Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Looking for opinions. We live in FL and our heat pump is for AC, we very rarely use it for heat. We had a hard start put on our heat pump a several years ago by our AC company and my husband would be doing it this time. Would replacing the hard start with a soft start be worth it? Besides the cost, any other issues to be aware of?
Less stress on the compressor and quieter on start up with every day use, if I’m understanding a soft start’s function correctly. Also the ability to use a mid-size generator to turn on the heat pump during a power outage since it won’t take a big spike of energy to start it.
I guess I’m questioning if soft starts are so good, why aren’t they standard on a heat pump to start with? Is it strictly cost or are there other reasons we haven’t considered?
Edit: our heat pump is a two stage, not a variable
The difference, as far as the compressor is concerned on mains power, isn't worth worrying about. Head pressure is low at startup, and the mechanicals can easily handle it. The inrush might be a little rough on windings, but again, no big deal.
Using an AC with a generator is a whole different ball of wax. Generators do not supply nearly unlimited current on demand. Depending on the generator, the sudden draw can lug it down and create issues - both for the AC and the generator.
The difference, as far as the compressor is concerned on mains power, isn't worth worrying about. Head pressure is low at startup, and the mechanicals can easily handle it. The inrush might be a little rough on windings, but again, no big deal.
Using an AC with a generator is a whole different ball of wax. Generators do not supply nearly unlimited current on demand. Depending on the generator, the sudden draw can lug it down and create issues - both for the AC and the generator.
^^^This, if it ain't broke don't try to fix it. The few pennies difference is not worth the change.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
