Heating floor ducts really hot

[Mcaruthers68]

Anyone have any ideas Or solutions to the heating floor ducts. When we run the furnace the ducts get dangerously hot! With a 1 yr old walking around we are very worried about him stepping for falling on one of these ducts and getting burned. Not to mention if a blanket falls off during the night and covers the vent.

[Ksupaul]

I only think the back closest vent in my TT would be hot enough to worry about. Even then only for the 1 yo and not the blankets. But I would think curved floor resister air diverter would help the situation.

[sourdough]

You don't give a lot of info about hour situation.

I have a 35k furnace. It DOES put out a lot of heat....which we like. The ducts do get hot. Nothing to start a fire, won't blister you ....but, it is hot. I make a habit of trying to step around them. If there are little ones it should be a learning experience....hopefully if mom and dad take care of it.

[Mcaruthers68]

A learning experience? He’s 1... he doesn’t have the reflects like a older child or even an adult. just so I understand you correctly... my 1 yr staggers around And happens to cross over 1 of the 4 vents in the trailer.. steps on it and it startled him and he falls on top of it... now I don’t know about you but if I step on something hot or even cold without warning I instinctive react to hop, quickly move, or even lift one foot to address the sensation.. a 1 yr old can not do these things... he doesn’t even have the speed, strength, or coordination to quickly move from it. Oh a windy day is the trailer rocks while he stands he falls... so my son receives a potiently disasterous burn as a learning experience for being a toddler.. .. I guess next time I give him a bath when he slips in the tub while splashing the water, I should let just let him panic face down in the water as a learning experience!!
mom and dad are trying to take care of the vent situation, HENCE the post on this forum seeking answers and help!

[ctbruce]

Knowing Danny, I don't think he was advocating for allowing your 1 year old to experience pain by accident as s learning experience.

What he was meaning was to use the vents as a learning experience taught by and with mom and dad's loving guidance. I imagine it as allowing the child to get close. They'll do this out of curiosity. Tell them no, and pull them back away from it. Then being consistent each time they get close and reiterating the no.

The vents should not be hot enough to cause a burn or start a non-flamable clothing item on fire. If it is, that's a different problem that may need a shop to correct. Harbor Freight sells cheap infrared thermometers that would allow to measure the surface temp. For $10, I'd start there. Good luck, let us know what you find. As a whole, the forum does not advocate grilling anything except steak and burgers.

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[Mcaruthers68]

Right.
I rather go with actual safety measures aposed to the Illusion of safety in my curious son abiding to the laws of “no”.. but will accept Danny’s intentions were good..

Moving on.. i realize the vents aren’t supposed to be getting that hot.. truly, I wish they weren’t.. but they are.. and yes hot enough to cause a nasty burn. I’ll look into that infrared thermometer (I’m sure it will come in handy in other areas too). And I most definitely want to keep seared flesh in the proper cooking device outside! :) thanks for your tip

[jkohler70]

I can only advise that, while stepping on the vent may cause pain, there is virtually no chance of an actual injury. An object must be at least 111 degrees F to cause a second degree burn, but that would take hours. It would take 6 seconds for a 140 degree object to cause a second degree burn. Your furnace is likely putting out air no hotter than 100 - 125 degrees.
The vent might "hurt", but it probably won't "harm".

[JRTJH]

If the vents are getting hot enough to produce "seared flesh" then you need to take the trailer back to the dealer and have it repaired. That's too hot, will become a safety issue either the next time the furnace is used or the day after Keystone's warranty expires. Either way, the vent is "too hot"..... I have a metal floor vent that sits about 3' from the furnace outlet to the floor ducting. That vent never gets hotter than the other vents in that line, the furthest is about 12' away from the furnace outlet.

I'd urge you to let the dealership take a look at the ducting. Seared flesh temperature is much more hazardous than "very warm" temperature. Ours is not really beyond the brink of "very warm" but is more on the "noticeably but not damagingly warm".... Yours should not "sear flesh" even in the vernacular.

[Bisjoe]

See if you can adapt the decorative wooden standard home vent covers available at Home Depot to replace them. Wood won't get nearly as hot to the touch as metal. I wouldn't worry about it with our 2 year old grandson, but at age 1, that is a concern just as it would be in the house with heater vents, oven, or a fireplace.

