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Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we earn a commission when you purchase through these links.
Introduction
If you’re new to RVs, you are probably getting used to the sounds and the limited power supply that comes from operating a mobile home. There are products out there that can help with this transition and we’re talking about one of them today – the AC soft start.
In this small guide, we’re covering what AC soft starts are and how they work, why they are useful for all RV owners, and how easy they are to install once you do have one. On talking about installation, we’ve talked about the options available to you as an RV owner.
If you already know what these useful pieces of equipment offer to the savvy RV owner, check out this supplier of RV AC soft start units to see if any of them interest you.
What Are Soft Starts?
Let’s start with what AC soft starts are. RVs need to have robust air conditioners to regulate the temperature of what is both a vehicle and a home. That means there’s a lot of work to be done, so your RV’s AC can eat up a lot of power.
When an RV AC device kicks in, it often causes an amp increase that ticks up the voltage your RV uses over time. Since the air conditioner eats up more power, it can stop you from running many appliances at once.
That’s where soft starts come in. Installing a soft start onto your RV’s AC unit lessens this power spike and the negative effects that come with it. The right soft start model, when installed onto an AC unit, can limit that startup power spike by as much as 50-70%.
Why Use Them?
There are quite a few benefits of using AC soft starts in your RV, so let’s go through them all here. As mentioned, reducing the amperage that’s consumed upon AC startup is great for running multiple other appliances at once.
It’s common for campgrounds and other RV spaces to have just a 30-amp connection point, which can get eaten up by the AC starting up. This is especially the case if your RV uses two ACs to heat different areas, as the power spike from the first one can eat up this power and leave you without air conditioning in the other half of your RV.
AC soft starts to solve this problem. Not only that, but when the compressor of an AC system kicks in, it can make a loud noise, and sometimes even shake your whole RV. This isn’t great for light sleepers.
AC soft starts help with this by lessening the sudden, power-hungry startup process of most ACs, so the people inside can sleep soundly without worrying about loud noises or shakes.
Soft Start Installation
Let’s say you’re interested in these nifty AC soft start units. A question that many will have is, how are they installed? Fortunately for you, AC soft starts don’t take a great deal of DIY knowledge to successfully fit.
We’d say it takes about 45 minutes per soft start device, but this can be slightly shorter or longer depending on your ability. It’s relatively easy since all you have to do is fit the soft start device inside the rooftop AC cover on your RV. That said, every air conditioner on different RV models will be wired differently, so you’ll have to do a little research to find where the wires go for you.
On dealers’ sites, like the one we linked above, you can find tutorials and guides that take you through every simple step of the installation process. This means there shouldn’t be a problem fitting your soft start unit and reaping the benefits of a tamed RV air conditioning system.
SoftStartRV units only have five wires that need hooking up to the AC unit on your RV’s roof, so finding where each wire needs to be is not that confusing once you’ve consulted the guides available on their site. There are other resources online, including videos, that can also show you exactly how to wire these units to RVs of different models. If somebody’s created a video hooking a device up to the same RV model that you have, you’re in luck!
If DIY isn’t your speed, there is a wide network of RV technicians who can help you install these devices. They’re professionals who are versed in making this simple but popular RV modification, so we’re sure there are mechanics and electricians capable of performing this installation near you.
