Man, I need to install one of these on my wife's hair dryer. I swear, every time she's in there the lights start dimming like she's making Frankensteins monster. Thanks for the info...I may install one on my AC as well ;)

Installed a micro air brand two years ago. Been great so far. Installed it to be able to run my 3ton AC on a portable generator during hurricane season. Last year we got hit with Hurricane Ian here in SWFL . Lost power for about two weeks. Ran the whole house with AC on a portable generator thanks to soft start like these. I just recommend the ICM units to a few friends. Thanks for the great video.

It clearly says it’s not water proof or weatherproof. Glad you installed it on the inside unit .

Installed the 16A today, put the black wire on the wrong side of the contactor and killed my 3 year old central Texas capacitor. Not too bad of a lesson, now I’m familiar with replacing the capacitor and have a backup for when this new one fails 🙃 Thank you for the video!

I am glad I watched til the end where you mentioned that high-efficiency units already have soft-start features because that is what kind of unit I have. I really enjoyed the way you took us through the process. Not very often that I look at an instructional video and come away with so much confidence. Thank you.

In 33 years, I have seen disconnects simply wired around where the disconnect is essentially a junction box, or one of the legs wired around because of a melting situation etc, and they, for whatever reason, didn't change the disconnect. So....everything I ever disable gets confirmed with a hot stick before I touch a wire. I'm the nervous type. :) Great video.

This guy was the absolute BEST ever describing how to install step by step, very smart guy!!!

I love watching HVAC videos . I've been an aircraft mechanic for 25yrs and I am looking to change my career to be able to work in daylight!

This soft start is actually not bad in cost compared to other brands. Good find👍 I also like the fact it’s pretty compact

I never knew something like this existed. When you start it up gradually, then definitely things will last longer! Super Idea. It's a great investment, better than calling someone out when it breaks.

I've used ICM Head pressure controllers, 3 phase voltage protectors and furnace control boards and have always had excellent results. I'm glad to see that they are making these soft starts. I'd been thinking about adding one to my RV's AC but other company's prices seemed exorbitant.

The price has jumped already. I can't find it for less than 189 for the 16 amp version. I ordered one and I can't wait to install this. Thank you for the how to install video!!

I installed it yesterday and it works great. No more loud motor start. Thanks for the video.

Hi Tad, from Michigan here, this is the best ICM soft start video out there. You double checking the schematic for the correct wire colors was essential

Ted is my hero. Always direct with the info, no fancy shenanigans.

Thank you !! I’m not an HVAC professional but I can tell you that an AC or heat pump inrush current creates a lot of problems with computer equipment. It makes the power supply dirty. Inrush current has created a lot of problems with my computers. Fortunately I’m getting a high seer unit which should address this.

Hey Tadd I just wanted to say thanks for the great tip, I am in central florida and just installed a whole home generator and was concerned the a/c would trip. I think this whole install took me maybe 15 minutes. Great tip on checking the wiring diagram on the unit; a quick review of the diagram and this was plug and play. Again thanks so much!

Tedd you're the man!!!... even a simpleton like myself can go ahead and install one of this nifty devices with no issues if they follow your very well explained to the point instructions. Keep up the good work brother! 😎

Thanks! I pay 💰 those who teach me something. I wish the people I’ve taught over the last 40 years as instructor doing jobs for them!!! PROSIT

The wiring instructions are straight forward. Be careful...the unit is not made to be installed outdoors and if not must be enclosed in an outdoor enclosure. Suggest reminding folks to be sure and neutralize the run capacitor else risk of shock

Never tried one on AC units Tad, but you can bet the bank I’ll have one ordered tomorrow and on my units at my house by next week. Thanks for the insight. If I can see a change at my house I’ll be recommending to most of my PM customers for sure.

Thanks for your follow up interest. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to try. The HVAC company I purchased the ICM870 from refunded total cost plus shipping when I sent it back. He discontinued selling the control and sent back all his remaining stock to the manufacturer? Haven’t had a chance to to reorder from another source. Going to hold off a little and monitor feedback from other users. Can’t believe I’m the only one that has experienced this problem?

Taddy, I just installed two of these on my units today and I'm amazed at the inrush reduction....

