Actually, I believe it's an amperage drop, not a voltage drop. Think of a capacitor as a physical buffer of sorts. You can slowly feed a charge into it, which it will store like a very short-lived (but much higher capacity) battery of sorts. Once it receives sufficient charge, a separate triggering circuit closes the switch between the capacitor and the compressor (or whatever it's driving). Then a separate short delay circuit closes the master power switch to the compressor (or whatever), and it's smooth running from then on out.
So the initial "thump" to get things going drains from the highly-charged capacitor rather than your power lines, leaving the full capacity of your power lines to continue lighting your house, etc, without so much as a hiccup. Interestingly enough, the reason why electric chairs were never fitted with them is because, if they were, they would instantly flash-burn right through the condemned's body at each point of contact due to the speed and efficiency with which the initial jolt flows into the body, which is obligingly filled with the perfect electrolyte: human blood. Hence all those scenes where the lights dim everywhere when they throw the switch. Respectfully, Adam Phillip Churvis President Productivity Enhancement > -----Original Message----- > From: Jacob [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 12:35 PM > To: CF-Community > Subject: RE: HVAC - air conditioner servicing > > Temp voltage drop when the compressor kicks in.. hard start should > eliminate > that one also. At least that is what my A/C guy told me. > > It happened with my old A/C unit. > > I was also amazed with the new circuit break, went from a 40amp circuit > on > the old unit to a 20 amp circuit. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Erika L. Walker [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 9:22 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Re: HVAC - air conditioner servicing > > No, they don't. > > They do in the house we're in up at the lake though ... what causes > that? > > On Tue, Sep 16, 2008 at 12:05 PM, Jacob <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > Do your lights dim in the house when the compressor kicks in? > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;203748912;27390454;j Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:269490 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
