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Topic: Electric heat add-on for propane furnaces. (Read 682 times) previous topic - next topic

Electric heat add-on for propane furnaces.

Was wondering if anyone had installed one of these?  I talked with the owner/inventor, who is a full timer and he knows what he is talking about.  Besides avoiding the cost and use of propane it allows the fan to run slower and quieter.  Only problem is having room around the furnace to add it on.

CheapHeat

Keith
Keith, Joyce & Smokey the Australian Cattle Dog
1995 U320 SE Extreme 40' WTBI Build # 4780, with a Honda CR-V hopefully still following behind.
Motorcade # 17030
FMCA # F422159

Re: Electric heat add-on for propane furnaces.

Reply #1 –
Looks interesting.

I wonder if you could add electric heat strips to the roof air units for those times when it is too cold for them to provide heat in heat pump mode.
Tom Lang K6PG (originally  KC6UEC)
and Diane Lang
2003 38 U295 build 6209
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Ecodiesel
still have tow-ready 2006 Acura MDX 
Temple City, California
Motorcade 16681 California Chapter President
SKP 16663 member of SKP Park of the Sierra, Coarsegold California
FMCA F071251
Retired electrical and electronic engineer

Re: Electric heat add-on for propane furnaces.

Reply #2 –
I looked at these a while back and didn't look like they would work in my setup. Plus much cheaper to just plug in a couple of electric heaters from Home Depot. :)

see ya
ken
The selected media item is not currently available.ken & dori hathaway & Big Agnes
🍺1992 U300 GrandVilla WTBI #4150 FOT FBP 2011
✨6V-92TA DDEC Parlor Coach 350HP Series 92
🏁2011 Nissan XTerra Pro-4X

Re: Electric heat add-on for propane furnaces.

Reply #3 –
$500 :o  PLUS install ::)

I like the idea, lower fan speed but my my.

Like Ken said you can buy electric heaters, and retro fit heating for the dometics.

Best idea b^.^d head south. :thumbsup:
The selected media item is not currently available.
My advice and experiences are Free, you decide if they are worth anything .

John - driving Old Faithful
1994 U280 GV
C8.3, Banks, Pacbrake, 900 watts, Resonator, XLHD tow dolly
Retired Army Warrant Officer

Life is what you make of it - if it is lemons, make lemonade!
Former Coaches:
1988 GV 40' ORED 300HP CAT - 9 years
1990 Winnebago LeSharo - 3 years
2000 Newmar London Aire - 3 years (#18 of 23 produced)

Re: Electric heat add-on for propane furnaces.

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Keith and Joyce –
Only problem is having room around the furnace to add it on.
And there sure isn't a lot of room anywhere near the furnaces in my U225, neither furnace.  One hidden under the couch and the other hidden in the closet.  And I'm not giving up any of the room I have now.
1994 U225
build #4514

Re: Electric heat add-on for propane furnaces.

Reply #5 –

Personally I don't like messing with the furnace.  Best to keep it stock for repair ease.  I was looking at one of these Amazon.com : Broan 114 Fan-Forced Kickspace Heater, White : Utility Heaters : to install in the kickboard of the kitchen area.  I currently use cheap space heaters but they seem to always be in the way and I worry a cat will knock something a miss and possibly start a fire.  For the bedroom area I was thinking one of these Cadet Register Plus Heater - 120 Volts, 500/1000/1500 Watts, Model# RMC151W - that could be installed in the closet door were nothing could get close to it to possibly start a fire.

I do have the main furnace thermostats controlling the electric space heaters.  I have a toggle switch next to the thermostat to switch between propane or electric.  With the switch to electric, the thermostat 12 volt signal is sent to a 120VAC relay with a 12 volt coil.  The relay controls power to a dedicated outlet that the space heater is plugged into.  I was thinking I could control a built-in heater the same way but direct wired without the outlet.

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John Fitzgerald
1991 U300 (SAI) Side Aisle Island Bed 40'
Detroit 6V92 with Allison Retarder
Meridian (Boise), Idaho

Re: Electric heat add-on for propane furnaces.