[sourdough]

A learning experience? He’s 1... he doesn’t have the reflects like a older child or even an adult. just so I understand you correctly... my 1 yr staggers around And happens to cross over 1 of the 4 vents in the trailer.. steps on it and it startled him and he falls on top of it... now I don’t know about you but if I step on something hot or even cold without warning I instinctive react to hop, quickly move, or even lift one foot to address the sensation.. a 1 yr old can not do these things... he doesn’t even have the speed, strength, or coordination to quickly move from it. Oh a windy day is the trailer rocks while he stands he falls... so my son receives a potiently disasterous burn as a learning experience for being a toddler.. .. I guess next time I give him a bath when he slips in the tub while splashing the water, I should let just let him panic face down in the water as a learning experience!!
mom and dad are trying to take care of the vent situation, HENCE the post on this forum seeking answers and help!



I'm sorry if you took offense. I wasn't advocating you let your child roast on a heater vent to teach him. I simply noted that he will learn they get hot and avoid them....and he will learn, that's what we do as humans. With mom and dad's help/guidance children learn quicker - and "no" is a good word for a child to learn. In the meantime I would suggest you buy the infrared temp gun and check the temps for yourself. Very cheap and useful for many other things.

I think you'll find that you are needlessly worried about a "disastrous" burn. If you believe there is a burn issue due to the temp of the register being too hot you need to get it back to the dealer to have it repaired - that's not normal and could be dangerous in several ways. If you're uncomfortable letting your child learn to avoid the registers go buy replacements that don't get as warm as has been mentioned.

[dcg9381]

Agree with the non-parenting comments. If the vents are really hot, it's probably an issue with a lack of air flow in the duct and may need to be looked at. The furnace on these things does put out some BTUs, but shouldn't be dangerously hot.

Another alternative - when hooked to the grid is to use space heaters. With a 1 year old, just putting them on the counter top keeps them out of trouble. If you have 50A service, you can easily run 2 x 1500 watt heaters, which warm my 37' rig until it gets to be below 40 outside. Much quieter than the furnace and cheaper than propane.

[Butchh]

Assuming the furnace is working properly and not producing a dangerous amount of heat. Here's an alternate solution; switch the vents from metal to plastic. The conductivity of plastic is significantly less than metal and therefore will not 'feel' as hot. Once your child has grown a bit, you can switch the vents back to metal or not.

I hope this helps.

[Barbell]

I'm with John on this one. When I get out of bed, I step barefooted on the vent that it next to the foot of the bed and even tho the furnace has been running for awhile, it is never hot. Feels good on a cold morning. There is something wrong; get it looked at while the rig is still in warranty.

[dcg9381]

Heck if you can get them to drop the belly pan under warranty, heck of a deal... Ask them to look at "anything else kinked" that might be under there...

Fix the AC ducting while you're at at.. :-)

[notanlines]

All good advice, as usual for this forum. But Butch of Calgary seems to be in the lead right now. Kudos to you, Butch.

[Ksupaul]

We will be doing some cold camping this weekend I think. I will be taking an infrared therm and measuring temp of my 3 vents for comparison. Will report back.

[Pull Toy]

Just to play "Devil's advocate" here.....

1. The vents are relatively hot because that's why it's called heat!
You want heat? It has to come from somewhere.

2. There are ways to keep kid's and pets away from heat, and other hazards.
Put a TV tray or apple crate or similar obstruction, even a play-pen, over the grate. It won't catch fire, trust me... but it will let warm air out, but no direct access to the metal. Use a space heater (on the counter) or a heat pump / fireplace instead of the furnace with floor grates.

I hate to sound like a smart a** here, and those who have known me here, I hope know better, but..., I've had two daughters, and six grandkids (three of each, the youngest of which is now five,) who all knew what HOT!!! meant. Be it steam radiators, baseboard hot water, oven, fireplace, campfire, and they all survived with no scars. Until they were old enough to comprehend, it was my job to keep them safe.

For you to attack a member of this forum, who's response was well intentioned, after only a "FEW" posts on your part, is not wise. If you want to profit from the collective wealth of our myriad of members with tons of practical parenting and / or camping experience. There's a lot to be shared here!

