ICM 517 Single Phase Surge Protective Device

Great buy and was packaged well. The listing is a bit confusing as the item was described in the title as the ICM 870 32A soft starter but referred to as a surge protector in the specifications. This threw me off and I contemplated ordering from this seller as I wasn't sure what I was going to get. A few weeks after, I bit the bullet and figured I could always return the item if the wrong one was sent. To my surprise, I received the correct item -i.e. the soft starter. The item was shipped via USPS a few days later and after a delivery debacle by USPS, I finally received the item 2 days after USPS had marked the tracking status as delivered. Inspecting the unit the next day, I wanted to make sure it was not one of the earlier versions that was riddled with bad electronic components and buggy software, I called ICM's tech support and can confirm that the unit I received was manufactured in Dec 2024 and had the latest version of the software that ran the soft start logic and updated electronic components. I finally got around installing it today and the product functions as designed. Now to wait for the summer to peak and see how it holds up. For a 3.5T Carrier unit with a Supco 10e E-Series Hard start kit, my in-rush amps dropped from 127A to 30A. Over 76% drop in load and no more flickering lights or banging/clanging during start/stop. If you use a traditional mechanical contactor, the install instructions come with the kit and ICM support is world class for any follow-up questions. If you cannot get through to an ICM rep, leave a voicemail and someone will call back within the hour. I had installed a digital contactor, an Emerson/White-Rodgers SureSwitch and had to dig around and research a bit to confirm the installation steps and connector locations since there was no documentation available on how to install it on the SureSwitch contactor model. It took a couple of calls and a few days to finish my research. I wanted to make sure that the brown-out detection and short cycle delay features in the SureSwitch did not interfere with similar functions on the soft starter. I have attached a reference picture for those looking to install this with a SureSwitch. Overall happy with this transaction and the outcome in general. Hope it helps someone!

I ordered this product to be installed by my HVAC service when my A/C unit is relocated and my home generator is installed. I have two "soft start" units on my Rv A/C units and they work well. This item looks to be a quality unit and will be installed tomorrow. I'm sure it will save additional wear and tear on my equipment and pay for itself by making my system last years longer.

It seems to work well and my heat pump it a lot quieter. It also arrived early.