Micro-Air

[KarenLukens]

Now that we have the easy start for the AC and know that it's great, how about something to quiet down the heat pump in the Dometic Penguin II?

 

It's that time of the year when the heater can get some use and as it sits right now, the heat pump really makes a ton of noise when it comes on. It was 34° here last night so we tried running the heat pump and both of us ended up waking up every time that it came on, so we switched over to the Suburban even though the temp wasn't cold enough to worry about freezing pipes. We have a stand alone in case of emergencies but it would be nice if we could take it off of the list and use the built in heat pump if needed. When boondocking, the Suburban works great, but when plugged in, the heat pump is really too noisy to use at night when trying to sleep. We really enjoy being able to just set the thermostat down to 56° when we go to bed and not need to worry about keeping warm :)

[ScubaRx]

We always let the fan run constantly. Especially with the AC, the fan does not go on and off with the compressor, but it is the same with the heat strips.

[Micro-Air]

Now that we have the easy start for the AC and know that it’s great, how about something to quiet down the heat pump in the Dometic Penguin II?

 

Hi again. I'm a little confused.  The EasyStart affects your compressor identically in both cooling mode and in reverse-cycle heating mode, so the same noise reduction you enjoy in cooling mode should also be apparent in reverse-cycle heating mode.  Is it the noise from the fan turning on and off that is the issue, and were you working around the fan cycling on and off in cooling mode (summertime) by simply setting the thermostat low enough (56 deg) so that the unit never cycled off?

[KarenLukens]

In heating mode, right now it's seems quite a bit louder and it sounds like the compressor but this is the first time using the heater itself since we installed the easy start. I will run both and test the difference today before we leave, the AC has gotten so quiet that it's really nice but we haven't had to run it in the last couple of weeks. If there's a major difference between the two, I can video it. We never had to run the AC at night this summer as we were on the Oregon Coast for most of it or boondocking with no hook-ups, so that might just be it, running while sleeping, you know. It does run great with our old 2000i. Thanks for responding so quickly :)

 

Reed

[ScottRicki]

Thought I would give an update on my EasyStart/AC/generator saga in earlier posts. After camping in 100 degree weather it became obvious that the A/C had an excessive amp draw issue to the point of tripping circuit breaker. A/C replaced under warranty and that problem solved.

 

But continued testing of A/C with Easy Start and 2000 Honda generator resulted in generators shutting down. I now believe the issue is old generators. Mine are 10 and 14 years old. I know others have been successful using Honda 2000's but is anyone using old ones?  Note: I have been testing them in single configuration not parallel. They work fine parallel but I would like to just carry one.

[KarenLukens]

My 2000i is a 2003 model with thousands of hours on it and it works great.

 

Here's an old video of it, check out the rope marks... :)

 

Reed

 

 

 

[Micro-Air]

...But continued testing of A/C with Easy Start and 2000 Honda generator resulted in generators shutting down...

Hi Scott.You're not entirely alone in your situation.  We at Micro-Air have received widely scattered reports over the past year, perhaps 0.5% of our customer base that uses Honda EU2000i generators, who have had issues with them not being able to maintain power output up to their full 2000W maximum rating due to some sort of internal generator problem.  Back in May, I actually purposely bought and now own one of these problematic Honda EU2000i generators to try and figure out what is going on.  All the problematic Honda cases may be due to different causes, so you have to eliminate the simple stuff first.  Via parts swaps and other testing as prescribed in the Honda service manual, I initially eliminated the inverter electronics, fuel delivery issues (carburetor, fuel filter, and fuel pump), spark issues, air delivery, and then ended up going after what I believe is a loss of compression at high temperature (full load).  I have torn down the engine to the last screw and piston ring twice now, and have replaced critical and different engine parts to try and pinpoint the problem.  Sadly, I still have not figured out what is wrong with it yet, but haven't given up. (I have most of this entire saga with photos, documented separately in a power equipment forum at this link).

 

To be able to help you further, please describe in greater detail the "shutting down" behavior you are experiencing with your old Honda generator.  Does the A/C startup fine with EasyStart, run for a few minutes, and then does the generator shutdown, or does the compressor shutdown?  If it is the generator that shuts down, does the motor simply quit, or is it lighting its overload LED, or is it doing something else?  The exact details here are obviously important, so fill us in on exactly what it does and I might be able to help you further.

