OK, since lots of Googling can’t find anything, I’m guessing not.
When I Google inrush current limiter I of course come up with the little component. What I’m wondering if it exists would be like a voltage regulator. Something you plug into a wall outlet, and then, for example plug your AC into. Then when you start it up it won’t draw a ton of amps and trip the circuit breaker.
It would be helpful if you’d give us some more info about what you’re trying to do or trying to avoid.
Most things with large inrush currents are motors. Which may or may not start moving if you limited the current supply.
Typical household circuit breakers will accept a very short duration overload without tripping. So you ought not be having the problem you think you’re having unless there’s more going on than the usual situation.
So help us help you: tell us more about your situation and goals.
circuit breakers allow an inrush of current for the short time that a motor starting might have.
there are slow blowing fuses for such situations from earlier times.
This comes up a lot in vintage electronics like tube radios and tube amps. An Amphenot CL Series NTC inrush current limiter is mentioned a lot; there are others. Take a look at this discussion: Antique Radio Forums • View topic - Current Inrush Limiter NC-173 Done
A thermistor with a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) is sometimes used. When the voltage is first applied (and current begins to flow), the resistance of the thermistor is high. As the temperature of the thermistor increases due to I[sup]2[/sup]R self-heating, its resistance decreases.
But… they don’t work well in all applications. And they can have a negative affect on the circuit’s efficiency, since the resistance of the thermistor never goes to zero.
My favorite approach to inrush current is to use a contactor and series power resistor. The contacts of the contactor are in parallel with the resistor. At startup, all current goes through the resistor. After a few seconds, the contactor is energized and the contacts close.
Inrush suppression is a real problem with big toroidal transformers, which can take a mighty gulp of current if the switch closes at the wrong moment in the phase of the mains. It’s a statistical thing and you have to test many times to be sure you have encountered the worst case.
Special high-current NTC thermistors are made for this job, as noted, and work well with medium size transformers. Above about 800VA they waste too much power (they run HOT) and you need to go the full relay-and-resistor route. The inrush suppression is an integral part of the equipment- it has to be designed for each case.
Depending on what it is a power factor corrector might help.
Also some UPS will supplement a low voltage condition with battery power, which during that high draw would tend to lower the voltage and bring in the supplemental battery power. However most UPS will simply switch off the main power to battery power for voltage sags. You would need one that specifically does this.
See, I was wondering if there were residential devices separated by how many amps they could handle. But from my Googling, and what people are posting, I can see the answer is no.
And as for a specific, I don’t really need one, but because I hate not answering a question, lets say something that could handle an air conditioner compressor, like in my OP example.
I suppose if I actually needed one, I’d have to build it myself. Maybe like this