Forum Discussion

pianotuna's avatar
pianotuna
Nomad III
Mar 31, 2014

Fan Folly

Hi,

As many folks here are aware, I regularly rv in sub zero temperatures. I've made quite a few mods to allow me to do so in relative comfort.

One of those mods is a pair of fans that are thermostatically controlled, to replace the return air grill on the furnace. That lets me heat electrically without freezing the fresh water system. It also sends air through the furnace duct work.

Last night I was monkeying around in the kitchen and by accident bumped the switch. This morning--frozen lines to the shower and toilet were the result. (They have some nerve calling this a four seasons rv--it was only -19 c (-2 f)).

I decided to see what would happen if I simply turned the fans back on. Within the hour, the shower was operational again, and the toilet followed at about the 80 minute mark.

It did "spur" me to put in a screw--so that the fans can be run on low, or high, but that turning them off is not going to happen again.

Here is what the fans look like:

  • MEXICOWANDERER's avatar
    MEXICOWANDERER
    Explorer
    Mar 31, 2014
    Like me with the LED dimmer and a splootch of GOOP. Go more than 80% and oops. That has been resolved.

    Cut my teeth on LUCAS auto electric at an early age. When you master LUCAS you have made the grade.

    The three settings of a LUCAS switch

    Smoke
    Smoulder
    Ignite


    LUCAS! The originator of the INTERMITTENT wiper.

    Nothing I know of Don, causes innovation as fast and complete when a person realizes their "Perfect Answer" electrical device is anything but perfect.

    Happy Shivers Amigo. Where did I put the the sunblock?
  • Yeti_plus's avatar
    Yeti_plus
    Explorer
    Mar 31, 2014
    Geez Don you are lucky. When I started to read this I thought " Oh wow Bob's Your Uncle has passed the torch, and we are in for another tale".
    Glad everything worked out so well.
    Brian
  • SteveAE's avatar
    SteveAE
    Explorer
    Apr 01, 2014
    Don,

    Good test. It sounds like your fans are doing their job.
    I am curious if you are leaking any conditioned air to the outside via your furnace exhaust port.

    Steve
  • kirbybear's avatar
    kirbybear
    Explorer
    Apr 01, 2014
    Lucas is why the British drink warm beer. Lucas used to make refrigerators :)
  • NRALIFR's avatar
    NRALIFR
    Explorer
    Apr 01, 2014
    I saved this picture a couple of years ago because I thought it was funny.

    Now it's even funnier! :B



    :):)
  • pianotuna's avatar
    pianotuna
    Nomad III
    Apr 01, 2014
    Hi Steve,

    Why would I be leaking air from the furnace exhaust? I thought it was a sealed combustion chamber?

    SteveAE wrote:
    Don,

    Good test. It sounds like your fans are doing their job.
    I am curious if you are leaking any conditioned air to the outside via your furnace exhaust port.

    Steve
  • SteveAE's avatar
    SteveAE
    Explorer
    Apr 01, 2014
    Don,

    Good point. Perhaps I should have said the "exterior access" cover rather than "exhaust".
    I ask because, when I take my interior grill off, I can see the backside of the outside access cover. So I assume that if I pressurize this location (which is normally a low pressure point) heat will escape that way. I could go out and try it, but I figure you are all set up and at your temps (too darn cold) it will easily be to detect heat escaping at that location. Perhaps it is sealed well enough to prevent this leakage which makes sense as otherwise it would also allow exhaust CO into the furnace during normal operation.

    I'll take a second look at mine and let you know.

    Steve

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