We're here to help... but loose the attitude. You're not the first new parent to have a new camper!

By the way...

Welcome from a cranky old Grandpa!

Good Luck,

[Ksupaul]

Used infrared thermometer last night. The two vents closet to the furnace put air out with temps from 145 to 160 degrees at its highest. The vent grate was 135-140 for the first 10 seconds once furnace shut off. Take that for what it’s worth.

[sourdough]

Used infrared thermometer last night. The two vents closet to the furnace put air out with temps from 145 to 160 degrees at its highest. The vent grate was 135-140 for the first 10 seconds once furnace shut off. Take that for what it’s worth.


I guess I should measure mine to see exactly how warm they get because I don't know. I know they make me pick up my foot when it has run awhile. Unfortunately, the sun is shining, the AC is on and I'm going with DW to the beach in a bit. Another thing to think about with the infrared gun; if I remember when I was researching before buying mine, all of them except the very high dollar ones can deviate considerably from the actual temp; several degrees if I recall. Probably not an issue on something like this but something to keep in mind.

[Ksupaul]

I guess I should measure mine to see exactly how warm they get because I don't know. I know they make me pick up my foot when it has run awhile. Unfortunately, the sun is shining, the AC is on and I'm going with DW to the beach in a bit. Another thing to think about with the infrared gun; if I remember when I was researching before buying mine, all of them except the very high dollar ones can deviate considerably from the actual temp; several degrees if I recall. Probably not an issue on something like this but something to keep in mind.

So jealous of your day. Wind blowing 35mph and 45 degrees in my part of Kansas. I hear you in the infrareds. This one gets used at work on AC vent temps and a swimming pool. It has been found accurate enough for those applications. But we’ve never used or confirmed it for anything much above 100 degrees.

[Mcaruthers68]

Pull toy... If you read closely you will notice my issue is not that there is heat that comes from the heat ducts.. it’s the amount of heat! Nor is my question addressing as to “Why is there heat coming from the heat ducts”.. so your response 1 is confusing.. this is shocking that I have to clarity this point...

from my understanding, the function of this forum is you are able to ask questions and concerns and get legit responses. My question may be a joke to some of you but to me it’s a true concern.

You’r second response is confusing as well.. I wasn’t asking for ways to “cover up” the hot vents. My concern is, is it suppose to be extremely hot.. I appreciate your suggestions to cover the vents but it doesn’t help with the main issue.

Also, again your points are ridiculous and from your attitude you’re suggesting my 1 yr old doesn’t know what hot is... well with your experience of kids. I don’t have to tell you that a toddler doesn’t have the reaction time or stability as a child or adult. So if my son happens to walk across ( which I might add has only been waking a few weeks and still learning balance) a hot vent, his reaction ability isn’t to jump off it...
But I guess I should feel ashamed for wanting to find answers to what I think a problem is.. I think my vents are too hot and I’m concerned it may catch fire or burn my toddler son... shame on me! I must have a retard child because he can’t jump off a hot vent or hasn’t learned to control is natural exploration curiosity.. and should let him learn by trial of what hot is.. I’m glad your children were lucky enough to not get burned, I hope mine is as lucky .. if not hopefully he will learn from his first experience..


With that aside..this is absolutely insane I am not able to ask a simple question and get some simple feedback... like yes this is normal or no this isn’t normal something is wrong and you need to check your duct works or etc... instead I’m getting life lessons and parenting advice. I will not apologize for being concerned and looking out for the well being of my family as well as my investments in my RV.

[Mcaruthers68]

Photos of the vent temp

[Mcaruthers68]

Thanks kspual glad to see I’m in the same range as you . So there’s nothing wrong with my RV.. just need to figure out some replacement vent covers

[Ksupaul]

If there is, something wrong we are in same boat!! Not going to lie they were higher than I imagined. For what it is worth, I tested my infrared with some other merc and dial thermometers at work as well as boiling water and I am confident it’s calibrated up to this temps now. She does get hot!!

[ctbruce]

I really think what caught us off guard was yours was the first post like this. There is now a second thread I'll link below.

