Heater won't work - am I missing something? HELP

[thcguy12]

So our first overnight trip in the TT was a success last night. But we had one issue - I turned on the heater and all it blew was cold air for hours. Never got warm.

The battery was on (fan worked fine) and the gas was on (cooking on stove). I called the person I bought it from and they said all you do is hit the ON button on thermostat and turn heat up to ___ degrees (whatever you want it at). It is supposed to light the pilot automatically.

I read the instructions and they are kinda complicated/confusing - wonder if anyone here can tell me what I am doing wrong?

1.) SET THERMOSTAT TO LOWEST SETTING

2.) TURN OFF ALL ELECTRIC POWER TO APPLIANCE (what does this mean - unhook battery for a second)

3.) TURN SHUTOFF VALVE TO OFF (is this the off switch on thermostat or the nob on propane tank outside or what)?

4.) WAIT 5 MINUTES

5.) TURN ON ELECTRIC POWER TO APPLIANCE (what does this mean - hook battery cables back up or what?)

6.) OPERATE HEATER FOR 5 MINUTES WITH JUST FAN AND GAS OFF

7.) TURN SHUTOFF VALVE TO ON (do they mean outside on propane tank)?

8.) TURN SWITCH ON BOTTOM OF THERMOSTAT TO ON POSITION

9.) SET TEMPRATURE NOB TO TEMP DESIRED

[carl2591]

regulator freeze up can be a problem if its real cold out.. also low gas level in LP tanks in real cold weather can effect thing. the pressure can become to low to fire the heater which is a higher BTU than a cook top burner.

If the regulator is older it might be good to replace with new style two stage units as they help with the moisture issue. On most gas valves there are two screws used to check pressure to valve,, input and output.. I find it easy enough to open the one closest to gas coming in to purge air.. I just let blow till i smell gas real good and then shut off, fan the area to exhaust the gas from the area and start the lighting procedures.

We run into the purging issue in both nat and LP gas logs we service during the fall and first part of winter.

Huntindog wrote:

Bisker wrote:
The "blowing cold air for hours" is concerning, I had an issue with my furnace not lighting, but after three attempts it would shut off. Your unit should have a similar feature, which if it continued to run would lead me to believe it thought it had ignited.

Not all furnaces have this feature. In fact I think it is a fairly new feature. My 2001 would do as he says. I had a regulator freeze up on it, starving the heater for gas. while we were asleep. The fan ran until the baterries were so low that the alarms started acting up.
My 2010 TT has the 3 attempt start feature.

[Huntindog]

Bisker wrote:
The "blowing cold air for hours" is concerning, I had an issue with my furnace not lighting, but after three attempts it would shut off. Your unit should have a similar feature, which if it continued to run would lead me to believe it thought it had ignited.

Not all furnaces have this feature. In fact I think it is a fairly new feature. My 2001 would do as he says. I had a regulator freeze up on it, starving the heater for gas. while we were asleep. The fan ran until the baterries were so low that the alarms started acting up.
My 2010 TT has the 3 attempt start feature.

[Bisker]

The "blowing cold air for hours" is concerning, I had an issue with my furnace not lighting, but after three attempts it would shut off. Your unit should have a similar feature, which if it continued to run would lead me to believe it thought it had ignited.

One thing I do, to make sure the furnace is getting gas, is to turn the stove on and then start the furnace. If you see the stove flame drop dramatically you may not be getting enough gas to light your furnace.

Whatever you do while troubleshooting the problem, keep your trailer well ventalated and have someone with you.

[thcguy12]

Whatever - if you don't want to answer questions don't. But I do have questions and obviously some people are willing to help. Thanks to those with great answers - we are trying them this weekend.

[BubbaChris]

pappcam wrote:

4X4Dodger wrote:

nomad297 wrote:
Some people should just not own RVs.

Bruce

The guy is asking for help////and I supppose you were born with an "All RV" Maintenance Manual in your mouth?

C'mon be civil.

The OP also has another thread started where they're proclaiming even more cluelessness so while I also think he was sort of rude I can also see his point.

