Heater cycling

ElJeffe

New Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2021
Messages
8
Location
denver
We have noticed that our 2021 Cougar 23mls heater “cycles” frequently. Fan comes on. You can hear flame kick in. Then every 15-60 seconds you hear a click and it sounds like flame turns off. Then back on. Etc. fans continues to blow and it eventually warms up. But this doesn’t feel normal. Specially as cold as it it outside.

Plan to check flow, intake and exhaust. And probably order a limit switch. As these seem cheap quick checks.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions?
 
One other possibility you might check, as it's free (if you own a compressor) and relatively quick: propane typically deposits a somewhat viscous oil residue inside delivery lines. When I was experiencing regulator problems, I noticed that the regulator I was replacing was coated with internal gunk that was leaking out the connections. I took the opportunity to blow out the delivery line from the heater backwards to the front end, and got a few ounces of oil out the front feed. I don't go through a lot of propane, as we are almost always on shore power for the fridge and HW, rarely use the furnace, never the oven or outdoor grill, and I think we've used the range only twice in six years... but someone who does a lot more cooking and boondocking would probably have a lot more congestion in there than I did. I suspect varying qualities of propane may come into play here as well.
 
Your furnace should be the Dometic Atwood DFMD35..

* I doubt the high limit switch is your issue

Considering the unit is a 2021 I would remove the burner section, inspect for rust, etc, clean ignitor and flame sensor and check that gap is 1/8 inch
 

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Thanks. Going to look into that once it warms up a little. Rust unlikely here (Colorado). But easily something else.
 
Thanks. Going to look into that once it warms up a little. Rust unlikely here (Colorado). But easily something else.

Rusted burner sections IS VERY LIKELY.. Regardless of your location... The combustion of the LP in itself mixed with air creates moisture inside that buner section of that Atwood furnace
 
Thanks. Going to look into that once it warms up a little. Rust unlikely here (Colorado). But easily something else.

By far the greatest byproduct of burning propane is water vapor (70-80%). It doesn't matter how dry the ambient air is.
 

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