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Equipment & Gear => Power Equipment & RV => Topic started by: sagerat on August 01, 2017, 07:44:31 AM

Title: RV furnace broke
Post by: sagerat on August 01, 2017, 07:44:31 AM: The furnace in my trailer will not come on. Doesn't even try to ignite. I turn the thermostat wide open and it's just dead. Any ideas?
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: baker5150 on August 01, 2017, 08:23:19 AM: How old is it? Roughly.

I'd check the ignition module, most likely that's the issue. Check for bad grounds, rust, corrosion, etc.
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: sagerat on August 01, 2017, 09:18:57 AM: 2005 Nash, thanks
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: Hilltop123 on August 01, 2017, 09:19:59 AM: Is this a forced air system? Or just a radiant system?
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: sagerat on August 01, 2017, 09:33:09 AM: Forced air
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: Hilltop123 on August 01, 2017, 10:30:24 AM: Does the fan come on? Sorry for the stupid questions.
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: baker5150 on August 01, 2017, 10:35:40 AM: Quote from: sagerat on August 01, 2017, 09:18:57 AM
2005 Nash, thanks

That's new enough to have a pressure switch for the exhaust fan, when you fire it up does the fan blowing exhaust outside the trailer come on?
I assume you already checked fuses.
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: sagerat on August 01, 2017, 10:44:01 AM: No, nothing happens. I did check the fuse...
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: Hilltop123 on August 01, 2017, 12:09:18 PM: Did you set the thermostat, to its max setting. As hot out as it is, you will have to set it to the Hell setting. Before it will turn on.
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: sagerat on August 01, 2017, 01:13:21 PM: Yeah, I did it later at night and maxed it out. Played with it for a while and nothing.
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: scotta on August 01, 2017, 09:24:27 PM: Is your thermostat set on heat and not in the cool or off position ?
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: Humptulips on August 01, 2017, 09:33:55 PM: If the fan won't start up it will not turn on. I would check the voltage coming into the fan first. Are your batteries good or are you plugged into an electrical hookup?
Bet you can guess I had the same problem and it was because the fan was not getting a full 12 volts.
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: NRA4LIFE on August 01, 2017, 10:13:00 PM: Sale switch?
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: sagerat on August 02, 2017, 06:27:53 AM: Yeah, I've tried just on 12volt and then plugged in. Naturally you can't access hardly any of it without seriously taking it apart. Any chance it could be the thermostat unit itself?
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: Smokepole on August 02, 2017, 06:45:32 AM: You can do a continuity test on the thermostat. It is just a switch. Or you can bypass it and see if the system fires up.

If the fan comes on, but furnace won't fire, it's most likely a low-voltage issue. The fan needs to be up to speed to trip the sail switch. If the fan is dirty, it may not move enough air to trip the sail switch.

Let us know what the symptoms are, and I'll bet you will get some expert advice on here.
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: Jim/WA on August 02, 2017, 07:06:39 AM: I just ordered a new relay board for my ac unit. In my case, my fan runs even when the thermostat is "off". It doesn't respond to any of the controls so neither the ac compressor or furnace will come on. The only way to shut it down is by switching the breaker off. Your's could just as easily be a relay either stuck in the off position or blown altogether.
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: birddogdad on August 02, 2017, 07:13:28 AM: my fathers camper has heater failed a couple times over 15 years, each time turns out to be ckt board issue. Most RV places will replace and groom the new boards. I just dropped off the heater, which comes out easily. Cap off your gas line and camper still works fine for summer camping till it is fixed.
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: Lingcod on August 02, 2017, 07:34:09 PM: My camper is brand new and heat won't kick on either, but I'm not too worried about it because the temp is so hot in there, it's way above max setting on the thermostat, I'm sure once it cools down outside it will kick on. I'm not saying that's your issue but maybe.
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: Ridgeratt on August 02, 2017, 07:37:44 PM: Not sure what the heat exchanger is in your I have one that has a cast iron exchanger and with the moisture in Propane after a while it ends up with rust in it so has to be removed and shaken out. Once it's clear runs like a champ.
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: bowNarrow on August 02, 2017, 07:38:31 PM: Typically a thermostat is only 2 wires on a rv. You could remove the stat and just tie the wires together and see if that works to eliminate the stat as the problem
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: Bofire on August 02, 2017, 07:41:22 PM: :) did you remember the switch on the bottom of the thermostat? My Nash has one, it is a master off/on switch. Nothing works if it is not on, My wife forgot about it once.
Carl
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: sagerat on August 04, 2017, 09:18:02 AM: Thanks for all the ideas. Now I need to find time to dig into it.
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: baker5150 on August 04, 2017, 09:38:04 AM: Quote from: Ridgeratt on August 02, 2017, 07:37:44 PM
Not sure what the heat exchanger is in your I have one that has a cast iron exchanger and with the moisture in Propane after a while it ends up with rust in it so has to be removed and shaken out. Once it's clear runs like a champ.

That is scary, please make sure you have a CO detector in your RV that works.
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: Miles on August 05, 2017, 08:53:31 AM: Quote from: bowNarrow on August 02, 2017, 07:38:31 PM
Typically a thermostat is only 2 wires on a rv. You could remove the stat and just tie the wires together and see if that works to eliminate the stat as the problem

You don't have to remove the wires... Take a pair of needle nose pliers and hold one end of each jaw on the terminal screws. This will jump it. If it turns on, you have a bad thermostat.
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: sled on August 05, 2017, 09:38:32 AM: Quote from: NRA4LIFE on August 01, 2017, 10:13:00 PM
Sale switch?
:yeah: that's what my problem was!
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: ryan8888 on August 15, 2017, 07:04:30 PM: Airflow switches rarely fail. Check tubing to switch and that heat exchanger isn't cracked.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: BNAElkhntr on August 15, 2017, 07:43:56 PM: Is your ac and Furnace controlled from same tstat? if so they might be linked thru Air conditioner relay if so when furnace calls for heat it senses thru Ac then Ac will send signal to Furnace my unit actually you hear click of ac when furnace I turned on :twocents:
Title: Re: RV furnace broke
Post by: wapiti22 on September 09, 2017, 06:07:27 PM: Check all the electrical ground connection. They corrode over time. When my heater doesn't start it's usually the ground on the ckt board that needs cleaning.