Thank you so much! I was stuck on my install, but following your instruction using the schematic I was able to complete my install. The issue I had was, there was no red wire coming off my compressor; it was yellow. Thanks again, subscribed! ✌🏾👊🏾

Everyone was out of stock. I brought one one ebay for about $200. Money is no problem. Thanks for your video. Love your info. This will save me money on my unit and electrical bill. Thanks 😀

Just added this soft start per your instructions and it worked great, came down from 84 amps to 30 amps at start, now is 27 amps at start after a few cycles, I noticed the compressor is quieter, also tried to run it with my Generac EXL 8000, 13500 starting watts connected to main panel, of course, with the emergency set up at main panel, running 5 ceiling fans and refrigerator inside my home and 1 ceiling fan and another refrigerator at the garage at the same time also with a few led lights and started the ac with little effort, no hiccups, thanks to your advise now I can relax thinking about my AC running again in emergencies.

No but I'm going to test the existing cap, remove the existing HOT START and try and do this install. Thanks for the great video!

Wow I've installed 521 hard start kits I never seen the amperage drop that much that's a good product thanks for showing it

Thank you Taddy, amazing presentation, even taking the time to show schematics, the installation is pretty simple. I’ll give it a try.

Thank you so much for this video! It worked flawlessly on my 2.5T ac unit. Now I can run the ac off of solar and not only the grid🎉

Outstanding explication, especially the "not for mini-splts" ad on at the end. Thanks

I emailed ICM asking about the 32amp version. To my surprise I got an email from Zach at ICM and spoke with him on the phone. I told him I saw your video about their product. I think these will be very popular soon. Michael, Phx AZ

I kept seeing these at the part houses but never had the time to read the box while I was there. Thanks you, very informative.

Not every installation requires the features that the micro air offers. The micro air does allow diagnostic information to be sent to the company, the units firmware can be upgraded through the phone connectivity. Customized adjustments or firmware can be made if there is an issue. The micro air logs quite a bit of information which can be read through the phones Bluetooth connection. The ICM unit looks good and it’s probably sufficient for many installs. DIY people who live where the units are installed are more likely to use the connectivity features

Installed this item today. Thank you, the video made it super easy and I love the result. No more hard hit upon start-up. 👍 WARNING!!! UPDATE: The unit literally caught on fire and damn near burned down the condenser and possibly my house. Breaker tripped.

Mine failed after 31 days. I opened the case with the help of a heat gun. The internal CB60 100uf 330Vac failed and leaked oil all over the place. I replaced the capacitor with Amazon "Appli Parts motor start capacitor 108-130 Mfd (microfarads) uF 330 VAC universal fit for electric motor applications 1-7/16 in Wide 3-3/8 in Height CON-108-330" and the fuse with Ebay "NTE 5x20mm 12.5A 250V Fast Acting Ceramic Fuse". This fixed it.

Just installed it today. Thanks Taddy. What a difference in amp draw on start up!

HVAC SINCE 1985 and i learn some thing new every day..

For the record, ICM 870 is retailing for over $200 when tax is included, more if you add in shipping charges.

Holy smokes this guy has a twin! Solomon from the old ford truck KZfaq channel………ford era

Roque here, watching from KSA, from Philippines,,.

Tad great video. This is a lot easier start on your compressor. It also can prevent lights dimmimg on HVAC unit start. Also by minimizing lock rotor amps you now have the ability to run your air conditioner on a lot smaller generator because you need a lower surge start current. I ordered one from Tad already to put on my unit. Can't wait to see this. It doesn't save on power bill because you still have the same running amps. Lock Rotor Amps typically two short to be measured by power company from a demand perspective as the are usually on a 30 min rolling window or in BCES case one hour block standpoint, but great compressor saver, quieter start, less likely to dim lights, and smaller generators. Great job Tad. Scott Owens General Manager Benton County Electric System P.S. Tad been watching your videos great content. Be happy to answer any power company questions from your followers. Can't wait to get put on mine.

Thanks for this video. If you go to the manufacturer video he’s got it all wrong. Never mentions splicing brown with Run wire. They obviously wired it up, it didn’t run then a tech came along and installed it for them and they just edited and posted

Mine is arriving this week. I had to change out the cap and fan last year. This year will be the year of love for my AC unit. Thanks for showing this in a video. I really appreciate it. :) Update, cleaned the unit, installed the soft start, piece of cake. The PIA was reinstalling the coil surround. Ugh

Nothing like a helpful black widow from time to time.

