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Author Topic: RV furnace broke  (Read 7831 times)

Offline sagerat

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RV furnace broke
« 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?

Offline baker5150

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #1 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.

Offline sagerat

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2017, 09:18:57 AM »
2005 Nash, thanks

Offline Hilltop123

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2017, 09:19:59 AM »
Is this a forced air system? Or just a radiant system?

Offline sagerat

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2017, 09:33:09 AM »
Forced air

Offline Hilltop123

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2017, 10:30:24 AM »
Does the fan come on? Sorry for the stupid questions.

Offline baker5150

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2017, 10:35:40 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.

Offline sagerat

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2017, 10:44:01 AM »
No, nothing happens. I did check the fuse...

Offline Hilltop123

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #8 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.

Offline sagerat

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #9 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.

Offline scotta

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2017, 09:24:27 PM »
Is your thermostat set on heat and not in the cool or off position ?

Offline Humptulips

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #11 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.
Bruce Vandervort

Offline NRA4LIFE

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #12 on: August 01, 2017, 10:13:00 PM »
Sale switch?
Look man, some times you just gotta roll the dice

Offline sagerat

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #13 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?

Offline Smokepole

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #14 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. 

Offline Jim/WA

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #15 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.

Offline birddogdad

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #16 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.
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Offline Lingcod

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #17 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.
“Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other.”

Offline Ridgeratt

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #18 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.

Offline bowNarrow

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #19 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

Offline Bofire

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #20 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
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Offline sagerat

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #21 on: August 04, 2017, 09:18:02 AM »
Thanks for all the ideas. Now I need to find time to dig into it.

Offline baker5150

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #22 on: August 04, 2017, 09:38:04 AM »
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.


Offline Miles

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #23 on: August 05, 2017, 08:53:31 AM »
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.

Offline sled

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #24 on: August 05, 2017, 09:38:32 AM »
 
Sale switch?
:yeah:  that's what my problem was!

Offline ryan8888

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #25 on: August 15, 2017, 07:04:30 PM »
Airflow switches rarely fail. Check tubing to switch and that heat exchanger isn't cracked.

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Offline BNAElkhntr

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #26 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: 

Offline wapiti22

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Re: RV furnace broke
« Reply #27 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.

 


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