Furnace not lighting

[Dennyha]

Tonight, I had what could have been a major issue. It's supposed to get down to 21 degrees tomorrow night in Ohio, so I don't need any furnace issues.
When I came home from work, I noticed the camper was on the cold side, so I turned the thermostat up to 69. Ran to Home Depot to buy foam sheets to build a skirt. When I got home, I noticed the furnace was not running. I turned the thermostat up to 75, and the furnace still did not kick on. I turned the thermostat off for a few seconds, and then back on. The furnace fan started, ran for a while, and then turned off. I cycled the thermostat off and on again, the fan kicked on. This time, I timed it, and the fan ran exactly 4 minutes prior to turning off. Did this several times, and every time, it shut off after exactly 4 minutes. I then noticed that the air that was blowing out of the ducts was cold. I immediately thought "propane". I went to my stove, and all three burners lit promptly.

Next, I thought about what recently changed. Late last week, my right side propane tank emptied. I flipped the cut over switch to pull from the left tank, turned off the right tank, removed it and had it refilled. I returned it to its storage position, slowly opened the valve, but left the cutover switch pointing to the left tank.

I turned both tanks off, and then slowly opened both. Again, I lit the stove top burners, but the furnace did not lite. Then, I flipped the cutover switch to pull from the right side propane tank. Then the furnace lit. So, the good news is that my furnace is working now. The bad news is that I don't understand why it didn't lite when the cutover switch on the regulator was pointing to the left tank. According to my Tank Check, my left tank is at 66%, and my right tank is at 73%. I was able to light my stove burners with the cut over switch pointing either way, but only able to light the furnace with the switch pointing to the right. I don't get it. Any thoughts?

 

[mikeandconnie]

My 2013 landmark had a leak in the Left propane tank hose last winter causing my furnace not to light. The stove and on right tank all worked normal. I used some soapy water and found the leak.

 

[RDsStudio59]

Hi Denny, where does your stove gas pressure regulator episode fit into the puzzle?

Safe Travels,

Roger

 

['Lil Guy']

Slowly opening the valve is the correct way but did you remove the hose first to release any pressure before starting the process anew. Might be the problem with that one side.

 

[Dennyha]

So, I have a new development. Furnace has been working fine. Last night, the right side tank emptied. This morning, I noticed that the furnace was blowing cold air again. I flipped the cutover switch to show the left tank as primary, and it was still blowing cold air. I removed the left tank, moved it to the right side, flipped the cut over switch to show the right side as primary, opened the tank, and then I was getting heat again. For some reason it is not drawing from the left side. I did notice that there is a red pressure regulator by the left side tank. I'm guessing that I either have a problem with that pressure regulator, or the new regulator I just bought a month or two ago is not working correctly when I need to draw from the left side. I think I'm going to try to hook up the tank to the left side, and measure the propane pressure at the stove to see if I'm getting flow from the left side. Any thoughts as to my changing out the red regulator on the left side? Is there a name for that regulator that I need to know when I go to buy one?

 

[danemayer]

So, I have a new development. Furnace has been working fine. Last night, the right side tank emptied. This morning, I noticed that the furnace was blowing cold air again. I flipped the cutover switch to show the left tank as primary, and it was still blowing cold air. I removed the left tank, moved it to the right side, flipped the cut over switch to show the right side as primary, opened the tank, and then I was getting heat again. For some reason it is not drawing from the left side. I did notice that there is a red pressure regulator by the left side tank. I'm guessing that I either have a problem with that pressure regulator, or the new regulator I just bought a month or two ago is not working correctly when I need to draw from the left side. I think I'm going to try to hook up the tank to the left side, and measure the propane pressure at the stove to see if I'm getting flow from the left side. Any thoughts as to my changing out the red regulator on the left side? Is there a name for that regulator that I need to know when I go to buy one?

Denny,

Left and right are ambiguous since they are related to where you're standing relative to the rig.

If you mean the doorside doesn't work, regardless of which tank is there, but the off-door-side does work, regardless of which tank, you'll want to replace both the single stage regulator and the pigtail that goes from tank to regulator.

 

[RDsStudio59]

In the automotive field left and right are always called out from the drivers seat and I have always thought same of RVs. Left being off door side.

With that being said Denny did you happen to notice if the switchover valve showed Green in the window when you are on the left tank? That should show pressure coming from that tank

Safe Travels,

Roger

 

[Dennyha]

In the automotive field left and right are always called out from the drivers seat and I have always thought same of RVs. Left being off door side.

With that being said Danny did you happen to notice if the switchover valve showed Green in the window when you are on the left tank? That should show pressure coming from that tank

Safe Travels,

Roger

Yes, I was using left as off-door side. I will need to double check, but I don't think the cutover switch is turning green on the pressure regulator when I flip it to the left, or off-door side. I'm hoping it's either one of the two regulators (red single stage in off-door side or dual stage in door side). I hope its not the propane line as that feeds through the frame from left (off-door side) to right (door side).