Great video: I’ve installed two on my AC’s. I get the same inrush amp as you, 22.7amps! Awesome stuff!! Thanks.

Good afternoon, I wanted to ask you about a follow up to the icm870-16a. How is the quality of the construction? Also what is the life span of the ICM870? Is the ICM870 better than the Micro Air? Your thoughts. Thank you for your time.

Thanks for the great instructions . I bought 3 of the 870.16 for my 2 3 ton carrier units . 2 have failed in less than 10 days . The third is still going good , but im thru with this product . it's half price than micro air and i guess u get what u pay for . Im done with the 870-16

Perfect video. Very thorough. Perfect pace in your presentation. Awesome.

The RED wire from the ICM needs to connect directly to the contactor terminal that the capacitor common wire goes to. The reason is this: the gauge of the wire to the capacitor common may(in most cases) be smaller than the gauge of the ICM Red wire. If the ICM Red wire is connected to the capacitor terminal it forces the compressor current to go through a smaller wire!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BTW I love my ICM870-16a!

Thanks Ted, awesome Video Going to make changes to my two compressors for a cold storage

I almost bought a Micro-Air.. Glad I found this video first. Thanks for the info!

Thank you for the detailed descriptions Taddy, especially for the electric installs. The why's, what's and where's . Have a blessed rest of the day.

I learned that I need to put a soft-start on my AC compressor.

Hey Tad i want to thank you for the tip on the icm870 put one on my trailer with a 13,500 and now i don't need but one of my Honda 2000i to run my ac.

I did not now this was a thing..we’ve got an old window style air con unit that wakes us when it switches off & on, be great to have it quieter.

Wow. I'm so buying one for my heat pump. Instant suscriber😂❤👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Ayyyyy this product isn't even out!!!!! at least this what ICM870-32A.....

Great install tutorial. Good presentation and straight forward.

Looks like it might help when running a generator. That could be a game changer.

there are different features between the ICM and Microaire. Good info thanks

Tad love your videos you explain things so easy easy to learn from great job keep them coming . Luis from Chicago

If you are not in a peak demand market, EasyStart will not save any money on your bill but is still can provide benefits like reduced surging and brownouts, quieter starts, and operation on smaller power sources.

Most portable generators can't handle the startup load of an HVAC unit so people use their generators to run smaller window units, fans, or small heaters to stay comfortable during an extended power outage. With a soft start you can use a smaller portable generator to run your HVAC during the outage. Here in "hurricane alley" a soft start is a must.

Installing one on a Mobil home outside unit would be a good video if you get the chance to. I installed 15A one on my Advent RV AC and it's working great. Sound of start up is smooth. Like your video.

Thanks, this is nice for half the price of others

Thanks, man. Gonna be installing the ICM-870 32A version at the end of July when I can get a hold of one (seem to be OOS online everywhere). Why do HVAC pros recommend hard starts if the issue is the "hard start" noise and harshness? Yeah, they're like $15, but don't the hard starts decrease the life of the compressor? (so money grab and earlier replacement?) I like the quiet operation of these soft starts and the fact that my compressor will (should) last longer.

It is good see people sharing knowledge Thanks But I have a question: I have an home a/c 5 - 6 tons. Is there some specifics model for my unit or it is an standard unit for any ac? Thanks

Great Video instruction. However, just curious what was the rushamp when hard starter was installed. Without hard starter the start amp was ~74. and with the soft start it is 24 something. But how much was it with the hard start? Hard starter are much cheaper.

Those are pretty good for the money but if your compressor has a rating close to the max fla then go with the next model up.. they use cheapo “dingfing” starting caps in them and have under rated bus fuses inside which the units are sealed..

Great instructional video but why should I put one of these on my home AC? If I am not worried about power outages, no backup generator, no concern about sophisticated electronics impacted by HVAC starts etc. What am I missing??

Would have been nice to see more on the identification and removal of the existing hard start or a soft start component from the existing AC unit, that's the part that will be causing us AC DIYers the problem.

Thank you so much for show us how to install. U daaa man. :). And for being honest about prices :). Thank you 😊

That damn contactor, everybody knows that feeling. Nice demonstration video though.

These are crucial for battery-powered solar backup systems.

Your video is super helpful. I'm going to be looking at my ac unit to see if I can install one.

