Furnace propane ussage

Remember the amp draw of a larger electric/ceramic heater. Don't know what you currently have, but that will limit the size you can run and still have power for other things.

mark_be wrote:

ktmrfs wrote:
I have a light than flashes indicating tank switchover in my trailer.

Sounds interesting! How dow did you do that?

Edit: found this item.

Yup, that's it. But WAIT, not so easy anymore.

FIRST you have to have a marshall 254 regulator. THAT is the tough part, they are no longer made and it is no longer readily available. A few places have some left but they want mucho $$$$ for them.

But if you have one, Marshall has a "changeover" indicator still available that works with the 254 regulator. you remove the top cap on the 254 regulator, pop on the changeover indicator which has a switch and lever in it. Then you run the included wire to someplace inside the trailer to the included flashing module, install 2 AA batteries in the module.

When the regulator changes over, the regulator changeover will close the switch on the top of the regulator and the light on the inside unit will start flashing.

Very handy!!!

Now it may be possible to adapt the changeover indicator to other regulators, haven't tried that.

I am assuming that you were plugged in to 120AC. Instead of running the furnace, very expensive for you, run a couple of 120v/100w lights in the basement. The heat generated by them in the confined space should be enough provided it is not too cold. It is a method used by boaters when storing boats.

ktmrfs wrote:
I have a light than flashes indicating tank switchover in my trailer.

Sounds interesting! How dow did you do that?

Edit: found this item.

Check out rvcomfortsystems.com, cheap heat. This is an add on electric coil to the gas unit. This gives you the option to run on gas or electric. I keep my camper plugged in at my house all the time. I keep my heater set at 45 degrees and I also added an extra 4 inch duct to the water tank basement. I love it, and have not refilled my butane bottles in three years.

A typical furnace is in the 30-40KBTU/Hr range. Propane IIRC has about 80KBTU/gallon. so figure between 1/3 and 1/2 gallon of propane per hour of furnace running. Same goes for the WH.

and, here is a tip. when using the furnace in near freezing weather, more than likely the propane switchover will switch tanks before the tank is empty.

What happens is that as the tank is near empty in cold weather the tank pressure drops low enough to signal an "empty tank" with around 1 gallon of propane left. Propane boils at -40F and the vapor pressure drops to low with high draw to keep the required flow.

I have a light than flashes indicating tank switchover in my trailer. The first time it switches, I wait till late morning early afternoon after the furnace is done running and switch the tank back to the "empty" tank. It will usually run on the "empty" tank till late evening before switching again. By then the tank is really empty.

Normally I do winterize the trailer. We were planning on departing next week, but we just got hit with an ice storm. We also use an electric heater, but that did not help much last night at 24F and it ran all night just to keep 55F. Maybe I need a bigger heater....thanks

Yep, it sounds about right. Space heating and cooling consumes far more energy than just about anything else.

I've gone through two propane bottles in my rig in a weekend with temperature in the teens, but I had the heater cranked to mid 70s.

I keep two 20# propane bottles in the truck bed which I go get exchanged regularly, and I have two on the rig, switching them out. That way, at the minimum, I have at least two full ones, perhaps more.

We've been sleeping in our camper on week-ends. 2 weekends ago I forgot to turn the furnace off, and last Wednesady night we wanted to sleep in it. That's when I realized I'd left the furnace on and the tank was empty. Luckly there's 2 tanks, and I always have 1 turned off, even though I've got the automatic switch over. I don't use it for this very reason. So I was able to flip tanks and we had a good night, and a good Thursday night and (Last night too). During the day we turn the furnace off since we're in the house or at work. What's sad was, I just filled that tank, and in a week it was empty and didn't even get to use the propane! (sad)... live and learn. But I got the tank refilled, so we're good again!

This camper is still new to us (only 3 months old now) so we're still learning. But it looks like we can get a week out of one tank, using it this way. We also now have 2 electric heaters inside and that helps extend the propane.

This camper is longer than our last one, and it has 3 slides, the old one had none, and it's got a taller ceiling than the old one. The 31 foot Springdale (old camper), propane tank lasted 10 days, running the furnace 24x7 with supplemental (1 ceramic heater). But the new one has much more space to heat. It makes a big difference!