Hard Start Capacitor for 5000btu AC

[Markz]

Final solution was dual 138ah LiPo batteries (276ah) with a 2500w inverter, solar and an Softstart kit; combined with 4 hours of approximately 280w solar performance, a 6000btu can run on high for at least 6 hours with 30% battery charge left. I estimate approximately 8.5 hours of constant use, 100% battery drain, on high with nothing else running. The batteries do have a on-board BMS with a low battery shut off so not sure I can reach 100% battery depletion.

I will be running another test on low power soon.

[JoelInTexas]

Originally Posted by Markz

Final solution was dual 138ah LiPo batteries (276ah) with a 2500w inverter, solar and an Softstart kit; combined with 4 hours of approximately 280w solar performance, a 6000btu can run on high for at least 6 hours with 30% battery charge left.

Is that with the compressor running 100 percent of the time?

Is that an estimate, or has it been confirmed with a test?

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by Markz

Final solution was dual 138ah LiPo batteries (276ah) with a 2500w inverter, solar and an Softstart kit; combined with 4 hours of approximately 280w solar performance, a 6000btu can run on high for at least 6 hours with 30% battery charge left. I estimate approximately 8.5 hours of constant use, 100% battery drain, on high with nothing else running. The batteries do have a on-board BMS with a low battery shut off so not sure I can reach 100% battery depletion.

I will be running another test on low power soon.

Well, OK, but what do you do the next day? Or what about other battery loads?

If you will be boondocking for more than one day, and you use 70-100% of your battery power the first day, then what? No AC the second day? The better question is how may hours can you run the AC every day, and still keep up from the solar system. Draining your batteries in one day gets you nowhere, unless you are only staying one day.

While watching your system work, notice the energy draw over time from the batteries. What is the initial amp draw from the batteries, or watts of 120 volt house current to the AC? What is it after an hour? Or watch how much time the compressor is on vs off, like 8 minutes on and 15 minutes off.

If your trailer has decent insulation, the AC will not run the compressor 100% of the time, and only running it on High means you might be cooler than you need to be, which uses more power for nothing. By setting a temp, the AC should run for maybe 1/2 hour, and then start cycling with a varying percentage of compressor time. And eventually, it will probably only be running at about 25% of the time. Depending, again, on the insulation value, temp outside, size trailer, t-stat setting, etc.

You can always increase the total run time by turning up the t-stat a bit too.

While on batteries and solar, we can't just run the AC like we might at home, but that certainly does not mean the trailer is uncomfortable. And if you only have four hours of run time, don't use it all up in one run.