Quote:
Originally Posted by launboy
An old thread and something Xringer posted on another thread got me thinking. People spend a lot of money on Inverter A/C's but couldn't we Hack a window A/C compressor to do the same thing?
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I asked Xringer to actually try hooking up his router speed controller to a sump pump to see if it worked. I don't recall hearing back from him...
I'm quite sure it will not work. Sump pumps and AC fans and compressors are AC induction motors. They rely on the fact that the current is alternating 60 times per second for their operation. They are cheap and strong and very reliable, but
are not controllable by a simple router speed controller.
Routers use a universal motor that has brushes and a commutator. They
are able to be controlled by a simple speed controller.
There is a device that might work for you, but it is not cheap... it is called a Variable Frequency Drive. They are usually for three phase motors, but I have seen them advertised for single phase motors, too.
They usually run about $300. You might find something on ebay cheaper.
If you don't believe me, Harbor Freight sells router speed controllers for about $25. Hook one up to your AC and see what happens...
Pretty inexpensive science experiment, I'd say.
-AC_Hacker