Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Fool
Aren't the old Wayne air compressors a mechanical unloader type and do not require high starting currernt
|
Almost all air compressors (except for the really small "tire pumper" units) have an unloader system otherwise the load would be too high even with a capacitor start, some are mechanical and some are a simple bleed-off system connected to the switch but they all serve the same purpose. An unloaded compressor is still a huge load at start-up due to the mass and inertia encountered when the motor suddenly kicks on and attempts to start all that stationary weight spinning. A simple unassisted motor type phase converter could work for something like a table or band saw or other very light start load if it's sized properly but those capacitor banks are needed for most applications.