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Topic: Propane Furnace Won't Fire (Read 1590 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Propane Furnace Won't Fire

Reply #25 –
To eliminate dubber intrusion into water heater and furnaces and refrigerator outside door WHEN APPLIANCES ARE NOT IN USE in the off season, I open the access doors and "trap" a piece of nylon screen across the openings.  The nylon does not scratch the paint or metal, but is 100% effective at keeping out insects. Costs maybe $1 per appliance.

Brett
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Propane Furnace Won't Fire

Reply #26 –
Don't underestimate the propane regulator. For some reason on my coach the rear furnace worked fine, the stove burners appeared to work fine, the frige worked fine on gas but the exact same problem listed here, click, click, click but no fire, turned out to be the Propane Regulator. During my adventure I replaced the board, Camping World replaced the igniter, I almost disassembled the furnace to check the sail switch and check for insect intrusion before I finally took the coach to an FACTORY trained technician. I had spent over $250 and countless hours of frustration trying to fix the problem myself. In 20 minutes the technician determined with his manometer that the regulator was bad and for less than $100 the furnace was fixed.
Just prior to the furnace problem, I spent over $400 replacing the voltage regulator on the propane generator because it would run for a short time and quit. I suspect now that the problem with the generator may have just been the propane regulator.

Sometimes you just gotta pay the piper and let the experts, if you can find one, fix the darn thing.
The selected media item is not currently available.Kent Speers
Locust Grove, OK
1993 U300 SSE 40' (Restored at FOT 2009) Build 4323
720 watts Solar
6V92TA DDEC Silver Engine
2014 Subaru Outback

Re: Propane Furnace Won't Fire

Reply #27 –
I had a problem with the furnace (Atwood) running and heating, but not making very hot air.    Made a manometer out of some vinyl tubing taped on a board and checked the pressure - only 6 " H20 (should be 11")!. 

Not a problem, 'cause I carry a spare! 

So I replaced it with the spare.  the old regulator was full of oil (LPG contaminant.)  With the new one in, I got ...8" H2O !!??@@!  Adjusted and adjusted, and then took the secondary diaphragm spring out and stretched it some.  Got it up to 9" or so, and called it quits as the sun was going down.  Furnace is much warmer now, but I still need to either change regulators again or find a stronger spring, and either one of those means remaking the manometer, etc., so it's on the list of future projects.
Dave and Nancy
1999/2013 U270 36' Xtreme
Motorcade # 16774
2013 Subaru Outback
KD0NIM

Re: Propane Furnace Won't Fire

Reply #28 –
In our generator business world, a mud dubber in a regulator is not uncommon, some regulators are very easy to keep the dubber out, some are a lot more difficult, but a big cause forf a problem.

Re: Propane Furnace Won't Fire

Reply #29 –
Dave K,

Make sure you are measuring the height DIFFERENCE  on your manometer, not height on one side or you will be doubling the pressure:

Redirect Notice
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Propane Furnace Won't Fire

Reply #30 –
I hate manometers, messy  and cumbersome, instead there is a great dial gauge that does the job with a range of 0-20" h2o, very accurate non messy.
Bad side is if you hook it up to too much pressure, the gauge is done for ever as it is very sensitive, where the manometer just makes a mess and needs refilled.
Just for your info 11" h20 is approx. 6.3 oz. pressure.  ;D

Re: Propane Furnace Won't Fire

Reply #31 –
Quote from: Dave M –
I hate manometers, messy  and cumbersome, instead there is a great dial gauge that does the job with a range of 0-20" h2o, very accurate non messy.
Bad side is if you hook it up to too much pressure, the gauge is done for ever as it is very sensitive, where the manometer just makes a mess and needs refilled.
Just for your info 11" h20 is approx. 6.3 oz. pressure.  ;D

Now that you've whetting everyones appetite, where is this gauge available?

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Propane Furnace Won't Fire

Reply #32 –
Just to cover another possible problem that keeps a furnace from working - On mine it was the spade fuse had bad connection, cleaned the spades up and worked fine since.
1996 U270
Build #4846

Re: Propane Furnace Won't Fire

Reply #33 –
Quote from: wolfe10 –
Dave K,

Make sure you are measuring the height DIFFERENCE  on your manometer, not height on one side or you will be doubling the pressure:

Redirect Notice

Yep, that occurred to me after noticing that one tube only moved up ~3"!  ("Can't be that bad, can it?"
Dave and Nancy
1999/2013 U270 36' Xtreme
Motorcade # 16774
2013 Subaru Outback
KD0NIM

Re: Propane Furnace Won't Fire

Reply #34 –
Quote from: Dave Katsuki –
Quote from: wolfe10 –
Dave K,

Make sure you are measuring the height DIFFERENCE  on your manometer, not height on one side or you will be doubling the pressure:

Redirect Notice

Yep, that occurred to me after noticing that one tube only moved up ~3"!  ("Can't be that bad, can it?"

If one tube is up three and the other down three, that is 6 column inches.

Said another way 11 column inches is 11" as measured from the level in one tube to the level in the other tube OR 6.5" change on one side.

So, if you measure and mark ONE SIDE, you would use 1/2" increments to show 1" difference increments.

Brett
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Propane Furnace Won't Fire

Reply #35 –
Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart –
Quote from: Dave M –
I hate manometers, messy  and cumbersome, instead there is a great dial gauge that does the job with a range of 0-20" h2o, very accurate non messy.
Bad side is if you hook it up to too much pressure, the gauge is done for ever as it is very sensitive, where the manometer just makes a mess and needs refilled.
Just for your info 11" h20 is approx. 6.3 oz. pressure.  ;D

Now that you've whetting everyones appetite, where is this gauge available?

Pierce

Just bought  Dial type Manometer off Ebay, not cheap.

Re: Propane Furnace Won't Fire

Reply #36 –
Wayne at FOT fixed my front furnace today. I understood him to say the problem was a combination of burner wear and dauber debris. He pulled the furnace to fix it. I had tried to pull the furnace, but didn't know what pieces had to come loose. As Kent says, "Sometimes you just gotta pay the piper and let the experts, if you can find one, fix the darn thing." Wayne is indeed an expert.

When I left, he was working on the water heater which seems to have failed between our last trip and my arrival at FOT yesterday. He was not getting satisfactory measurements from some kind of control board. Sigh!  :(
J D Stevens
1997 U295 CAI 36' Build #5085
2002 Subaru Outback
Motorcade 16869
Bellville, TX