couple of rookie question's

Torque TQ291 SS

1) When I am plugged in to power does the furnace use propane and power or power only ? Suburban furnace I believe is mounted under stove ! There is 2 exhaust outlets on the outside wall ! When I had the heat on last night the bottom one was blowing warm air so the top one must be for stove ? I assume !

2) when does the water heater fill up from empty ? From fresh or city or both ? So I know when I can turn on the switch for heat ? I know it has gas & electric switch ! Atwood brand ! I also removed garbage plastic drain plug & installed brass plug with petcock !

The furnace always uses propane and 12 volt power. If you are plugged in, the 12 volt power is being supplied through the convertor. The outlet that was not moving any air is the intake to provide combustion air to the furnace.
The water heater fills from city water as soon as you turn on the supply. When you are using tank water, it will fill as soon as you turn o the pump. As long as the water heater is not on bypass, as soon as you get water from the hot taps it is safe to turn on the switch for heat.

Happy trails.

torque1911 said:

Torque TQ291 SS

1) When I am plugged in to power does the furnace use propane and power or power only ? Suburban furnace I believe is mounted under stove ! There is 2 exhaust outlets on the outside wall ! When I had the heat on last night the bottom one was blowing warm air so the top one must be for stove ? I assume !

2) when does the water heater fill up from empty ? From fresh or city or both ? So I know when I can turn on the switch for heat ? I know it has gas & electric switch ! Atwood brand ! I also removed garbage plastic drain plug & installed brass plug with petcock !

Click to expand...

Your furnace is designed to operate on 12V and will always require propane. If you are connected to shore power, the converter will be supplying 12V to the coach, as well as maintaining the battery. No shore power, the battery alone runs the furnace.

If you're talking about the two round ports on the side of the rig, near the furnace, one is the heat outlet for the burner and the other is the intake for the heat exchanger. If you have your manual, the diagram will help explain it. Although the manual warns against blocking these, putting the screen covers available for them is recommended by most owners to keep mud daubers and other nesting critters out of them.

If you have an Atwood water heater, then you do not have an anode rod in the drain hole (different tank design), so you can install a brass plug with valve. Suburban's have an anode rod in the drain and won't work with a petcock on them (that I know of). Filling the water heater must be done before turning on the 120V electric heating element. Failure to do so will destroy the element in a very short time. Not expensive to replace, but a PITA in many cases. To fill from city water, open the pressure relief valve until water starts to dribble out, then close it. Filling from your water tank, same thing while running the pump. Without shore power, the unit will only heat on propane, being operated from the battery. I don't know about Atwood's, but the Suburban's can be operated simultaneously on 120V element and propane. This gives faster recovery if the whole gang wants to shower in a short timeframe.

One other note on the water heater. When winterizing with antifreeze, it is not necessary to put any antifreeze into the water heater unless you want to waste however many gallons it takes. Simply use the bypass valves to segregate it from the plumbing system and drain it, leaving the plug out until you need to fill it again. And never, ever put antifreeze into your fresh water tank, or you will spend a great deal of time trying to flush it out.

When de-winterizing, make sure the water heater bypass valves are restored to normal position. If you're in bypass mode, the faucets will work on both hot and cold, but actually all the water is bypassing the water heater. John's recommendation to fill the tank with the relief valve open will avoid any confusion.

If you use campgrounds with shore power a lot, suggest you get a small 120 volt low profile electric heater and heat using the campground electricity and save your propane. Plus you can get one with a quiet fan and the loud gas heater blower fan cycling on and off at night won't interfere with sleep. Personally I have a Holmes low profile heater with thermostat and digital control.

The furnace in this thing will run u out of there ! Works great ! Now the bed on the other hand sucks can't decide new mattress or topper !

danemayer said:

When de-winterizing, make sure the water heater bypass valves are restored to normal position. If you're in bypass mode, the faucets will work on both hot and cold, but it actually all the water is bypassing the water heater. John's recommendation to fill the tank with the relief valve open will avoid any confusion.

Click to expand...

Dan even the experienced make a mistake sometimes. I got in a hurry, and forgot the bypass valve which gave me the "opportunity" to change the water heater element. Take your time and don't get in a hurry. Doesn't hurt to use a check list either, no matter how "experienced" you are.

New kingkoil mattress from art van & mattress pad ! Slept like a baby ! Cost under $300

When I picked up my fifth-wheel the dealer turned of the breaker for the 120v hot water heater and said don't turn it on until you are sure you have water in the heater. Best way is to open the relief valve until water comes out. He also said when you drain the hot water heater trip the breaker.