Forum Discussion

gargoyle158's avatar
gargoyle158
Explorer
Sep 07, 2019

Water in furnace bay

This one has been driving me nuts for a while now and I havent found a solution nor anyone else posting about it. I have a 2008 Damon Challenger 37 foot. On the port side is the Atwood 8500. Whenever we get a good rain the floor tray in the furnace fills with water, 1/8 inch or better. This shorts out some part of the electronics, furnace won't start. I get the blower and a spark and the burner fires for 15 seconds or so and then stops and recycles 2 more times and we're done. I dry it out with rags and paper towels, hairdryer and normally I get lucky and she will start. I am tempted to drill a whole in the bottom so water drains. I have redone the weather seal twice and it still fills with water. Anyone got any ideas ?? By the way, it is all original parts.
Class A
  • gargoyle158's avatar
    gargoyle158
    Explorer
    Sep 10, 2019
    I filled in the old gasket with new foam several months ago. There is nothing above the furnace and it only fills during a hard rain. Below the furnace is the generator so kind of iffy on drilling a hole. Also the particle board they use for subfloor in these things makes me l
    eary of running water through it. My best guess right now is the cover has a flat grate around the blower exhaust which is probably the culprit. So probably going to look at some kind of hillbilly fabrication to add louvers.
  • doxiemom11's avatar
    doxiemom11
    Explorer II
    Sep 10, 2019
    Ours did that! It was leaking in from the rooftop refrigerator vent, running down to the outside compartment, flooding it and then running down into the area below the furnace. We used Etrnabond Tape and sealed everything on the roof.
  • jeeperdude10's avatar
    jeeperdude10
    Explorer
    Sep 09, 2019
    DC&MC, that is exactly what I did as well. Bought some 1/4 inch peel em stick em weather stripping and followed the indentations of the factory foam "gasket' and screwed the plate back on. Since 3 years and several heavy rains, no issues.
  • rgatijnet1's avatar
    rgatijnet1
    Explorer III
    Sep 08, 2019
    Is your furnace under your refrigerator or any other thing that has water fed to it or develops water from condensation?
  • DC_MC's avatar
    DC_MC
    Explorer III
    Sep 08, 2019
    A couple years ago we were in a spot with high winds on the furnace side. Winds were pushing water in around the outside panel where the furnace vents. We removed the screws and the panel and reinstalled it using some insulating tape. Hasn’t leaked in again.
  • Horsedoc's avatar
    Horsedoc
    Explorer II
    Sep 07, 2019
    What would happen if you put a 1/8 or 3/16 hole there for drainage until the solution can be found. My Essence had the same problem, but only a few drops.
    That problem now belongs to another fellow with pretty good mechanical ability.
  • DFord's avatar
    DFord
    Explorer
    Sep 07, 2019
    Have someone spray the side of your HM (above the furnace not right at it) with a garden hose while you look inside to see if you can tell where it's getting in.

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