Webasto Air Conditioning and Portable Generator

[Ostinato]

Does anyone have any experience running a Webasto 16k btu AC with a portable generator such as Honda 2200i? Did it run ok? What size and brand generator was it? Any issues or problems? Thanks.

[john61ct]

Might need a soft start

e.g. EasyStart 364

but otherwise NP, seen them run off even an EU2000.

[Ostinato]

Just rented a Honda 2000 from Home Depot and it failed to start the Webasto. It did not blow a circuit breaker so I am guessing it just could not cope with the surge.

I am guessing the newest Honda will not fair any better. What’s your experience with the Easy Start?

Since at $300 it is 1/3 the cost of a generator it is a substantial bet.

[a64pilot]

My Honda 2000 doesn’t even come close to starting my 16K Webasto.
The Webasto is a good AC, however it’s start up surge is particularly huge, I don’t think a 2200 will even come close either. A hard start cap helps some, but not nearly enough for a portable generator, for that your going to have to pop $300 or so for a soft start.

[sailjumanji]

Have a new Seawind 1160 Lite. Factory install is a Dometic DCU18 with a SmartStart II and a Dometic water pump">raw water pump. It runs using a Honda 2200. Wont with a Honda 2000. I have the boat and the Honda, and have done this several times at remote anchorages when it was either raining, or bugs horrible, or both. No other boats nearby or even within view, so dont lecture me on anchorage noise.

[Ostinato]

LOL. You won’t get any complaints from me. That’s exactly why I want to make this work along with no wind and night time temperatures in the 90s.

Is Smartstart a Dometic product?

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by Ostinato

LOL. You won’t get any complaints from me. That’s exactly why I want to make this work along with no wind and night time temperatures in the 90s.

Is Smartstart a Dometic product?

Yes. https://www.dometic.com/en/se/produc...t-iii-_-215771

[Davy J]

I just came back from 5 days at anchor, testing my Honda 2200 Companion generator with my Webasto FCF 12k air conditioner. I also installed a Micro Air Easy Start on the AC.

The generator ran the AC fine, the Easy Start allows the compressor to ramp up and the generator handle the start up even in eco-mode.

The negative side of the story is that the fan on the Webasto runs all the time. Which in turn, makes the generator run at a higher rate. That makes the generator consume more fuel.

https://www.microair.net/products/ea...nt=30176048267

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

Have a new Seawind 1160 Lite. Factory install is a Dometic DCU18 with a SmartStart II and a Dometic raw water pump. It runs using a Honda 2200. Wont with a Honda 2000. I have the boat and the Honda, and have done this several times at remote anchorages when it was either raining, or bugs horrible, or both. No other boats nearby or even within view, so dont lecture me on anchorage noise.

Should have pointed out that my Honda is companion model. So we just use the shore power plug to connect to boat. No adapter required.

Also, the Honda runs pretty fast at startup when compressor and water pump on. Then drops down speed when temp setting reached and just fan running. We leave in eco mode and it handles changes in load just fine.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

My Honda 2000 doesn’t even come close to starting my 16K Webasto.
The Webasto is a good AC, however it’s start up surge is particularly huge, I don’t think a 2200 will even come close either. A hard start cap helps some, but not nearly enough for a portable generator, for that your going to have to pop $300 or so for a soft start.

Same experience so far with my Webasto 16kBTU. Added a hard start cap and it helped a lot but as you mention, the startup draw of the Webasto is huge. From what I could see on my monitor and based on a call to Webasto the startup is pretty much the LRA spec which is 60 amps. The hard start cap dropped it to maybe 30-40 amps but still too much for my Eu2000 even running through an inverter with a 2000 W AC boost.


Have one more test I want to try. Will disable the battery charger function completely so all power goes to the air con only to see if then the Honda plus inverter boost will run the Webasto.

[a64pilot]

Good luck, my Magnum doesn’t boost, but it will handle 4,000W surges and it won’t start the thing, and that is with the hard start cap.

[john61ct]

Power draw at startup - compressor's "locked-rotor" current - can easily be **triple** the otherwise maximum needed to keep the motor running.

Not just aircon, but refrigeration, air compressors, high gph watermaker pumps.

"Hard start" type kits or standalone capacitors don't do that much compared to sophisticated soft start systems, which can cut the inrush current by 50% or more.

Contact Coastal Climate Control in MD

info@CoastalClimateControl.com

or call 301-352-5738, ask for Yoda

[Ostinato]

I have now tried the Honda EU2200i. It was able to run my port AC but not my starboard despite the units supposedly being identical. I have also ordered an EasyStart. I'll report back on whether that makes the difference on the starboard unit.

[TangoTango]

Easystart sounds like a good option. I’m running my Webasto 1200 BTU off of a Giandel 4000 watt pure sine inverter with eight deep cycle batteries on the other side. The giandel has a burst of 8000 watts but it only lasts for one second. The webasto compressor is just killing the inverter every time it kicks on.
I’ll order the soft start and see what that does.