Soft Starter for Air Conditioners & Heat Pumps – Reduces Startup Surge, Reverse Motor Protection, Easy DIY Install, Generator/Stored Energy/Solar Compatible (16–32A)

This soft start device is a game changer. We have a Goodman 5-ton condenser that starts each time with a loud, but normal, "thump" as the compressor gets hit with 130A start-up current. Residential condensers work this way by design since it requires the least amount of parts (simple contactor and run capacitor) and is therefore cheaper to manufacture. All of this is fine if your AC unit is located far enough away from your living space that the start up noise is not bothersome. Unfortunately, like most homes, our AC unit is installed on the side of our 3,000 sq. ft. house and you can hear the condenser start from most rooms. A good amount of the start up noise is amplified by the refrigerant lines that enter the house, go up the wall, and then over the attic space to the furnace/AC unit in the middle of the house. I have tried condenser mounting pads on the slab and an additional support bracket for the large refrigerant line but nothing has reduced the reverberating "thump" noise at start up. My research into this issue showed that people generally try to solve one of two problems with their AC units: "not enough" start problems and "too much" start problems. The "not enough" start camp winds up installing hard start capacitors to give the compressor an extra jolt so that it starts up reliably. This can be useful for older compressors or for units where the owner hasn't diagnosed other faults such as a worn out start/run capacitor. The other camp searches for ways to reduce the "too much" start problem that causes high current draw (a problem for generator/solar power sources), noise, and wear-and-tear on the compressor that I mentioned earlier. Which brings us to the electronic soft starter. This device is specifically designed to control the compressor in-rush current at start up and thereby reduce high power inrush, unnecessary noise, and wear on the compressor motor. It gradually accelerates the motor up to speed instead of hitting it with full current all at once. It's like accelerating in your car by gradually pressing the accelerator as opposed to slamming down the pedal and going full throttle from every stop. Both get you where you want to go but only one method does so without unnecessary power consumption, noise, and wear-and-tear. Installation of the AIRGO device is very straightforward for the technically-inclined and for those familiar with AC condenser components. The kit includes all the additional wires you need with pre-crimped terminations that makes installation in a standard AC unit easy. It turns out that the AIRGO unit is identical to the Eltwin soft starter (also sold here) but has different branding and, frankly, a much easier to understand connection diagram. I did create my own connection diagram (see photos) so that I could fully understand the connections as they related to my system (I also replaced the contactor and run capacitor at the same time). NOTE REGARDING WIRING: It doesn't matter if you have a single pole or double pole contactor. You can use either type per AIRGO with no wiring differences whatsoever. I did find (on Eltwin's soft starter website, btw) a schematic showing the soft starter "ACTIVE (T)" wire connected to the switching pole of the single pole contactor and the "COMMON" wire connected to the pass-through pole. Again, it makes no difference which pole is used but I wired it per the Eltwin schematic anyway. This is shown in the photo attached. Once connected, everything worked perfectly and exceeded my modest expectations. The AIRGO soft starter has COMPLETELY ELIMINATED THE START-UP "THUMP" NOISE from the compressor. It's totally gone. When standing next to the condenser, the ONLY start up sounds are the simple click of the contactor and then a slow whooshing sound as the compressor and fan come up to speed in less than 2 seconds. Inside the house, the only way we know that the condenser has turned on is when the interior HVAC fan powers up. No more jolt, no more “thump” —completely gone. In summary, the AIRGO soft starter delivers everything it promises and is worth every penny to restore peace and quiet to your AC condenser start-up. The AIRGO (aka Eltwin) soft starter device appears to have been around for at least 10 years which speaks well of its ongoing value and overall reliability. I expect the device has been refined to the point that it will deliver years of service when properly sized for your system and installed correctly. I only wish I had discovered this device years ago! Oh well, if you install one, you'll quickly forget the few extra dollars you spent on this quality device. For me, it paid for itself on the first start up. Thank you, AIRGO!

Easy install with clear instructions. I bought this ahead of a forecasted ice storm and possible extended outage. My home has two 2.5-ton heat pumps, and I installed this on the lower unit first. The difference was immediate — the harsh startup buzz/rattle is completely gone. During a previous outage without a soft starter, my 9,200W generator struggled to start the compressor. With this soft starter installed, the generator barely changes tone and the heat pump starts smoothly. I had one install question and called Bob late in the day — he answered immediately and confirmed the wiring. Great support. I’ll be adding another unit to my upstairs system soon. Highly recommended.

I had been made aware of soft starters ever since researching into whole house power backup and knew I needed one for my 3.5 ton AC. However the prices of the most popular units that come up on searches always seemed over inflated, then I came across the AIRGO at almost half the price. Sure it doesn't offer the fancy bluetooth functionality, but frankly once it is installed and working, I'm not really likely to be pouring over the stats, which is the main advantage of the bluetooth. Since my unit is only 3 years old and running fine, my concern was more about my ability to install the soft starter correctly. Good thing this one has clear documentation and very good support. I also liked the fact that this one is very compact and easy to install inside the area behind the panel on the condenser rather than on the outside of the unit. The kit came with everything needed to wire up, except perhaps for a ring terminal to tie into the contactor on my unit, but that was easy enough to resolve on my own. I had initially ordered the smaller unit since it was stated to support up to a 3.5 ton unit, but after some more research into my unit's RLA and LRA values during the install, I wasn't sure and emailed them for some advise. Since it was a Saturday morning, I wasn't expecting any response for a couple of days, but surprisingly there was a reply in less than 5 minutes that actually answered my questions. Long story short the one I had would work, but I should've installed the larger unit to avoid the possibility of a premature failure due to overload. It took a few more simple emails back and forth and they had arranged to have the replacement shipped out the same day. Since both units used the exact same connection points, with just a thicker gauge primary power wire, it was a simple matter to swap the units in just a few minutes. So far it has worked fine and I no longer hear the loud thump when the compressor and fan kick on from inside the house. Once the generator arrives and inlet box wiring is completed, we should be set to ride out any extended power outages with the comforts of full AC with this soft starter installed.

Mejor servicio al cliente jamas visto : adentro del paquete tiene la tarjeta del técnico, te contesta de inmediato hasta por WhatsApp y resuelve todas tu dudas. Eso es un verdadero servicio. El producto redujo el consumo pico de mi clima 5 toneladas de 60 % lo que permite alimentar con generador o imversor solar sin problema...