Furnace on shore power

[dstone]

Can I use my furnace in my motorhome without having the gas on when its plugged into shore power?

[westom]

Gasman wrote:
It is just amazing how so many of these simple questions turn into a pissing match about who is smarter.

Only one person makes this a pissing match. Identify the only one who is an adult acting like a child. According to his reasoning, all my appliances operate on 500,000 volts since they are powered from those high voltage transmission lines.

Also just as silly is to portray a meter (VOM) as too complicated.

[Bob_Landry]

Gasman wrote:
It is just amazing how so many of these simple questions turn into a pissing match about who is smarter.

And the end result is that after 4 pages of comments, the furnace still works on propane and 12VDC, either from the converter or the battery.
These tech threads just keep getting better and better.

[Bobbo]

Kayteg1 wrote:
You don't want to see the big picture.
Converted voltage is converted voltage, still it is the source that should count.
If you want to split hair, often furnace has build in converter what supply 3-5V to control board.
So following your logic you can say that furnace runs on 5V.
Than RV converters give about 14V not 12.

Furnace voltage? Furnace Manual. See page 3.

That answers the question completely, and with authority.

[Old-Biscuit]

Boon Docker wrote:

Gasman wrote:
It is just amazing how so many of these simple questions turn into a pissing match about who is smarter.

Just too many arm chair engineers on this forum. :B

Or some that were actual engineers with information that can clarify 'misinformation' which Helps ALL

Daddy always said:
Ignorance and misinformation are 2 things that can be corrected
Now 'stupid' well there just isn't any hope

[Kayteg1]

Gasman wrote:
It is just amazing how so many of these simple questions turn into a pissing match about who is smarter.

or try to pretend being smarter by posting something that brings nothing to the subject 🙂
I don't take it as pissing match to start with.
If something in this World has simple technical answer, I did not meet it yet.
No matter what decision we have to make, it is never "black or white" but the choice is from multiple grades of gray.
Exchanging our opinions let us better understand possible options.
In this case main disagreement seems to be English understanding.
Is "runs off" "run on" and "powered by" the same thing? Doesn't look like.

[Boon_Docker]

Gasman wrote:
It is just amazing how so many of these simple questions turn into a pissing match about who is smarter.

Just too many arm chair engineers on this forum. :B

[rgolding]

Gasman wrote:
It is just amazing how so many of these simple questions turn into a pissing match about who is smarter.

I was just thinking the same thing.

Our a/c units have heat exchangers, so they do work as a furnace. Nice but noisy. We use 2 spacer heaters for heat source on nasty, wet, damp days like today. Keeps the chill off. If its below freezing, we do cycle furnace to keep stuff warm below, but space heaters for local comfort.

We also use an extra 20amp circuit on a surge protector power outlet off the power post in the campground. That way we can run 2 space heaters and not trip a breaker.

[Gasman]

It is just amazing how so many of these simple questions turn into a pissing match about who is smarter.

[Old-Biscuit]

Kayteg1 wrote:
You don't want to see the big picture.
Converted voltage is converted voltage, still it is the source that should count.
If you want to split hair, often furnace has build in transformer what supply 3-5V to control board.
So following your logic you can say that furnace runs on 5V.

Not a Suburban or Atwood RV Furnace.
They do have a transformer but that boosts voltage to 10K for spark electrode

RV Furnaces operate on 12V DC power...regardless

[Kayteg1]

You don't want to see the big picture.
Converted voltage is converted voltage, still it is the source that should count.
If you want to split hair, often furnace has build in converter what supply 3-5V to control board.
So following your logic you can say that furnace runs on 5V.
Than RV converters give about 14V not 12.

[Bobbo]

Kayteg1 wrote:

Bobbo wrote:

Kayteg1 wrote:
Nice way of making simple things sound complicated 😉

Yes, but at least it was not wrong.

Sayz who?
The furnace, while having hookups is using 120V that is converted to 12V.
Still the source of power is 120V.

Sayz who? The furnace manual. Look at page 3.

The "source of power" may be 120v, but the furnace only sees 12v of that.

Following your "source of power" rationale, they are actually 12,000v RVs.

12v to furnace from converter. 120v to converter from house breaker panel. 240v to house breaker panel from utility company step down transformer. 12,000v to utility company step down transformer. So, the "source of power" is actually 12,000v.

You can't trace power back that way.

The furnace is 12v. If you don't believe me, hook up a 120v power wire to your furnace and report back what happens.

[Kayteg1]

Bobbo wrote:

Kayteg1 wrote:
Nice way of making simple things sound complicated 😉

Yes, but at least it was not wrong.

Sayz who?
The furnace, while having hookups is using 120V that is converted to 12V.
Still the source of power is 120V.

[Bobbo]

Kayteg1 wrote:
Nice way of making simple things sound complicated 😉

Yes, but at least it was not wrong.

[time2roll]

Yes and when the MH is running down the road the 12v comes from the alternator powered by the main engine.
Still the furnace does not run on gasoline/diesel. Just 12v and propane.