Posted 2014-09-21 9:11 PM (#160866) Subject: furnace not always warm
Veteran
Posts: 146 Location: Cornfield in Iowa
I got a new to me trailer in April and have never had one with a ducted furnace. Went to a barrel race this weekend and yesterday morning I flipped it on just to see if it worked. It got warm in a few minutes and seemed to work fine so I flipped it off. This morning I actually needed it, turned it on and it just blew cool air. I left it on for about 15 minutes and it never did get warm. So......after I got home this afternoon, I flipped it back on and it got warm, turned it up and it got really, really warm. Turned it off and waited a couple of hours and did it again and it worked fine. Is there something in it, like a thermostat or something that might be going bad that I could check? Haven't a clue and there is not manual in the trailer. It is an Atwood.
Posted 2014-09-21 10:54 PM (#160869 - in reply to #160866) Subject: RE: furnace not always warm
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 448 Location: Los Angeles, Ca.
Yes, there are high limit switches inside the heater that will shutoff the heater if it gets too hot inside the unit. There is also something called a "sail" switch which will keep the gas off if the air flow is not great enough. Make sure the return air grill is not blocked as well as the supply ducts. Keep the furnace compartment free of junk. Also make sure there is propane in the tanks and maybe bleed the air out of the lines. The unit will attempt several relights before locking out and needing to be reset if there is no propane in the lines.(light the kitchen stove) Owners manuals are available free online. Your t-stat may also have a fan only setting which will not produce any heat.
Posted 2014-09-22 9:44 AM (#160874 - in reply to #160866) Subject: RE: furnace not always warm
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Because it is a used trailer, I would expect some cleaning of the furnace's components, would make its operation more stable. As was stated, the sail, TC unit and burner orifice can inhibit proper burning, and are susceptible to dirt and critters. A few minutes with the available owner's maintenance manual, some small paint brushes and an air hose or electrical contact cleaner, will do wonders to improve a smooth operation.
Since it has run successfully, I would think its crankyness is a maintenance issue instead of a parts problem.
Posted 2014-09-22 10:22 AM (#160877 - in reply to #160874) Subject: RE: furnace not always warm
Veteran
Posts: 146 Location: Cornfield in Iowa
I opened the outside door last night and it did have a lot of dirt in there. I'm going to pull it over to the shop and blow it out. I did flip it on this morning again while I was out feeding the horses and it was nice and warm in a couple of minutes. Thanks for the replies!
furnace not always warm
