious to find out how it works out for you. Are you installing it on at 13,500 or 15,000 BTU unit? A nice photo pictorial of the installation would be great!


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## Tangooutback

danny285 said:


> it is a Supco # SPP6E for a 1/2 to 3 hp 88-106 uf Will advise how it works out.


I had the same Supco installed into my 13,500 BTU unit. Before the kit was installed my Yamaha 2400is would stall and died about three times out of four when I started the a/c. After the kit was installed the a/c kicked on nicely every try and the Yammie would keep on singing. I think it is worth every penny.


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## KTMRacer

I installed the supco kit on our outback with a coleman MachIII. It helps, and is worth doing, but if you've got a typical 2000W inverter generator (Honda/Yamaha/Champion etc.) it won't completely cure the hard starting problems. We have honda 2000's. In our case it went from mostly no start to starting easily at lower outside temps and lower altitudes. high temps 95F and above or higher altitude 2000ft + resulted in intermittent starting even with everything else (including the charger) turned off in the trailer. combo of high temps and high altitude it is a no go. With something like the yamaha 2400 you should be in fat city with the change.

so, if we think it's going to be hot or at high altitude I take both hondas, and we can run the AC & microwave at the same time.


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## TravelinTexas

I added the hard start capacitor to my 13,500BTU coleman mach III. I called Airxcel directly and they sent it to
me free of charge shipping and all. Just have your AC model number handy.
My Yamaha 2400ISHC runs the AC fine now, just keep your fridge and water heater
running on gas otherwise it'll trip the generator breaker.

http://www.rvcomfort.com/rvp/contact.php


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## MT MIke

I added this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LDPI26/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

Install took around 10 minutes. I have a 2011 298RE with the 15k btu Coleman Mach II a/c unit. On my unit, there was a side access panel that allowed me to get to the fan capacitor and the run capacitor. The hard start capacitor is wired in parallel with the run cap. The access panel had a schematic that showed me which was which. On my unit, the larger of the two caps was the run cap, and it was cylindrical, not the oval one.

With it installed, I successfully ran the a/c from a wall outlet in my garage (15a service.) I live at 3500 ft altitude, and the temperature today was 97f. The refrigerator and water heater were both shut off, but everything else in the trailer was left alone. No lights were on.

We are going camping soon, so I will report how my Yamaha 3000 does with the a/c at higher altitudes. I am also going to test the generator in my driveway. I don't think it will be a problem, based on running from a wall outlet.

Mike


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## Tangooutback

MT MIke said:


> I added this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LDPI26/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
> 
> Mike


That is awesome price. I paid a little over $30 including shipping.


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## KTMRacer

MT MIke said:


> I added this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LDPI26/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
> 
> Install took around 10 minutes. I have a 2011 298RE with the 15k btu Coleman Mach II a/c unit. On my unit, there was a side access panel that allowed me to get to the fan capacitor and the run capacitor. The hard start capacitor is wired in parallel with the run cap. The access panel had a schematic that showed me which was which. On my unit, the larger of the two caps was the run cap, and it was cylindrical, not the oval one.
> 
> With it installed, I successfully ran the a/c from a wall outlet in my garage (15a service.) I live at 3500 ft altitude, and the temperature today was 97f. The refrigerator and water heater were both shut off, but everything else in the trailer was left alone. No lights were on.
> 
> We are going camping soon, so I will report how my Yamaha 3000 does with the a/c at higher altitudes. I am also going to test the generator in my driveway. I don't think it will be a problem, based on running from a wall outlet.
> 
> Mike


I'll bet your yamaha 3000 does just fine. But I don't think the garage 15A breaker test is a good test. Your house circuit can deliver 50+ A for startup that the AC may draw without a wimper, even on a 15A breaker. Most generators can't. By comparison, my AC even w/o the hard start would run fine on a 15A circuit, at home or in some campgrounds with only a 15A or 20A breaker and at high temps and higher altitudes. Would kick on instantly. Same trick with a Honda 2000 was a no go, again because of the hard current limit of the smaller inverter generators of 20ish amps.

One friend has a 15KBTU on his cougar and and the yamaha 2800W generator. Starts the AC w/o a hard start cap no problem.


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## MT MIke

Appreciate the advice.

A bit more background... Prior to the hard start cap, when I was plugged into the garage, I'd kick the breaker whenever I tried the a/c. We went camping at about 5600ft, and with the camper running around 90-92, the Yamaha would kick it's breaker. This was before the hard start cap. We are going out soon, and will be probably around the same altitude, although the temperatures may be a bit cooler, hard to say.

One thing I did find out: I installed a Hunter programmable thermostat. It has a "recovery" mode that is supposed to help save energy when the set temperature is a large difference from the current temperature (on either heat or cool,) so that may have contributed to my problems.

Mike


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## MT MIke

Just got back from a trip to the same campground where I could not run my AC from my Yamaha 3000. This time, with the hard-start cap, I could run it. Was very warm one day, and we used the AC most of the day. I had the refrigerator set to gas when I started the generator, but switched it back to auto after the AC was on. Had no problems the rest of the day.

Mike


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## OutbackStu

danny285 said:


> Anyone done this Mod, and was it worth the Trouble?


I live in Dallas, TX. 106 temp and A/C would trip the Honda 2000 inverter. Put on the hard start and would start every time in the high temps. Went to Santa Fe, NM last week and it worked there at their altitude. Took longer to get on the roof and back down than adding the capacitor. Here is a good link for reference. http://www.modmyrv.com/2009/05/27/rv-air-conditioner-hard-start-capacitor


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## rockwind

Hi, i was going to do this mod on my 15,000 btu unit and went to order the Supco # SPP6E for a 1/2 to 3 hp 88-106 uf

however, i noticed on the back that the specs say it is "rated" at 170-277 volts

any super experienced rv air condition guys on here know the answer to the following"

the spp6 is rated at 90-130 i believe, does it really matter which one to use?

a lot of folks say use the spp6E, yet when i went to buy one, there were 3 different types, why didn't anyone say which type they got?

some folks said why not put 2 of them on (this was universally rejected as a bad idea) however, since the premise was to add more juice for the start up, why not go with the spp7E instead?

just wondering out loud here, really want to know if that rating of 170-277 volts makes a difference since our units are 120 volts

and also really want to know WHICH version of the spp6E to get

thanks for any responses, kevin


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