A soft starter is a control module that connects to appliances that require a high inductive load at startup (such as air conditioners and heat pumps). At startup, the A/C or heat pump will try to draw a huge amount of power from the electrical system which can impact other appliances and, in time, harm the air conditioner itself. A soft starter device helps prevent this damage.

A soft starter reduces the power needed by air conditioners and heat pumps at startup. This allows other appliances to continue operating as normal – rather than causing a shutdown due to momentary insufficient power in the electrical system. And the soft starter also protects the compressor’s windings from repeated overheating which can shorten their life and require replacement.