greenley

i'm having a problem with lights dimming at a costumer's house when the a/c compressor kicks on. he has a 200 amp panel with 4/0 alum. feeders. the compressor only draws about 25 amps on start-up, has a 45 amp breaker and #6 cu feeding it. i've checked all connections and nameplates - everything looks fine. any ideas or answers would be appreciated...

mdshunk

Yup. Some compressors can draw hundreds of amps for a split second while they are starting. Some winking of the lights can be considered normal, but not desirable. You'll want to check the main lugs in the panel, lugs in the meter, the aerial drop tap, and the transformer secondary tap. If these check out, installing a "soft start kit" on the compressor unit will solve the winking light issue. Every manufacturer offers a soft start kit for their units, or generic soft start kits (from manufacturers like SUPCO) can be installed.

greenley

thanks for the advise md - i'll look into it...