[KarenLukens]

The low oil cut off switches in the Honda's was a problem back in the day also, somewhere along the line they changed the switch these days from what I've read. Basically, on the older models you need to run a higher viscosity oil and Honda recommends 10/30, which works fine. But if you try running a lighter oil like 5/30 in these older models, after the oil is warm, it gets thrown around more inside and the low oil sensor shuts the motor down even when it looks like you have plenty of oil in there. What I have done after switching to running 10/30 Mobile 1 Synthetic in all of my motors is I add a little extra in the Honda 2000i also, because if you're running the motor just a little off level, the low oil sensor can shut it down again... So when filling it with oil, block it back a few degrees, top it off, and put the dip stick back in and tighten it down normally, then when checking the oil, remember that you over filled it a touch and tilt it back before removing the dipstick and checking the oil. Having plenty of the right oil in the motor will keep it running really well. Some people think that running a lighter oil will give you more horse power, but with Synthetic oils, this is where the shutting down problem starts, they switch to a 5/30 Synthetic and the problems start because of the reasons listed above. My simple fix for years now is to run the Mobile 1 for the most horse power because Synthetic will add a few percent more over regular, plus I tip it back a touch and over fill the reservoir just a touch, keeping the low oil sensor covered at all times. I realize that to some, this will sound like bs, but there have been many discussions on this over the years here on the net and it's a well known, old school problem that is easily fixed. It use to be that the old 5hp Honda's would only run on SAE30 and not at all on 10/30 without the shut down problem occurring back in the day... Another thing, is running only Premium 92+ Octane gasoline in the generator, this is what I run most of the time, but I have run 87 with not much of a noticable difference. Try them both and see what you think, at higher elevations the 92 Octane makes a big difference in the sound of the motor. If it sounds like it's knocking some, then only run 92+ or add some Octane boost if it's knocking above 6000' elevation. If you're having problems and you're running 5/20 or something lower then 10/30 oil in it, then change out the oil first along with running a good quality 92+ Octane gasoline and see if the problem disappears.

 

Reed

[ScottRicki]

An update to my A/C, Honda generator issues in previous posts. We were at the 2018 Owners Ralley - and with Matteo from Micro-Air, we were able to test both my generator and Scott Olivers generator again with my new A/C unit. This time mine would still not work but Scott Olivers did. Also, after many months of testing by Matteo of another generator with the same issue as mine, Matteo was able to pinpoint the issue to a bad stator in the generator. So, the initial failures of the two generators at factory pickup were primarily caused by the A/C issue. Since Scott Olivers gen works fine after A/C replaced, we believe both my generators may have bad stators.

[Micro-Air]

Hi again Scott. Thank you for posting here so I could follow up with you on the additional information.

 

First, the detailed (and very boring) discussion about my Honda EU2000i failure symptoms, diagnosis, and repair is available at this link.

 

The Honda part number for the stator winding that finally fixed the problematic Honda is 31125-Z07-C31. There are a couple different stator windings out there since older serial number EU2000i generators (like yours and mine) use this one, and the newer ones use another. I purchased the stator via special order from a Honda parts dealer in California that I had previously done business with via eBay, All-Pro Engine & Mower Supply (www.Allpro92530.com, owner Ray Gilstrap atallproengine@gmail.com). Ray was very helpful and had the best prices. You can also get it and any other part for your Honda from Jack's Small Engines (https://www.jackssmallengines.com/), from which I also purchased a lot of parts during my 10-month odyssey!

 

Thank you again for your support throughout the rally.

[rideandfly]

Matteo,

 

Photos of you hard at work at the Oliver Rally. You're welcome to use these photos however you want and have higher resolution, if needed!

 

 

 

Best Regards,

[Monlezun]