The issues have almost always been that the vents have little to no heat moving. I think a call to the furnace manufacturer to ask for the specs on output temperature is in order. Get your information from them. If you call Keystone, they will
A. Not know
B. Tell you to take it to your dealer to document and make a warranty claim

http://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31937


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[Bob Landry]

All talk of stepping on hot grates aside, the op has either kinked duct(s) or there is a blockage in the return air path to the furnace. The temp he is talking about is unsafe and it needs to be fixed.

[Kevin H]

From a guy who has done HVAC for 42 years if it is getting that hot there is probably an issue. Most likely an airflow issue. Not knowing the age of equipment I would first see if there is a filter that is dirty, next check the blower wheel to see if all the blades are good and clean and no paper may have sucked in. ( I have seen papers left inside furnaces that manage to make it to the blower). You also might be able to speed up the blower. Last and not likely is that it may be over firing and that would require a service tech with a manometer to check the gas pressure at the burners while firing. Hope this helps. I would also recommend getting a thermometer and getting an accurate temp reading.

[Tinner12002]

Well I'm not sure if they still make them but we used to have some plastic radius covers on our vents at home that directed the heat sideways from the vent. They could possibly also be used prevent stepping on the vents that are close to a wall but maybe not so much for one in the center of the room. Just a thought.

[Mcaruthers68]

From a guy who has done HVAC for 42 years if it is getting that hot there is probably an issue. Most likely an airflow issue. Not knowing the age of equipment I would first see if there is a filter that is dirty, next check the blower wheel to see if all the blades are good and clean and no paper may have sucked in. ( I have seen papers left inside furnaces that manage to make it to the blower). You also might be able to speed up the blower. Last and not likely is that it may be over firing and that would require a service tech with a manometer to check the gas pressure at the burners while firing. Hope this helps. I would also recommend getting a thermometer and getting an accurate temp reading.

thank you for the informative reply. My unit it only a few weeks old. Wouldn't think it would be a performance issue..... but wouldn't rule it out. i will definitely google or youtube how to check all these issues.

[ctbruce]

Matt, I think Bob Landry in post #26 may be on to something worth investigating. Have you pulled the vents further up the run to make sure they are connected to the heating ducts? Also, may be worth a looksie to make sure they are not kinked. Blocked airflow would trap the heat in the bunk area.

I work in a Children's hospital and last thing we want to see are singed piggies.

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[TLB]

My unit it only a few weeks old. Wouldn't think it would be a performance issue..... but wouldn't rule it out.

I would let your dealer know about it as soon as possible.
Better to be safe being you just got it.

[travelin texans]

There shouldn't be & not recommended to have ANY type of filter in/on a rv furnace.

[ecurbdims]

Mcaruthers68,
I know it's been a couple of years but hopefully you have the issue fixed. I'm curious as to what was the cause and the solution??
I have older unit with same situation. Air at floor registers is at 165 degrees. Insanely hot enough to cook on. Everything internal was cleaned and it still ran hot. Was thinking that the furnace was simply burning too hot and possibly it could be adjusted.

[JRTJH]

ecurbdims,

Mcaruthers68 has not logged onto the forum since 11-15-2018, so chances are that he will not reply to your comments.

[Kevin H]

Mcaruthers68,
I know it's been a couple of years but hopefully you have the issue fixed. I'm curious as to what was the cause and the solution??
I have older unit with same situation. Air at floor registers is at 165 degrees. Insanely hot enough to cook on. Everything internal was cleaned and it still ran hot. Was thinking that the furnace was simply burning too hot and possibly it could be adjusted.

I took register off and looked in duct with mirror and all was good. I ended up pulling the furnace totally out and discovered that they did not properly attach the discharge duct from under the furnace to the main trunk line duct. It is a much smaller duct which actually had bowed down and restricted the air flow. Not really thrilled about taking up floor or removing from below. I measured the discharge duct which was only about 2 inches tall. I took a can of tuna and made me a sandwich, I then cleaned and installed the can in the center of the duct with a small board to push it into place. It actually fit fairly snug and the round can did not seem to impede air flow and it help dramatically. I tried to take pictures at the time but did not come out so well. Any other questions, do not hesitate to ask.

Kevin H.