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klm's avatar
klm
Explorer
Dec 25, 2013

In need of furnace help!!!! Anyone?????

It is below freezing, and my furnace is spitting out cool air - not warm. I can keep warm with electric heater - but concerned about the the holding tanks and plumbing for the next 2 days prior to our departure for FL. We are fulltimers visiting family in the Northeast. Here is what is happening: first, I disconnected the aux tank/hose at the "extend a stay" earlier today. I am running on the onboard tank - it is near full. The furnace fan is blowing, but the air is cool. It has been working flawlessly until tonight. I have propane at the stove - burners light. Any suggestions? Why to these things happen at the worst possible time?

thanks and Merry Christmas to all
Kathy
Class A

48 Replies

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  • bycrackey's avatar
    bycrackey
    Explorer
    Dec 25, 2013
    cross country wrote:
    why do these things happen? Here's my guess: Your trying to keep warm. Your running 120 volt heaters, maybe robbing the battery charger in the converter of the amps it needs to keep the battery up. The sail switch dropped slightly signaling the board to shut off the propane to the furnace. The fan will continue to blow cold air until it is shut off at the thermostat. As suggested above, get a charge on the battery any way you can, hopefully 13.4 volts, the fan will spin faster and keep that sail switch up to allow the flow of propane.

    Reducing the 12 volt load, such as lights and water pump etc will help in getting a proper voltage to your furnace fan, (until your fully charged up again)

    Just a guess, good luck and Merry Christmas

    HOW??? would 120V heaters rob the battery charger? where do u people dream these ideas up??
    But what strikes me odd is how both furnaces have quit?
  • Mandalay_Parr's avatar
    Mandalay_Parr
    Explorer
    Dec 25, 2013
    Try turning the furnace off and on so it might recycle/reset the ignition process..
  • cross_country's avatar
    cross_country
    Explorer
    Dec 25, 2013
    why do these things happen? Here's my guess: Your trying to keep warm. Your running 120 volt heaters, maybe robbing the battery charger in the converter of the amps it needs to keep the battery up. The sail switch dropped slightly signaling the board to shut off the propane to the furnace. The fan will continue to blow cold air until it is shut off at the thermostat. As suggested above, get a charge on the battery any way you can, hopefully 13.4 volts, the fan will spin faster and keep that sail switch up to allow the flow of propane.

    Reducing the 12 volt load, such as lights and water pump etc will help in getting a proper voltage to your furnace fan, (until your fully charged up again)

    Just a guess, good luck and Merry Christmas
  • bycrackey's avatar
    bycrackey
    Explorer
    Dec 25, 2013
    2oldman wrote:
    How's your battery?

    how in the ell would the fans be blowing if the batterys were dead or the 12V switch is off never mind interior lites etc? so one has to realize the batt is ok if one knows how these systems work PLUS hes plugged into shore power
  • klm's avatar
    klm
    Explorer
    Dec 25, 2013
    Op here.Plugged in to shore power. Don't think it's a battery problem. I can hear the furnace fan, but blowing cold air. Thanks for the Christmas Eve help appreciate it.
  • pappaone's avatar
    pappaone
    Explorer
    Dec 25, 2013
    Furnace needs 12 volts to ignite make sure batteries are good and battery disconnect switch hasn't be bumped,
  • deltamaster's avatar
    deltamaster
    Explorer
    Dec 25, 2013
    Maybe let the burner on the stove run for a few to purge air from the lines.

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