I've just purchased a Phase a Matic static converter, which is really just
an automatic start cap set up. It has no run caps. What is the benefit of
adding run caps, given that I don't plan to initially add an idler motor?
My feeling is that I will shunt some current to the third leg, balancing
things a bit better and gain some power from the motor, but I don't know how
to quantify this. Any advice?

Brian

In article ,
Brian wrote:
I've just purchased a Phase a Matic static converter, which is really just
an automatic start cap set up. It has no run caps. What is the benefit of
adding run caps, given that I don't plan to initially add an idler motor?
My feeling is that I will shunt some current to the third leg, balancing
things a bit better and gain some power from the motor, but I don't know how
to quantify this. Any advice?

I've never done this, but I suspect that it would add some
improvement to the behavior for forward running, at the cost of making
reverse operation less powerful -- though it would not add *nearly* as
much benefit as you would get with a larger motor as an idler -- and it
*might* confuse the Phase-O-Matic enough so that it might not start
properly.

At a minimum, I would consider a power-factor tuning capacitor
might reduce nuisance circuit-breaker trips, if you are close to the
capacity of the existing circuit breaker.

Good Luck,
DoN.
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