At least this thread didn't start with... "I posted this elsewhere here but thought I'd ask you experts.." like some of his other ones. I'm not even the least bit tempted to go back to the thread on how to level the RV without moving it.

[KilroyGuy]

Guys, let's get along!!! If you are offended by people who are still in the learning stage, then just keep it to yourself. Give this guy a break.

[opnspaces]

Okay, I only mentioned the refrigerator and water heater in case they were closer to the actual furnace. Just looking to make sure all the air is purged out of the lines before you try the heater.

[thcguy12]

We don't use the fridge or water heater but I can do the has line by running stove for a few minutes.

[opnspaces]

I have a good feeling it will work next time you try. I would just suggest making sure of four things.

1) Make sure the battery is charged fully or run jumper cables from your tow vehicle to the trailer.

2) Purge the gas lines at the stove by lighting the burners, also get the water heater and refrigerator running on gas.

3) Have someone stand outside by the furnace exhaust and listen for the igniter clicking while someone else turns on the thermostat.

4) If no heat after a minute turn off the thermostat, wait a minute and turn it back on again. Repeat a few times.

Let us know what you find.

[thcguy12]

That is why I post here - because I stare at the heater and literally have ZERO idea what is going on.

I love the idea of running gas to stove first to get it into system. I bet that is the solution. That is something I can do.

Getting down and taking apart the furnace cover off is like asking me to diffuse a nuclear bomb though - it's all just wires and metal in there.

Since it can't come down from land I suppose if the solution with the gas stove does not work we may just need extra blankets and heat the camper with the stove like we have for years in our little truck bed camper.

[SoundGuy]

thcguy12 wrote:
Yeah the TT is now permanently at our property - not being taken down ever again. So unfortunately we can't take it to a tech.

Well if you can't lead the horse to water then you gotta bring water to the horse - i.e. a mobile tech. Either that or live without the furnace. 🙂

[pappcam]

4X4Dodger wrote:

nomad297 wrote:
Some people should just not own RVs.

Bruce

The guy is asking for help////and I supppose you were born with an "All RV" Maintenance Manual in your mouth?

C'mon be civil.

The OP also has another thread started where they're proclaiming even more cluelessness so while I also think he was sort of rude I can also see his point.

[mabynack]

AH64ID wrote:
You probably had some air in the line. Try turning the furnace off, running the stove for a couple min, and then turning the furnace back on. It may take a few cycles to work out any air and get ignition.

It is possible that the DSI for the furnace is bad, or that the thermocouple is bad. Do you hear any attempts at ignition or ignition?

Stand by the exhaust outside when it starts and see if it gets hot and then cold. Hot will be HOT so do not burn yourself.

X2

I usually have to turn the furnace off and on three or four times before the air gets out of the lines and furnace lights.

Check your gas to make sure it's on. If you have a switch to switch between tanks, make sure it's positioned properly.

Stand outside by the heater and listen for the igniter while someone turns the switch on.

[westend]

thcguy12 wrote:
Yeah the TT is now permanently at our property - not being taken down ever again. So unfortunately we can't take it to a tech.

Just judging from your other posts about your trailer and the situation, I'd suggest you enlist a friend who has some background or ownership, at a minimum, of RV systems and bring it all together at the trailer.
An alternative is calling a mobile tech to repair it. Another is removing the furnace and taking it to a repair shop.

My WAG is that you either have a low battery/bad connection/blown fuse that won't spark the igniter (this could be an oxidized connector on the control board) or insufficient propane to the furnace valve.

Do you remember if the seller said anything about turning off a gas valve while he was doing the walk through? Maybe he turned the valve closed after the demo? Do you know how to turn on/off the gas valve to the furnace?

One problem here is that you've already confessed to being somewhat not handy with tools or mechanical systems, hiring repairs out to specialists (in another thread). If we give you the specific detailed instructions to diagnose the problems (if that's entirely possible), will you be able to act on these instructions? Are you just trying to get answers so that you can pass them along to a repair person?

One thing that's going to be necessary for keyboard diagnostics is the brand and model of the furnace and an accurate measurement of voltage at the furnace's control board.