What is the difference between AirGo and the Micro-Air EasyStart?

Both are soft start modules for residential compressors, and both work by ramping the start instead of slamming it. They differ in how they are configured and set up in the field. We install the EasyStart because it is the one our technicians know best. If you own an AirGo, we will work with it.

Will a soft start stop my lights from dimming?

If the dimming happens only when the compressor starts and clears immediately, yes. If the flickering happens at other times or without the AC running, get the electrical system looked at first.

I have a whole home standby generator. Do I need one?

Not necessarily. A properly sized standby unit may carry the compressor start without help. A soft starter matters most when the generator is undersized for the surge or when you want to use a smaller one.

Can I install a soft start module myself?

The module wires into the 240 volt compressor circuit inside the outdoor unit, next to capacitors that hold a charge after the power is off. We are licensed under TACLA36229C and this is a short job for a technician.

Does a soft start make the air conditioner more efficient?

No. It changes what happens during roughly the first second of a cycle. Once the compressor is running, consumption is unchanged. The benefit is electrical behavior and outage capability.

AirGo Soft Start for Air Conditioners in Houston, TX

AirGo Soft Start Systems

AirGo is one of several soft start modules made for residential air conditioning compressors. They all address the same electrical event: the surge of current a compressor pulls the instant it starts. If you are looking at one because the lights dim or a generator will not carry your air conditioner, this page is about which of those a soft start actually solves.

What a soft start module is for

When a compressor starts, it draws current far above its running figure for a brief moment, because the motor has to break a stationary rotor loose against pressure. That is normal engineering, not a fault.

A soft start module sits in the compressor circuit and ramps voltage up instead of applying it all at once. The compressor still starts. It just gets there over a controlled interval, and peak current drops substantially. Every soft start product, AirGo included, is built around that idea.

Dimming lights and tripping breakers are different problems

A brief dip in the lights that recovers immediately and happens only when the air conditioner starts is a normal consequence of compressor inrush. That is exactly what a soft start module addresses.

Flickering that continues while the system runs, dimming without the AC involved, lights that brighten in one part of the house while dimming in another, or a warm or buzzing panel are different animals. Those can indicate a loose neutral, a failing service connection or a panel problem, and a soft starter will not touch them. That is electrician territory. A breaker that trips during operation rather than at start up also wants a diagnosis, not an accessory.

What we install, and what we will do with yours

The soft starter we install and support is the Micro-Air EasyStart. That is what our technicians know in depth and what we have written about.

If you already have an AirGo module, or your generator installer specified one as part of a larger package, we are not going to make that awkward. We work with the equipment in front of us, verify it is wired and mounted correctly, and check that the compressor is starting the way it should. If a different module would suit your system better, we will tell you why rather than just swapping it.

Storm season is why most people ask

Houston loses power to storms, and a house without cooling in September gets unpleasant quickly. A soft start module is one of the few modest upgrades that changes what a generator can do for you during an outage.

Do it before hurricane season rather than during it. Once a storm is in the Gulf, everyone wants the same part and the same technician on the same afternoon. Call (713) 929-9595 in the spring and it is a routine visit.

Before adding any soft start module

Confirm the symptom timingNote whether the dimming or trip happens only at start up or also while the system runs.
Read the data plateThe locked rotor and running current figures on your outdoor unit decide what is possible.
Rule out an electrical faultPersistent flickering, a hot panel or trips during operation need diagnosis, not an accessory.
Check the compressor typeA variable speed inverter compressor already ramps and gains nothing from a soft start module.
Match it to the generatorCompare the generator's running capacity to the load you actually intend to support.

AirGo Soft Start, answered plainly

Both are soft start modules for residential compressors, and both work by ramping the start instead of slamming it. They differ in how they are configured and set up in the field. We install the EasyStart because it is the one our technicians know best. If you own an AirGo, we will work with it.
If the dimming happens only when the compressor starts and clears immediately, yes. If the flickering happens at other times or without the AC running, get the electrical system looked at first.
Not necessarily. A properly sized standby unit may carry the compressor start without help. A soft starter matters most when the generator is undersized for the surge or when you want to use a smaller one.
The module wires into the 240 volt compressor circuit inside the outdoor unit, next to capacitors that hold a charge after the power is off. We are licensed under TACLA36229C and this is a short job for a technician.
No. It changes what happens during roughly the first second of a cycle. Once the compressor is running, consumption is unchanged. The benefit is electrical behavior and outage capability.