EasyStart Advanced Troubleshooting Guide
10
©2022 Micro-Air Corp April 20, 2022, revision 2.0
8. Trace Out the Compressor “R” Wire and Connect it Directly with EasyStart Brown
Follow the compressor “R” wire to where it lands. This is typically in the A/C enclosure’s electric box. The
compressor “R” wire should be disconnected or (if no other option) cut from any factory electrical
connection and connected exclusively with EasyStart brown.
Pay close attention to the compressor “R” wire to ensure you have it traced out properly. Often, the
compressor “R” wire is the same color and thickness as several other wires in the electric box and so is
easy to mis-identify. Smaller sized A/C units usually have compressor “R” wire landed on the top of the
run capacitor “C” terminal, which is a power leg terminal. Larger units will have it connected to the power
leg directly, or through a relay or contactor.
9. EasyStart White is Landed Where Compressor “R” was Pulled From
EasyStart white must be connected to the power leg (we will call it “L2”, as per Figure 3) that compressor
“R” was connected to. You can land EasyStart white wherever you pulled the compressor “R” wire from.
Consult the factory schematic if you are not sure where compressor “R” was previously landed.
In any application, the compressor “R” wire from the factory is connected to “L2” directly, or through a
switch. EasyStart white must be connected to the same power leg in an appropriate fashion.
WARNING: Compressor “R”, and now EasyStart white, carry the majority of compressor current. This
connection point where EasyStart white is landed must be rated for compressor currents. In smaller
systems that use our EasyStart 364, this can be the run capacitor “C” terminal. In larger systems that
use our EasyStart 368, it must be on the main power contactor or relay terminal, separate from run
capacitor “L2”. Run capacitor terminals are not rated for compressor currents of larger systems.
10. Trace Out the Compressor “C” Wire and Splice in EasyStart Black
Follow the compressor “C” wire to where it lands. This may be inside the A/C enclosure’s electric box.
Some systems have the wire landed down in the plenum at the control box. These systems may route the
wire through the A/C enclosure’s electric box, or straight down to the plenum from the compressor.
EasyStart black must be spliced into this compressor “C” wire wherever most convenient. This is typically
in the A/C electric box but almost always at least in the A/C enclosure.
The compressor “C” wire may rout through an overload switch mounted in the compressor housing, as
shown in Figure 6. EasyStart black must be spliced into compressor “C” from outside of the wire cover.
That is, the short wire shown should be preserved and the splice made somewhere away from the cover.
In systems where you cannot simply land EasyStart black alongside compressor “C”, a common approach
is to create a three-wire pigtail on the end of the EasyStart black wire. You can then pull the compressor
“C” wire, land one of the pigtail wires where you pulled compressor “C”, and connect compressor “C” into
the pigtail. In systems where you cannot access the landing, you can cut the compressor “C” wire at a
convenient location and create a three-way crimp. You may need to extend the length of the EasyStart
black wire with similar 14 AWG copper wire to reach where you can make the connection.