My experience with Micro Air is not so good. I own (owned) 2 new Yamaha 2000's V2 model and propane converted, the newest. Bought them from US Carburetor, have used them once, hooked together and was able to run our Oliver A/C with no problem at 5350 foot elevation (in our driveway in Colorado). Hoping to go down to one generator towing around, we opted for the Micro Air at the rally. Matteo did a great job and also knew my plans. I will admit here that when I asked would this work at my home in CO on propane, Matteo quickly stated "I am not sure but it should." Fair enough, it was my decision to proceed with the install. With some adjustment on the set nut on the gen after starting the A/C for the first time on propane, we got it to run and handle the load. Now, the sad part, when we got home at 5350 foot elevation, I cranked up the generator, the only one left since I sold the other one at the rally(stupid me). It could not handle the load after trying 5 times with US Carb on the phone helping me adjust and curse the unit. Finally, after giving up on propane, a technician at US Carb suggested I put gasoline in the gen (not what I wanted to hear or do, but...) Fired up the Yamaha on gas, turned on the A/C and it barely hiccoughed and ran great. So, for anyone thinking about Micro Air at higher elevations and using propane - Beware! Now, I will have to carry a generator with gasoline in it. Sigh!! Again, I want to be clear that Matteo was honest when asked about propane at my locale. I have nothing but good to say about this man.

[Micro-Air]

Matteo,

Photos of you hard at work at the Oliver Rally. You’re welcome to use these photos however you want and have higher resolution, if needed!

Many thanks, Bill! I appreciate your posting them. We're going to use them in a article that we will soon post on our website about our attendance at the Oliver Rally.

 

My experience with Micro Air is not so good. I own (owned) 2 new Yamaha 2000’s V2 model and propane converted, the newest. Bought them from US Carburetor, have used them once, hooked together and was able to run our Oliver A/C with no problem at 5350 foot elevation (in our driveway in Colorado). Hoping to go down to one generator towing around, we opted for the Micro Air at the rally. Matteo did a great job and also knew my plans. I will admit here that when I asked would this work at my home in CO on propane, Matteo quickly stated “I am not sure but it should.” Fair enough, it was my decision to proceed with the install. With some adjustment on the set nut on the gen after starting the A/C for the first time on propane, we got it to run and handle the load. Now, the sad part, when we got home at 5350 foot elevation, I cranked up the generator, the only one left since I sold the other one at the rally(stupid me). It could not handle the load after trying 5 times with US Carb on the phone helping me adjust and curse the unit. Finally, after giving up on propane, a technician at US Carb suggested I put gasoline in the gen (not what I wanted to hear or do, but…) Fired up the Yamaha on gas, turned on the A/C and it barely hiccoughed and ran great. So, for anyone thinking about Micro Air at higher elevations and using propane – Beware! Now, I will have to carry a generator with gasoline in it. Sigh!! Again, I want to be clear that Matteo was honest when asked about propane at my locale. I have nothing but good to say about this man.

Hi again Malcolm. Many thanks for your compliments in spite of the grand disappointment after all the hard work we did together and on your own. I was relieved when you finally got the generator to work at Lake Guntersville State Park as I'm sure you were, but I was unaware your home was at 5350 ft. If I had known that, I would have expressed some doubt about it working there. The reason is because our customers' collective experiences with Honda EU2000i generators running on propane has only provide confirmations of their being able to start and run their A/C units - with EasyStart of course - up to about 3000'. We have never received any reports (success or failure) from anyone running on propane above that altitude. As I reported to some other folks at the rally, we do have confirmed reports from customers being able to start and run their A/C units with EasyStart up to about 6000' on a Honda EU2000i, but on gasoline AND after rejetting the carburetor. In any event, I'm very sorry for your disappointment. Maybe a one of those larger, 3500W Champion dual-fuel generators might work for you, derated of course for your altitude (-16%) and when using propane (-10%). That results in a running wattage capability of 2419W. And the Oliver generator tray might allow you to load it one time and not to have to pick it up and carry it since it's about twice the weight of your Yamaha. Just an idea. Thanks again.

[Rumline]

Thanks Malcolm and Matteo. That was exactly what I was afraid of, in the other thread that Mark linked to above. I'm going to stay hopeful that Mark has more success in warmer weather, but it's looking more like I'm going to have to go the Champion route. Which is disappointing due to the weight. But I won't run a gasoline generator; I have banished small gasoline engines from my life.

 

Contrary to others' experience, or maybe we're just serious wimps, it gets over 90* here (7000 feet) in the summer. Heck it's over 80 today.  Yeah it cools off, but not until the late evening.  We're going to try boondocking with no AC in July around 10,000 feet but if my wife is uncomfortable, she's going to be clicking Place Order before we even get home.

[Micro-Air]

Hi again everyone. Our marketing consultant wrote up a nice summary of our attendance to the rally this year, and posted it in our news blog on our website.  If you're interested, please check it out at the this link.  Bill's photo came in handy!