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+-- Thread: AC Hard Start Kit (/showthread.php?tid=7330914)
AC Hard Start Kit - WoodworkerTom - 06-13-2017
I bought a house a few years ago and I notice that the lights flicker a little when the central AC kicks on. a coworker mentioned there is a Hard Start Kit form a Company called 5-2-1 that fixes that issue and allegedly extends the life of the compressor.
I have never heard of this before, does anyone have any experience with these kits? Is it worth it to put these on the compressor?
RE: AC Hard Start Kit - Phil Thien - 06-13-2017
I've only heard of using them when required. That is, older units that won't start w/o one.
I think it is basically a large cap that gives the motor the oomph needed to start-up.
RE: AC Hard Start Kit - daddo - 06-13-2017
First you might check the elect service and make sure it is adequate for the load.
Many new systems don't require a start assist but if you have a TXV metering device on the indoor unit it doesn't hurt to install one.
Otherwise, you may have a compressor hard starting because of a weak run capacitor or a start winding going bad.
A slight flicker is normal. In fact, as I turn a system on at thermostat, I look for the lights to "flicker" to let me know the outdoor unit is being energized.
RE: AC Hard Start Kit - Matt Williams - 06-13-2017
When I had my system installed they added one. The tech thought it was a great idea and since it was free to me I didn't worry about it. Heat pump is still running fine 12 years later.
RE: AC Hard Start Kit - blackhat - 06-13-2017
For peace of mind, I would do a voltage drop test at the unit and breaker panel including the main for the house. A high drop when the unit starts could be caused by degrading connections somewhere in the feed to the unit. If those are all ok, a hard start may extend the life of the unit and cure the flicker, it won't hurt anyway.