Reply #6 –
RE " add electric heat strips to the roof air units"

Our coach only has roof air heat strips, but we would never think of using roof air for electric heat. We use small 900/1500 watt heaters plugged into outlets that are dead when inverter is on. Heaters cost about $20 and are a good source of heat. Our roof air conditioners cost thousands, don't heat as well & are louder than floor heaters AND are the only thing that can cool our coach. If we had heat pumps on roof, we still would never consider using them for heat. We save them for cooling. Why add wear when inexpensive alternatives can do a better job?

Re: Electric heat add-on for propane furnaces.

Reply #7 –
I think there's room to permanently install an electric baseboard heater in the hallway right behind the bathroom door in my U300. It would heat the bedroom and bathroom if the bathroom door was left open. I'm not gonna do it but it looks like I could if I wanted to. I don't see anyplace in the front to install a baseboard heater. I do think a fan powered box could be installed under the couch with its own heat ducts, separate from the gas furnace. Fan powered boxes are common in suspended ceilings of office buildings in warmer parts of the country. I'm not gonna do this either but I probably could if I wanted to. I bought one of those oil filled radiator electric heaters and I really like it a lot. It's almost completely silent and it rolls under the little vanity shelf in the bedroom when I'm not using it. I roll it out into the hallway when it's turned on so it won't overheat the bottom of the vanity shelf. It heats the bedroom and bathroom when I leave the bathroom door open and I can still open the closet door without hitting it. I bought a small radiant heater for the front and set it on the floor between the front seats. Unfortunately the radiant heater has a little fan motor in it that makes an annoying buzzing noise. the radiant heater glows red, but I sleep with the bathroom door open so the glow doesn't keep me awake. I have heat strips in my rooftop units but I don't like to use them because I don't want to put extra hours on the blowers. Air conditioners are expensive.
Scott Cook
1991 U300 36' 6V92TA
Old Town Penobscot 16
1984 Honda VF1100C (V65 Magna)

Re: Electric heat add-on for propane furnaces.

Reply #8 –
I have the cadet heater under the bathroom sink with a wall mount thermostat in my Bluebird.  Works great for heating the bath for showers  and bath/bedroom at night.
Dan - Full timing since 2009
2003 U320 40' Tag 2 slide

Re: Electric heat add-on for propane furnaces.

Reply #9 –
We also use small electric heaters.  One in the bath really does a nice job of warming the bath for a shower.  We use a two speed fan unit with a thermostat for the saloon.  The problem with using electric units is they don't heat and protect the bays.  When the temps drop below freezing we have to go back to the propane furnace that does the bays.
Dave Cobb
Buckhorn Lake Resort The Club, #6202, Kerrville TX
check the map.  I do rent it out when I am traveling!
2001, U320, 36' #5887, in Kerrville, FT Club #17006, (7/23 to present)
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Summit, white
EX: 98 U295, 36' #5219, (mid door), (4/13-10/23)
EX: 93 U225, 36' (4/11 to 4/13)

Re: Electric heat add-on for propane furnaces.

Reply #10 –
RE: When the temps drop below freezing we have to go back to the propane furnace that does the bays.

The problem with using furnace to keep bays warm, is there are only a couple of small diameter ducts to the water bay area and there is no assurance that enough heat is pumped down there. Furnace runs based upon interior coach thermostat and the bays cool much faster than interior, and we like to keep our interior cool at night, so furnace would not run very often.

To be super sure we don't have any pipes freezing, we use small "personal" 200 watt heaters in the water bays on both the curb & street sides. And we continue to use electric space heaters to heat interior.
Lasko Products My Heat Personal Heater - Walmart.com Used to be $10 each. Heaters are an improvement over our 100 watt light bulbs, as they are safer and move warm air about.
 

Re: Electric heat add-on for propane furnaces.

Reply #11 –
We have used the 200W heaters, also. I found larger heaters were so hot that I was concerned about starting a fire. We use the small heaters in addition to the rear furnace. We have also used remote reading thermometers to monitor the bays.
J D Stevens
1997 U295 CAI 36' Build #5085
2002 Subaru Outback
Motorcade 16869
Bellville, TX