Trailer Ducting Install This Weekend

[_AJ_]

I also liked those coat hanger brackets.

I found them here http://www.spacesavers.com/hangerholder.html

Question is, how strong are they? Will they hold a set of wet klim gear?

AJ

 

[Trashy]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

yammy...

Not sure what you mean here???

I looked at the rest of the thread; it is an Atwood but I was wrong on the part number...
Anyways, what I was getting at is that you do have the exhaust vented outside, so as long as you cut the hole for the exhaust vent large enough your combustion air will be drawn thru right there... the blower part of the fan, although driven by the same shaft as the power venting for the intake/exhaust, is completely separate. From what I saw it already looks like you have it installed properly so it shouldn't be using inside air for combustion...
Let me know if I missed something; you would be amazed at how much air is required to properly burn enough LP to produce 30K+ BTU...

 

[bigrodney]

You might check to make sure the model you have can be mounted with the vent facing up. Most models have to be mounted with the vent horizontal instead of vertically.

Make sure the thermostat is working correctly.Battery charged

 

[trackvs2wheels]

bigrodney...

Ya, not sure if this model can be mounted how I have it...directions call for horizontal mounting but I just don't have that amount of space...BUT it seems to be pushing the exhausted air outside the trailer, even though there isn't any "burned" air right now because I cannot get the dang thing to light...

Is anyone familiar with the limit switch that these furnaces have in them? Basically, it is a switch that closes once air is blown over top of it which allows the electrode to fire, which in turn ignites the furnace to produce heat. What I would like to know is if possibly my limit switch, being mounted in a vertical position, isn't closing the circuit allowing the electrode to fire????

Just throwing some ideas out there...

 

[trackvs2wheels]

yammy,

Yes, it is an Atwood 8531-IV. From what I can see the furnace must suck its combustion air from around the area where the exhaust tube exits the back side of the firnace????

I guess I cannot see any other place it is sucking air from...

Is the issue here that if it cannot get sufficient fresh air the pilot won't stay lit? Thus, it won't stay on all night or something like that?? Sorry, just not sure why they need alot of combustion air for other than to burn it...

Thanks for you help!! You seem to know alot about these little furnaces

 

[tudizzle]

I have to put some thought into this...but if I remember correctly I had a similar problem at first. With not getting the heater to ignite and stay lit.

You may have air in the line and it needs to be bled out....

You also need to check you manual and make sure you have the right regulator. They require just the right amount of gas flowing from your tank or it will mess up the mix and not work properly.

I'm guessing its the regulator

 

[IDspud]

My vent that looks like that pulls in air through the waffle hole on the left into a square supply air plenum to the furnace. The exhaust is routed through a small pipe inside the square plenum which exits through the hot hole on the right. Unless you are missing an internal part you are already pulling outside air.

I have my vent mounted through the floor of the trailer. Talking to a RV rep he told me the furnace functions perfectly this way. They tell you in the instructions to mount out the side to avoid C0 2 liability, but as he said, in all reality, what is the chance of pushing your exhaust outside and sucking it back into your trailer in a high enough volume through small cracks to become deadly? I have two years on mine with no C0 2 alarm and no problems.

He said the only considerations for directions of mounting are the fan direction and one sensor. The fan is more prone to failure when mounted on it's side. Can be done but be advised. The sensor should be turned if you choose to mount the fan on it's side.

I like mine out the floor because it allowed me to stand it on end which took up less room. The fan is still the correct direction and I have my heat down low which allows it to naturally rise through the trailer rather than having to be blown down. (Hot air Rises)

I have six kids and we usually leave the back door down while tubing and it stays warm enough the kids come and sit in camp chairs to warm up in the nose of the trailer, the top vent has a grate over it we can set gloves and other wet item on to dry and resume playing.

 

[trackvs2wheels]

Uh...yes, I THINK they will hold a wet pair of gear assuming you put both screws into the aluminum shell of the trailer. They are pretty strong when dropped down because they are designed that what doesn't let them bend past 90 is basically they hit on themselves...so it is hard plastic to hard plastic.

However, I have not hung much on them as of yet, but again, I think they will stand up to the abuse

Nice find by the way...I was a little off on my price

I also liked those coat hanger brackets.

I found them here http://www.spacesavers.com/hangerholder.html

Question is, how strong are they? Will they hold a set of wet klim gear?

AJ

 

[IDspud]

I was trying to remember my startup problem and he nailed it, my regulator was too small.

 

[Trashy]

Not sure if you can mount them vertically... Is it even activating the igniter? You should be able to hear it rapidly clicking about 20 secs after the fan starts... Definitely check your reg. at least make sure its the right one... It only takes a few seconds to purge the line so thats not likely it.
since its mounted vertically, is your exhaust out the roof or out the wall?

 

[trackvs2wheels]

Yammy..

