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Old 11-02-2012, 03:22 PM   #1
jerseyphil
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FURNACE with SLIDES IN

I live in NJ, but currently in California w/o my trailer.
Brother-in-Law lives next door.
No Power at house due to Hurricane Sandy.

Offered my Brother in Law use of the trailer -No Generator, but fully charged battery.

With Propane turned ON (stove burners work), Furnace did NOT fire up.
Fan went on, but shut off quickly thereafter.

ANYONE HAVE AN EXPLANATION? IS THERE A SAFETY TO NOT FIRE UP THE FURNACE WITH THE SLIDES IN?

2011 Cougar 318SAB.

Thanks for any insight!!
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Old 11-02-2012, 03:43 PM   #2
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no heat?

is the stat. set above the outside temp?If fan does not run fast will not light battery must be up real good! just a idea what to check...Bushman
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Old 11-02-2012, 04:02 PM   #3
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He pushed the furnace temp way up and same thing happened. Fan went on for a short while, then turned off. No heat came up.
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Old 11-02-2012, 04:05 PM   #4
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jerseyphil -
The thermostat should be on the "Auto" setting.
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Old 11-02-2012, 04:05 PM   #5
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I know my battery was at full charge about a week prior, and was not used after that, but maybe the battery, being 2 years old, just isn't strong enough any more. I don't know.

But thanks for your thoughts on the issue.

Phil
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Old 11-02-2012, 04:06 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Festus2 View Post
jerseyphil -
The thermostat should be on the "Auto" setting.
Thermostat is definitely on Auto setting. Had him do that first thing.
Thanks,
Phil
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Old 11-02-2012, 04:11 PM   #7
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If the carpet of one or more of the slides covers any of the furnace duct outlets, running the furnace may not be such a hot idea.
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Old 11-02-2012, 04:18 PM   #8
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If the carpet of one or more of the slides covers any of the furnace duct outlets, running the furnace may not be such a hot idea.
I agree with that 100%. Wish I were home to figure this one out. I'd probably hook up my truck, plug it in, and open the slides, BUT, I'm not home. Thanks for the input.
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Old 11-02-2012, 04:35 PM   #9
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Sounds like a gas flow problem.

Check tanks. Try to light stove. If it won't stay lit you might need to disconnect the tanks, bleed down lines, and then SLOWLY turn the gas back on. There are recent threads discussing similar issues and instructions to remedy.

The furnace doesn't care about the position of the slides or if ducts are covered, unless you only have one register vent, in which case you're not gonna get heat anyway. Suggest running heat in "Furnace" mode not "Auto" which on the 4 button digital control might also try to kick on the A/C fan.

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Old 11-02-2012, 04:46 PM   #10
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Several things you should consider and check as you work on getting the furnace to operate properly:

1. The battery being charged "last week" may be an issue. There are parasitic drains on the battery. These include the radio, any lights (including switch lights, etc) co2 alarm, propane alarm, smoke alarm, etc. If the battery is not adequately charged, the furnace won't light.

2. The propane must be turned on and functioning. There may be air in the lines. Light the burners on the stove, bleed all the air out of the lines and then try the furnace again.

3. There may be an issue with the bleed valve in the regulator or with the one way valve in the pigtail. Light the hot water heater to see if there is enough propane flowing to fuel a "high propane use" appliance like the furnace.

4. If the furnace worked recently and you've not done anything to it since then, I'd suggest you not start "troubleshooting" the furnace by undoing or reconnecting things. Most likely, it's either #1 or 2 above.

A rule of thumb, if something stops working suddenly, it's usually a simple, obvious fix. There are few truly catastrophic failures.

Good Luck and let us know what you find.

John
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Old 11-02-2012, 04:53 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jbsmith View Post
Sounds like a gas flow problem.

Check tanks. Try to light stove. If it won't stay lit you might need to disconnect the tanks, bleed down lines, and then SLOWLY turn the gas back on. There are recent threads discussing similar issues and instructions to remedy.

The furnace doesn't care about the position of the slides or if ducts are covered, unless you only have one register vent, in which case you're not gonna get heat anyway. Suggest running heat in "Furnace" mode not "Auto" which on the 4 button digital control might also try to kick on the A/C fan.

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I didn't think the position of the slides would matter. The stove did light fine, so I believe the gas is flowing OK. And I know there is plenty of propane. Just before I left for California (see my initial post), I refilled one tank that ran out. I first moved the lever to the tank that had propane (indicator went back to green). I shut off the tank that had none, removed it and filled it. Put it back in, connected the hose, and turned the valve back on. Left the lever where it was since the second tank was now the primary source.

