Soft Starter for 4-7 Ton Residential HVAC Air Conditioners SS1B16-32SN

Application:2 whole house heat pumps. one is 3.5 tonnes and other is 2.0. I wanted to drop the startup amps to run a smaller generator in case of power outage. And to prolong the life of the compressors.Pros:- easy to install-small can/must be mounted in covered area with other wiring/electronicscons:- possible loose connections (unlike other prewired units), they give you torque settings.- must mount under the cover ( might be an issue with smaller units) though I had no problem fitting it adjacent to factory electronics.Conclusion:Pre/post 54 amps down to 11.1amps for the 3.5 tonnes (81% reduction)54.8amps down to 5.1amps for the 2 ton unit (90%reduction)Amazing results. I had my reservations about the install as the wires did not come preinstalled to the unit. It was so simple. The first one took 30min as I was double checking the wiring diagram. Second one under 10 min as soon I understood the general layout of different compressor units. Unsure of longevity of units, but so far very pleased for price. I tried another unit from another company and couldnt get it to run.

I want to be able to run our 4 ton ACs off of generator power if needed, which is why I purchased these soft start kits. I didn't want anything fancy that required a phone app like some of the other brands, and just wanted something simple that worked. These state that they reduce the startup current by up to 50%, and I tested and saw about that. The photos I provided show close to 128A startup prior to installing the unit and then 67.5A after installing the unit. The second measurement was the first startup attempt after installing the unit, and the unit does say it could take up to 6 starts to optimize. So it is possible the inrush amps go down once it is fully optimized. I'll test that out later and update this review if I get lower readings. Regardless, I'm completely satisfied as it does what it says!Install wasn't too difficult, but it took me a little bit to read the AC schematic to figure out which wires to use. Once I figured that out install went smoothly. The unit comes with all necessary wires. The only thing I added was a crimp on loop for the compressor run wire.

I had no idea these existed, our main ac unit would dim the lights when it cycled on, on normal power and the generator would really work hard when it cycled on. This device took my Ac guy 15 minutes to install for me, and it just plain works. The ac unit kicks on and off and not a light flickers or dims, on either power source. I don’t understand why these aren’t installed on new installations. If you look into them you can see the surge power is greatly reduced by using this item. Buy one for each unit you have you won’t regret it.

Disappointed. Installed per the instructions and a month later it wasn't working. My outside fan would run but the compressor would not kick on. Removed the unit and my A/C is working again. I'm not able to speak with company so I don't know my next path. Huge waste of time and money and I'm back where is started.

I have been researching soft starts for over a year for a 4 ton Rheem a/c unit so I could use my portable generator to run my house during hurricane season if needed. There are a mind boggling number of these things out there, to include hard start kits also to sort through. I finally settled on this unit because of price, quality and surge amp reduction. I was a little apprehensive as it seemed to not come “prewired” as I know just enough about a/c wiring to be dangerous! After reading the step by step color instructions with pictures I easily installed in about 20 minutes. Everything is labeled clearly and it comes with all wires needed. Dang close to plug and play! What a difference it has made in just the sound of compressor engaging. I don’t have a way to test surge amps but if no dimming lights or slamming compressor is any indication I would say it is working as advertised. I also can now start and run my a/c with a 8500 watt/30 amp portable generator with almost no noticeable load surge at startup. Well pleased.

Easy to install, several good YouTube videos on it. The directions aren’t great but it works well

So I was a bit intimidated about installing myself, but figures I’d try. It was easier than I expected and works great. The unit used make a pretty harsh clunk when it came on and now it just whirs a few seconds and then it’s up speed, doing it’s thing, Sounds so much healthier. My HVAC techs recommended a similar product but I self-installed to save money. I expect less wear and tear on the unit and while I haven’t tested the initial amp draw yet, I know it’s greatly improved just by the sound.

Just installed it yesterday, so far it does exactly what I needed it to do. I have an inverter generator that would run my the whole home except for the oven/stove, water heater, and dryer, but it couldn’t handle the starting amps of my a/c (I tried a few times with no other loads and it still wouldn’t). After installing this and having it start at least 6 times to learn, I tested it with my generator. Now it will start and run my 3 ton a/c plus my refrigerators, ceiling fans, lights, etc with no problems. I cannot speak to lifespan of the product, but will report back if it fails.Also, this was fairly easy to install. I have a strong electrical background, but the instructions were very easy to follow for someone with little to no experience.