Starcool startup on generator

[KTMRIDER-SMB]

Thanks for following up and letting us know.

- So will you be ordering a new compressor?
-- If so where from and how much?




For anyone looking for a good Onan generator repair shop in So Cal I used this place last year and they did a great job:


Advanced Generator Repair
Phone: (626) 385-1107
Address: 718 N Loren Ave Suite #1, Azusa, CA 91702


My Onan had trouble starting and when it did it wouldn't run for more than a few seconds. I pulled the generator and started to troubleshoot it but just didn't have the time. Found this place and dropped it off with them. They ended up replacing the fuel pump and carb. Runs great now and I make sure to start it at least once every 3-4 weeks and run it for a bit. The shop also told me to run Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment to help keep things clean. So far so good.


Removing and installing it yourself saves quite a bit of money as well, even though it isn't all that fun...

 

[doublevan2]

teknik -- did I send you the correct Tecumseh compressor model - as I had been looking for a replacement "just in case" for mine ? Sorry for your issue -

Be interested in what AC option you go to (roof mount ?) if you have to replace your SC III if you fail to get yours running ?

 

[ctb]

Late to the party bc of the silly password reset...thx SMB page owners, not....

Anyway, we have a Honda 2000w generator and have to let 'warm up' for AT LEAST 5-10 min before we kick the Starcool on....otherwise the generator will kill/surge itself off (again and again)until you do let it warm up...and remember, it will take an additional five minutes for the Starcool to even kick in after you have switched it 'on' whether on shore or generator....

 

[Stormy98]

Starting and running the Starcool on generator power was also a goal of mine. I succeeded with the help of an inverter upgrade to a Victron Multiplus 12/3000/120.

Danhard's soft start module (they call it the "easy start") is part number 29-2109 and is around $160 as of late last year. A diagram that Danhard provided is attached. It consists of a capacitor and potential relay, both of which are present in the Starcool III system in my '98. Those components have been featured in other Starcool discussions on this forum but whether or not they were part of the standard system or added by SMB I can't say.

Even with those components installed (and new; both needed replacement to get my system running in the first place) the Starcool still wouldn't start with only my Honda EU2200i. I have not tried letting the generator run for 10 mins as ctb suggests, so I will test that, but the amp draw seems to be higher than the Honda will output.

With the Multiplus, Victron's "power assist" feature supplies additional power from the batteries to match the needed draw from the Starcool startup. Configuring the parameters took some research as the values weren't intuitive at first. I set the "AC1 input current limit" to 18.0A and the "Assist current boost factor" to 1.3. This tells the inverter that the max current you'll need is 18 x 1.3 = 23.4 amps and it will provide the difference between that and the input current limit. So with these settings the AC passthrough will not attempt to draw more than 18 amps (thereby not triggering the overload on the Honda) and the inverter will supply up to 5.4 additional amps as needed. This was enough to get the compressor started. After the inrush current subsides, the inverter automatically switches to charger mode and there is enough power left over for the Honda to slowly charge the batteries while Starcool is running.

The thing about the Multiplus that makes these settings extra important is that the inverter can't supply more than 3000 watts total when boosting. It's tempting to think it can add 3000 watts to the shore or generator power but it doesn't seem to be the case. With the settings above, the draw is 18.0A x 1.3 x 120V = ~2800 watts. Higher settings send the Multiplus into overload.

 

[doublevan2]

Stormy98 - so with the Soft Start/Honda and Victron running - is shore power or the van engine running still needed to run the StarCool and to charge batteries - or SC runs with out shore power and Victron/Honda can still charges batteries ? What's the correct combo ?

 

[Stormy98]

Starcool runs fine with only the Honda generator for power. The Honda is plugged into the shore power receptacle and the van engine is off. The inverter draws from battery power during startup only. 30 seconds or so after the compressor starts, the inverter switches to charger mode. The charging power is minimal (a few amps at best with the Starcool fan on low) but at least it's not draining the batteries with just the A/C running.