 

[RDsStudio59]

Got it. I would pull the line off the outlet side of the left side regulator and check flow/pressure to quantify tank/regulator or hose.

Safe Travels,

Roger

 

[TravelTiger]

We had similar issues with our doorside and replaced the pigtail. Seems to have fixed it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dennyha]

I've done some more trials, and I'm hoping I have it narrowed down to the LP hose that connects the high pressure regulator in the off-door side to the dual stage regulator in the door side. I replaced the high pressure regulator ($18) and that did not help. I swapped propane tanks, and that did not help. I swapped pigtails, and that did not help. I then connected the left tank, with the left pigtail, directly into the off-door side input of the dual stage regulator, and then the furnace worked fine. Then I connected my manometer to the stove to check my propane pressure. When the left tank was turned on, and flowing through the long LP hose from left to right, I measured 11 inches water column, but as soon as the furnace started clicking (trying to lite and demanding propane), the pressure dropped to 3 inches. I turned the furnace off, and left the pressure build to 11". Then I lit one burner on the stove, and it dropped to 8". When I lit another burner, it dropped to 4". When I repeated these same tests with the tank turned on the right side, the furnace lit fine and maintained 11" pressure. When I lit burners on the stove, again the pressure maintained. All the evidence points to the long LP hose. I tried blowing through it, but there was no noticeable flow. I used my air compressor to blow through it, but again no flow.
I've removed the long LP hose, and I'll try Amerigas to see if they can assemble a replacement for me on Monday. Fingers crossed.

 

[RDsStudio59]

Sounds like you are on track. Thanks for sharing.

Safe Travels,

Roger

 

[cookie]

I recall an incident from a couple years ago where someone had similar issues.
The parts recommended for replacement were everything in line. Long hose and both regulators.
Sounds like you are part way there.

Peace
Dave

 

[Dennyha]

Thanks for your support.

In summary, any time that long LP line is involved, the furnace doesn’t lite and I can’t maintain propane pressure. Every time I’ve bypassed that line, using either tank, either pigtail, or either input to the dual stage regulator, the furnace works fine, and I can maintain propane pressure. Hope I’m not overlooking something.

 

[Dennyha]

Based on all of the tests I outlined in earlier posts, I felt pretty confidant that the problem was the LP hose going from the high pressure regulator in the off-door side LP bay, to the dual regulator in the door-side LP bay. I removed the hose, and tried to get one at Camping World. No luck. I tried to get one made at Amerigas. Again, no luck. I called Heartland, and after several communications, we found a 96" long LP hose that looked to match. I ordered it. Upon receiving it, I noticed that it was a 3/8" hose, whereas my original hose was 1/4". Also, one of the fittings was larger than on the original one. I took the old and new hose to my local Ace Hardware, and bought some fittings to make things work.

After installing the new hose, I am happy to report that everything is working fine again. Now I can run the furnace from either LP tank and maintain 11" water column of pressure. At this point, I don't know if I damaged the hose when I replaced the dual stage regulator a few months ago, or if it was defective all this time. I'd bet on the former, but since I always fill the door side tank whenever it gets low, I'm not sure I would have noticed if it never provided LP from the off-door side. This is the first winter that I've spent significant time in the camper, so this is the first time that I was depending on LP from both sides.

 

[RDsStudio59]

Glad you got it fixed Denny. Thanks for the update.

Safe Travels,

Roger

 

[JohnD]

I think we may have a problem with ours, too.

Took 2 1/2 years to go through our first tank of gas, including a winter trip to Tucson, AZ, the 2016 HOC National Rally in Las Vegas, NV, and 10 other rallies and campouts, including a couple of trips to New Mexico.

Finally, that tank of gas ran out just as we pulled up to our house coming home from the Colorado HOC Rally in Mancos, CO.

Perfect timing!

Well, one more campout in October, a nine day trip to Mountaindale near Colorado Springs for three nights and the rest at Blue Mesa near Gunnison, CO, so I figured that with the track record of our propane use over the last 2 1/2 years that one tank would last us at least another year or two.

Nope . . . that tank ran out on our way home from that trip.

I did notice a propane smell before we left as I was checking the tires and removing the scissor chock from under one of the slides, so maybe we have a leak on one side of the gas regulator.

 

[Lou_and_Bette]

John, I had a similar problem with a leak and it turned out to be the in-line pressure regulator had gone bad. Only way I found the problem is when I went to unhook the hose, I felt and then heard the gas coming out of the small opening on the bottom of the back. Check that out before you replace a hose