BUT, leaving for California, I shut off both tanks. Now, even though the stove lit, maybe my brother-in-law turned on the valves too quickly??? Maybe that affected the furnace? I just don't know. I'll be getting home Monday night. Hopefully my electric will be back on, but I will check out my camper then.

Thanks everyone for your help.

JerseyPHIL
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Old 11-02-2012, 05:34 PM   #12
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Where in nj I may be able to stop and help out?
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Old 11-02-2012, 06:23 PM   #13
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Where in nj I may be able to stop and help out?
Thanks for offering. My brother in law is now able to stay at his daughter's apartment and doesn't need my RV. I appreciate it. And I'll be home Monday.

People on this forum are fabulous. Thanks again for offering.

Phil
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Old 11-02-2012, 06:51 PM   #14
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Jerseyphil,

If the excess valve in the tank is the problem, you can identify it by lighting the water heater. The two high propane users are the furnace and the HWH. Often times, the refrigerator and/or the stove burners will operate properly, but the valve will sense a "leak" if there is a larger demand for propane and shut off the bottle to "prevent a leak".

If the HWH works normally and the battery is fully charged, then probably the igniter circuit in the furnace is faulty. Easy to clean the igniter, and using the HWH to troubleshoot the excess valves will tell you what to do next. Let us know if we can offer suggestions or help in any way.

My bet still is that the battery is not charged enough to operate the furnace.
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Old 11-03-2012, 08:30 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
Jerseyphil,

If the excess valve in the tank is the problem, you can identify it by lighting the water heater. The two high propane users are the furnace and the HWH. Often times, the refrigerator and/or the stove burners will operate properly, but the valve will sense a "leak" if there is a larger demand for propane and shut off the bottle to "prevent a leak".

If the HWH works normally and the battery is fully charged, then probably the igniter circuit in the furnace is faulty. Easy to clean the igniter, and using the HWH to troubleshoot the excess valves will tell you what to do next. Let us know if we can offer suggestions or help in any way.

My bet still is that the battery is not charged enough to operate the furnace.
Thanks so much for offering assistance. And, your comments are very logical regarding the high propane usage of HWA and Furnace.
I actually had the camper winterized before leaving for California, so my HWA is empty and bypass is switched. I will be home Monday to follow up on this issue. Fortunately, my brother-in-law, who was going to use the RV, now has a warm place to stay.

Again, thanks for your assistance.

jerseyPhil
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Old 11-03-2012, 04:37 PM   #16
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glad he is safe and warm but if you need help just let me know safe travels
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Old 11-03-2012, 05:03 PM   #17
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I'll add something here. If the batteries are getting weak, and I understand this is only an assumption on my part, but the fan would start almost full speed, move the sail switch so the furnace would light, but then with addition current being drawn or the batteries discharging with the fan, the fan speed drops, so the sail switch disengages, so the furnace shuts down. I understand it will be difficult to charge the batteries at this point, but before other tests, get the batteries fully charged or hook up to a running truck, and try it again to see if a little extra 12VDC electrical juice might solve the problem.

Ron
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Old 11-04-2012, 07:10 AM   #18
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Power back on!!! Wahoo

As of this morning, power has been restored to my area in central NJ.

I want to thank everyone for their concern and offers of assistance. I also love helping people and will happily do so if someone is in need. After all, life is soooo much better and more rewarding when we all work together.

Thanks again to all respondees to my thread.

Regards,
JerseyPHIL from North Brunswick, NJ
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Old 11-04-2012, 07:11 AM   #19
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Sail switch???

Quote:
Originally Posted by geo View Post
I'll add something here. If the batteries are getting weak, and I understand this is only an assumption on my part, but the fan would start almost full speed, move the sail switch so the furnace would light, but then with addition current being drawn or the batteries discharging with the fan, the fan speed drops, so the sail switch disengages, so the furnace shuts down. I understand it will be difficult to charge the batteries at this point, but before other tests, get the batteries fully charged or hook up to a running truck, and try it again to see if a little extra 12VDC electrical juice might solve the problem.

Ron
I'm sorry, but I don't know the term Sail Switch. What is that?
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Old 11-04-2012, 07:21 AM   #20
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I'm sorry, but I don't know the term Sail Switch. What is that?
It's a small piece of metal attached to a hinged metal arm that trips a microswitch. It's located in the input air tube before the combustion chamber. If the switch doesn't engage the microswitch, there is not enough air flow for safe combustion. It's also a favorite place for mud dauber nests if you don't have screens.

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