Hi Thank you so much for your video The ICM video was useless to me , that video expects everything to be labeled You explained it properly so no one should connect anything wrong. It’s hooked and running great But I have nothing labeled OLP or overload on my schematic?

The Micro Air I have has Bluetooth which I like. I can check the status with my phone. I did get it on sale for less than $300.

Sounds like a great product Tad ... Thx for sharing that info with us ...

Good stuff man. Learned something. Thank you!!

Watching your video inspired me to run out and pick up one. My unit is about 15 years old and runs good. Had to replace the cap a couple of years ago but that’s it. Installed the ICM870 16A. My compressor 208-230V 13.6LRA and 76LRA so I believe I have the right one. As you mentioned wiring couldn’t be any easier. When I press in the control relay all I get is a low hum. Any ideas what’s going on? Went back to original wiring and compressor works normally. Suggestions greatly appreciated! Thanks

I think all the added cost of the micro-air is the external communications. Their unit connects to your network/internet to send status to your phone through an app. I don't need that functionality. That's why I bought the ICM. I also detest apps for local control of devices because most will not function if the device cannot connect to the internet for some reason. Not to mention most manufacturers just want you to have their app so they can scoop your data and sell it and shove ads in your face, thus continuing to squeeze you for money after you've already bought and paid for the product.

Not sure if another poster posted. But include a step to discharge the Run Capacitor before work.

You were comparing prices of a 9A ICM870 unit (1Ton AC max) to a much larger EasyStart unit. The ES is still more expensive, but that was like comparing a pinto to a suburban.

I like your video and will look into this unit. Suggestion: When you are using the selfie camera on you cell phone, there should be an option to flip the image so it doesn't look backwards to your viewers. I find the backwards image distracting from the rest of the presentation.

Thank you sir, have a blessed day América

once again u killing it Taddy Bear

Did you check the existing capacitor to ensure mf levels? In the begining there was a hard start kit. I understand there was an existing hardstart, but it was there for a reason. I would have replaced the run capacitor and installed this soft start kit. I would have also liked to see a comparison vid of a hard start kit vs this unit and start and run capacitor set up vs this unit as well. Nice vid.

Great video 👍

Great video, thank you for showing this. Hard start vs soft start? I usually install a hard start capacitor on my units. They are cheaper ($50) and get the job done (Amrad). On my 3T York, the LRA is 83.9Amp but with the Amrad I get 21Amp, pretty good. Let me know your thoughts and keep the good job! Also note that the reduction in Amp draw depends on your system. On my former R22 the hard start amp drop wasn't great. On my 410a York, it's way much. Scroll compressor vs piston?

Would you describe the difference between a HARD START kit, a SOFT START kit and a START ASSIST kit please.

This is fantastic information.

Looking at my situation Sir do you feel a soft start can help my units with RLA of 10.5 & LRA of 47? It’s a duo 2.5ton hvac unit setup Or is its main purpose/function is use with generator? Which is a great feature!

it has a schematic wiring diagram that shows you how to wire it.

Is the reason that you chose the 16Amp version exclusively because your RLA is less than 16 but more than 9 for the smaller soft start option? I think I'm following you on that. Great video so far!!!!!

Curious how much it might reduce run amps. You didn't show it, and some people here are promoting the Micraire. I really don't need bluetooth and ICM says theirs is sealed so I'm not concerned about weatherproofing. I'd rather save the money as I need to purchase 2 soft start units.

FYI: The ICM pdf instructions are wrong: "Step #1 a) Disconnect factory installed compressor run wire from the run capacitor (c/common/L2) terminal" and connect it to the brown wire. This is wrong. Their official video clearly shows that the compressor run wire is removed from the contactor NOT the capacitor. Step 2 is also wrong. In addition, Step 4 is deceptive as no splicing occurs with the black wire as it's simply connected to the contactor. I notified them of the errors.

Thanks.

The microaire easystart comes in a weather proof container. It also has an app and bluetooth transmitter that allows you to monitor what your starting and running amps are. Microaire also states that takes about 3-5 starts it to reach its best results - which it did in my case and went from 65LRA to 19, running amps went from 16 to 9. So…..yours is lacking in quite a dew areas which is why Microaire is a better product for the money.

Dear sir, ¿can one install one of these on a garage door opener, kindly? Thank you for your video.