Furnace

bucksnducks · 01-03-2021, 09:39 AM

Hi
I was recently camping in my 2018 Cougar XLite 25rdb and the propane ran out during the night and now my furnace won't kick on. The fan runs but I don't hear the ignitor clicking. The hoses from the propane tanks were badly cracked and leaking so I replaced those not long before this happened. The stove is getting gas. I pulled the access panel under the fridge but can't really get to the furnace unit. I'm not sure which troubleshooting steps to take now. Do I need to pull the furnace assembly out? Also the airflow has never been very good from the furnace so it wants to run frequently. Is this common with these trailers?
Thanks
Jon

Lee · 01-05-2021, 09:04 AM

Hi,

Since you have not received any replies,.... I thought I would chime in to resurrect the thread.

To confirm: The stove will light correct?

Are you on shore power or battery? Are the batteries fully charged and operable?

When you set the thermostat while in heat mode, the fan runs, but you don't hear the ignitor correct? Does the fan then shut off after a few minutes? or does the fan run forever?

If the ignitor is not firing.... my first guess would be the sail switch (maybe). Unfortunately you would need to remove the heater to inspect, replace.

**flybouy** · 01-05-2021, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bucksnducks

Hi
I was recently camping in my 2018 Cougar XLite 25rdb and the propane ran out during the night and now my furnace won't kick on. The fan runs but I don't hear the ignitor clicking. The hoses from the propane tanks were badly cracked and leaking so I replaced those not long before this happened. The stove is getting gas. I pulled the access panel under the fridge but can't really get to the furnace unit. I'm not sure which troubleshooting steps to take now. Do I need to pull the furnace assembly out? Also the airflow has never been very good from the furnace so it wants to run frequently. Is this common with these trailers?
Thanks
Jon

OK, this seems a bit jumbled chronologically so let's see if I'm interpreting this correctly.
First you replaced the pig tails from the tanks.
The furnace quite working sometime after? (was that later that same day, or a day after replacing the hoses or a week later???)
After the furnace stopped working, you checked the stove and it's operating? All burners produce a good blue flame when all burners are turned on at the same time?

The furnace running frequently and reduced airflow. Has this always been this way or did this happen in unison with the furnace failure?

First things to check - turn off lp tank tank valves, loosen pig tails to purge the lines. Reconnect pigtails and SLOWLY open the tank valves. Light all stove burners and let them burn for 2 to 3 min. Then check to see if furnace works.

Check battery voltage, ideally plug into shore power. If furnace doesn't ignite turn the water heater on gas and see if it works.

Get back with your findings.

jasin1 · 01-05-2021, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bucksnducks

Hi
I was recently camping in my 2018 Cougar XLite 25rdb and the propane ran out during the night and now my furnace won't kick on. The fan runs but I don't hear the ignitor clicking. The hoses from the propane tanks were badly cracked and leaking so I replaced those not long before this happened. The stove is getting gas. I pulled the access panel under the fridge but can't really get to the furnace unit. I'm not sure which troubleshooting steps to take now. Do I need to pull the furnace assembly out? Also the airflow has never been very good from the furnace so it wants to run frequently. Is this common with these trailers?
Thanks
Jon

It sounds like you need to bleed the propane line going to the furnace.. either at the gas valve or by continuing to try and let it light. I would also cycle the power to the furnace as the control board may have locked itself out due to running out of gas... but the rv techs on this site probably have a better idea

bucksnducks · 01-06-2021, 07:01 AM

Hey Lee,
Thanks for responding. When the furnace quit I was plugged in to power at a campground. I have tried it recently at my storage with battery power and had the same result. The trailer is a 2018, would it be common for the batteries to die that quickly? I am going to head back over there and test them.

Yes the stove works.

The fan turns on but no ignitor and then the fan stops after a minute or so.

bucksnducks · 01-06-2021, 07:11 AM

Hey flybouy
You're right I didn't craft that thread very well.

The airflow has always been poor. When I look at the furnace box it seems to have a lot of leaks around the edges. Should this be taped/sealed up to help flow?

I noticed the pigtails were very cracked and then started to leak. I got some new ones from a local shop but noticed they were black and not green like the original hoses. I had to use them on a trip as we were on our way out of town and everything worked fine. After the furnace quit working I went to a local propane shop and bought new hoses that match the original hoses.

I did not turn on all of the burners at the same time, just one.

I will go back over and try the steps you recomend and report back.

Thanks for your help!

bucksnducks · 01-06-2021, 07:13 AM

Hey jasin1

Thanks for the suggestions. How do you cycle the power to the furnace? I can also try to purge the gas line again.

ChuckS · 01-06-2021, 07:18 AM

Your post further down states you don’t hear igniter firing.. if so forget about the propane and troubleshoot the NO igniter fire..

Blower is on so either sail switch isn’t closing to allow igniter to fire or issues with loose wire on igniter board or igniter board itself is bad

Ohm the sail switch with a meter and move paddle back and further to observe no continuity and continuity..

