Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks: Furnace issue

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Furnace issue

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Topic: Furnace issue

Posted By: vector_victor
Subject: Furnace issue
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2019 at 6:26pm

i there! The furnace in my 2017 172 has always worked great. This last trip to the Utah desert the furnace worked very intermittently - when it did fire up worked fine. Seemed like a thermostat issue. Had it in Furnace - Auto mode - I would crank it to highest temp possible and wouldn't turn on -0 then sometimes it would randomly work. Is there a way to calibrate the thermostat? No Instructional Manual on the thermostat in the literature provided. Couple mornings the family was cold which was a bummer. Thanks!

Replies:

Posted By: Dirt Sifter
Date Posted: 28 Apr 2019 at 8:54pm

Vec_vic was there significant elevation change between the working/not working times? Word on the street is that while all other propane appliances work, the furnace will not above 4500 feet. We've not noticed it, but others swear to it.

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Greg n Deb 2020 195 HRE
'07 Tundra 5.7L., '17 Tacoma 3.5L. Both with tow packages
1 Puggle, 1 Chihuahua support staff

Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2019 at 9:18pm

Sorry can't help on your thermostat. The one on my nearly 8 year old 177 is a lot different. Did wish to comment on elevation height - we have been in areas that are around 12,000 ft. elevation (like the visitor center in RMNP) as an example. No issues with the furnace running or lighting up. Possibly close your valve on the tank and s l o w l y open it again, maybe the check valve slammed shut. Are all other propane users working as in refer, hot water heater, and stove?

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God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."

Posted By: vector_victor
Date Posted: 06 Jul 2019 at 6:15pm

Thanks for the thoughts. So I don't think elevation is the culprit. I still have the issue but I can get the furnace to come on and heat to temp. But then after it shuts off it won't come back on. Unless I turn off the heat on the thermostat, let sit for 5 or 10 minutes and then turn it back on- then it will kick on again for again one cycle. New thermostat?

Posted By: ToolmanJohn
Date Posted: 07 Jul 2019 at 6:16am

First check the camper battery, check connection snugness of terminals at battery, and connections at the converter. Should be healthy at least over 12 volts.

The thermostat isn't to expensive, and is only a few wires to swap and test, so replacing it would be a good diagnostic and check to see if the behavior is still there.

Try a different tank of propane, maybe moisture in your current tank. Does your furnace even try to light when there is a call for heat (click, click, click, etc)? Perhaps a bad igniter in the furnace?

Other than that, it takes about an hour the first time to get to, and remove the furnace. The main board may be bad.

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2017 ATC 7X20 Custom Toy Hauler
2013 R-Pod 177 (SOLD)
2013 VW Touareg TDI

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 07 Jul 2019 at 6:16am

If you suspect the thermostat but want to confirm that's the problem you can bypass it by jumping the two thermostat terminals on the furnace together. Here is a link tot the service manual, the schematic is on page 31. Once the furnace has run once it will stay off for 90 seconds before it will try to restart, so try jumping the terminals together, run the furnace until it makes heat, remove the jumper, then wait a couple of minutes before jumping the terminals again.

https://www.scribd.com/document/188263074/Suburban-RV-FURNACES-SERVICE-MANUAL - https://www.scribd.com/document/188263074/Suburban-RV-FURNACES-SERVICE-MANUAL

If the thermostat isn't the problem there are other possibilities which are identified in the troubleshooting guide.

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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Posted By: cosmo751
Date Posted: 07 Jul 2019 at 9:25am

There were two issues on mine which needed to be simultaneous: Low air density ( for me it was 9200 feet) and low-ish d.c. voltage. The culprit was a sticky sail switch. If Voltage is down, say 12.2 volts or so, the fan motor turns more slowly, reducing air velocity. The sail switch then doesn't actuate. This is complicated by lower air density at altitude.

In my case the density at 9200 feet is roughly 2/3 that under standard temperature and pressure.

The fix for me was just firing up the little generator. I never even bothered to look further. The sail switch is a bugger to get to, BTW..

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"He not busy being born is busy dying."

Posted By: Blender Bob
Date Posted: 07 Jul 2019 at 11:18am

I'd say low probability of altitude issues as I boondock in Utah often and run my 2018 heater with no problem. Even works w/o problems at 9000+. Hope the gremlins leave soon.

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Bob
2015 Chevy Colorado Z71
2018 178 R-pod Hood River Edition

Posted By: vector_victor
Date Posted: 08 Jul 2019 at 9:32pm

Thank you!