FIXED: Furnace problem

AAARRRGGGHHH!! There, now that I've gotten that out of my system ... we finally got the front bedroom slide leaks solved for now, on to the next problem. A week ago the furnace was starting to make a chugging sound when running. About every minute or so it would sound like the flame went out and then relit. You could hear it very clearly when standing by the furnace vent on the outside. What caught my attention was from the inside it sounded like somebody was slamming the cargo door shut on that side. I've noticed a great reduction of air flow to the heat vents and not nearly as much heat comes out. The force of the air coming out of the ducts has been reduced by 40 to 50 percent. Also the exhaust coming out of the furnace is very hot, I cannot hold my hand near it for any more than a few seconds. The technician said there must be oil in the supply line from the propane tank. He checked the line but no oil appeared to be in the line. Then said: these things aren't meant to be used in the winter ??!! It doesn't get that cold here on the West Coast.

Any suggestions on what I might try myself to get the furnace working properly? There's no hope of getting anyone out here from the dealer to repair it now for several days, it being the holidays and everything. I've turned the furnace off for now, fearing a fire or explosion or something. Our little space heaters can't do that good a job keeping us warm.

I'm sorry, but we're no longer "twohappycampers"! We've also just this past week had to deal with the front bedroom slide mechanism not working. It turned out the screws used to hold the motor and pulleys on the wall were too small and sheared from the weight of the slide going back and forth - and we haven't moved the slide anymore than a half dozen times since buying the trailer new a year and a half ago. Plus I'm busy trying to replace all the exterior screws because they're already rusting out and causing leaks. Poor quality screws were used at the factory plus when they were driving them in they were snapping the screws off with the screw guns.

Thanks again for any help. So glad we have you guys to turn to! I just now phoned the dealership and they're closed until January 2nd. Doug PS Just thinking, could it be a problem with the fan? and is there something I could do about it myself?

Re: Furnace problem

Hi Doug and Lorna,

Sorry you're having these problems. Some furnace problems can be fixed without a tech, others will need one. If you do need a tech, you'll need one who has better skills than the guy who told you they're not meant for cold weather use.

If I understand your description, the burner is cycling on and off while the fan continues to run. I expect the noise would be the burner cycling on and off.

This may be caused by a return air flow restriction. If you have something in front of the grate inside the coach, that could be the culprit.

Another possible cause is marginal propane pressure. If the problem happens regardless of which tank is used, you may have a failing regulator. It's also possible it could be a partially blocked hose. The test for this involves a piece of test gear that a qualified tech should have. You need 11 column inches of gas pressure. If the tech doesn't have this test gear, find someone else. Changing the regulator yourself costs a lot less than a service call. If that's not the problem, you'll have a spare.

Another possible cause would be restrictions to the ducting. Something blocking the ducts. Crushed or pinched ducts. If you take down the basement wall behind the UDC, you may be able to inspect for this.

There is also a possibility that the limit switch inside the furnace is failing. You'd probably need a qualified tech for this one.

Look for easy things first.

Re: Furnace problem

I reread your description and it sounds like the reduced air flow is key. The furnace burner comes on, it gets the air hot, but the air is not moving properly. So the furnace is overheating and the burner gets shut off.

I think something is restricting air flow, either at the return, or going through the ducts.

Re: Furnace problem

A thousand thanks, Dan. I took your advice and started with the simple things. Couldn't find any obstruction in the propane supply line, so I found an RV dealership that was open today and bought a new regulator and replaced the old one with the new. Turned on the furnace, and it runs like a brand new one again. Tons of heat. And I don't have to wait until the 3rd of of January to phone the dealer to send someone over. I checked all my connections with soapy water for leaks, to be safe. Here's hoping that's that for that WHEW!! Doug

Furnace problem

Thanks for letting us know what fixed it. Someone else will benefit from it in the future.


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