**flybouy** · 01-06-2021, 08:22 AM

To "recycle" or reset the board remove power by pulling the ground wire from the negative battery post for a min then reconnect it. If the furnace fan is running slower than normal from low voltage or issue with the fan itself then it will not apply enough force to operate the sail switch. That should not be an issue on shore power unless the fan itself is defective.

No ignition could be as Chuck listed. If you could post the model number of the furnace someone can send you the manual to help you diagnose the issue.

bucksnducks · 01-06-2021, 09:10 AM

Ok I now have a good list of things to troubleshoot. I apreciate you all helping me out. If those steps don't work it sounds like I may need to pull the furnace which is buried under the refrigerator. Gonna head over to the storage tomorrow. I will report back and let you know what I find.

travelin texans · 01-06-2021, 10:18 AM

If you've had it stored any length of time without disconnecting the batteries they will be dead in as little as a couple days even if you used the factory disconnect if equipped.
The only positive way to prevent discharge is disconnect the negative cable from the battery going directly to ground or remove the batteries & store in your garage connected to a trickle charger.

Steveo57 · 01-06-2021, 08:33 PM

If the fan is running for about 30 seconds and then shutting off and you don't hear it trying to ignite then it's probably the sail switch. Very common issue. If you don't have access from the outside you'll have to pull the furnace out to get to it. Most of the time it's not actually the switch that's bad it's that the paddle arm is sticking or wrapped in dog hair or something and it can't actuate the switch. The switches in those furnaces from that vintage have an issue with the switch bracket interfering with the paddle arm. They have modified the bracket design on the new switches.

Jerry S · 01-10-2021, 09:09 AM

My question is why are the gas lines leaking on a two year old trailer?

k94x4 · 01-10-2021, 09:35 AM

I had the same problem and it turned out to be the regulator needed to be replaced.

**JRTJH** · 01-10-2021, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry S

My question is why are the gas lines leaking on a two year old trailer?

It may "stem from" the lowest bidder/inferior components/cheapest construction/lightest "weight saving parts"....

That said, even the most well constructed parts on the best brands do occasionally fail.

Gas lines can fail because the owner "tore them up", someone took it apart "to see how it worked", someone accidentally cross-threaded a connection, missed putting sealant or teflon tape on threads or didn't tighten a fitting correctly.

Those are just a few of the many reasons that a two year old part might be leaking. There are hundreds more from a bad fitting on a tank valve to using the system incorrectly and damaging it. Even something like "overtightening a fitting can make it leak more than a loose fitting"

travelin texans · 01-10-2021, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry S

My question is why are the gas lines leaking on a two year old trailer?

In the time it took to post this complaint you could've had them checked & tightened.
These RVs are like an 8.0 earthquake while rolling down the great highway systems in this country. I'd bet if you checked you'd find screws, water line fittings, wire connectors & about any items with a connection will at some point come loose just due to traveling for 2 years.

Landkduncan · 01-10-2021, 10:06 AM

When I encountered the issue with no ignition and my fan running on our heater and shutting off after about 30-45 seconds, it was the sail switch. We were hooked up to shore power. The propane tanks were full. We own a 2019 315RLS. The sail switch for this model came with the older type of sail switch bracket. I ordered the new upgraded sail switch which came with the upgraded bracket assembly and installed it myself by accessing the exhaust port cover on the outside of the trailer. You tube is a great resource for videos showing how to replace a sail switch.

Jerry S · 01-10-2021, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelin texans

In the time it took to post this complaint you could've had them checked & tightened.
These RVs are like an 8.0 earthquake while rolling down the great highway systems in this country. I'd bet if you checked you'd find screws, water line fittings, wire connectors & about any items with a connection will at some point come loose just due to traveling for 2 years.

I do not think the OP was speaking about a fitting that had come loose. I think he meant a propane line that was checking and cracking to the point of leaking. that does not seem right IMO. My 5ver is 8 years old and no sign of lines checking or cracking. I inspect them each time I go out or fill the tanks.

KeystoneKal · 01-10-2021, 11:32 AM

Cracked gas lines at propane tanks. 2015 Hideout 30rlds. Line cracked last year and replaced it. You could smell propane outside. Of the two other trailers I’ve owned, both older, neither had any gas leaks.

BulletOwner1 · 01-10-2021, 11:39 AM

I'll try to address one of the smaller problems - the furnace cycling on and off.

We had a Bullet 284RLS, 2012 model. It did not have the conventional duct work. It had the flexible hose for ducts. Made for long runs to the duct openings and when crawling under the trailer I found the duct work running EVERYWHERE with no real effort to make the runs as short as possible, even found a section where they did a complete 360 loop before attaching to the outlet. I did clean up as much as I could. Made for very low air flow efficiency. This contributes to the furnace cycling because it can't expel the heat quickly enough and the high temp switch just keeps turning on and off until the trailer warms enough to turn off the system.

We spent two cold winters in that unit and never had an issue except for the cycling.

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