YES, THAT IS THE PROBLEM...it is NOT even clicking the igniter...so I have not even begun to deal with the regulator issue

However, let me explain this to you. I took the unit to camping world Saturday and he hooked the unit up to a battery he had in his shop (now remember that the unit was sitting horizontally when he did this) and it turned the blower on and then in like 20 seconds went "click, click, click" trying to fire the igniter...but we didn't have propane hooked up so it shut itself off appropriately

NOW, I have the unit in my trailer and it won't go "click, click, click" anymore. So, the ONLY two differences are as follows:
1) Different battery was being used
2) Unit was horizontal verses being vertical now

I ask of you...which seems most plausible as the issue here????


THANKS!!

Some great stuff here guys

Track~

 

[trackvs2wheels]

THAT IS FUNNY RIGHT THERE...I DON'T THINK MY "REGULATOR" IS TOO SMALL At least she doesn't say it is...although, she might be just being nice

I was trying to remember my startup problem and he nailed it, my regulator was too small.

 

[Trashy]

if your reg were too small it would light and go out once the demand overwhelmed its capacity. You have other issues.
I heard something about a sensor that is indexable to the mounting position; this makes way more sense to me.

 

[trackvs2wheels]

Just talked with an Atwood dealer and he assures me that my battery, which is pumping out 10.5 volts under load, is the issue. He stated that the furnace needed 12 full volts under load to make the igniter go "clicky, clicky". BUT, I thought even a new car battery would only hold 10-11 volts under load...so how can the furnace NEED a full 12 volts??

Maybe I am wrong here, but a simple fix if this IS the issue

Track~

 

[Trashy]

mine runs fine even with the battery fairly discharged.... you can hear that the fan is turning slower but it still lights. Are you doing your voltage check at the furnace or at the battery? And how good is your ground path?

 

[trackvs2wheels]

Voltage check was done on the battery at a NAPA store.

Grounded the furnace with one constant wire to the battery, so that should be OK.

One thing I noticed is that the wire going to the thermostat (positive one) when test lighted shines really bright on the test light. But when I close the circuit through the thermostat (by turning it to heat) the return wire to the furnace only lights on the test light a little bit...like it is weak on power or something. However, I thought these thermostat wires were non-load bearing and therefore the circuit just has to be closed for the furnace to run. When I turn the thermostat to heat, the furnace turns on like it should...so I think it is working properly...was just confused about the dim light on my test light on the return wire

I agree that the battery seems good enough to run the unit. The guy was trying to tell me that there isn't enough air blowing over the limit switch to allow the elctrode to fire...but that fan was running pretty dang hard and if it is suppose to blow any harder than it was...I would marry this thing

 

[mattymac]

Voltage check was done on the battery at a NAPA store.

Grounded the furnace with one constant wire to the battery, so that should be OK.

One thing I noticed is that the wire going to the thermostat (positive one) when test lighted shines really bright on the test light. But when I close the circuit through the thermostat (by turning it to heat) the return wire to the furnace only lights on the test light a little bit...like it is weak on power or something. However, I thought these thermostat wires were non-load bearing and therefore the circuit just has to be closed for the furnace to run. When I turn the thermostat to heat, the furnace turns on like it should...so I think it is working properly...was just confused about the dim light on my test light on the return wire

I agree that the battery seems good enough to run the unit. The guy was trying to tell me that there isn't enough air blowing over the limit switch to allow the elctrode to fire...but that fan was running pretty dang hard and if it is suppose to blow any harder than it was...I would marry this thing

should be able to just hookup the two wires from the Tstat which should eliminate a problem in the Tsat. But if its turning on the inducer fan motor it should be getting enough voltage to activate the spark ignitor?


Has the ignitor even clicked since you have installed it? Just remember its just like a spark plug, is the electrode close enough to its ground to jump a spark across it? Maybe try moving the electrode tab a bit closer to the burner where it sparks across.

 

[tudizzle]

Is it working now or not?


Just thinking out loud trying to help troubleshoot....


The furnace requires a certain amount of vent square inches or it will get blow back into the unit. Not sure whay this would stop the ignitor from "clicking"? But just because the fan is blowing doesn't neccesarily mean it is moving the required amout of air.

 

[Trashy]

I'm starting to think you have a wiring issue..... do what mattymac said and eliminate the t-stat by jumping the wires together. and do a voltage check at the furnace
Are your wires adequate gauge? Both + & -......

 

[trackvs2wheels]

Wires are all either 14 or 16 gauge...that should be plenty to conduct 12 volts, correct?

Thanks for the help guys! I am going to first charge my battery and try it with a charged battery. Then I am going to eliminate the T-stat by crossing those wires. Then if that doesn't solve my problem I think I am going to try and bypass the limit switch by connecting the two white wires together and see if that allows the igniter to "click".

I know it worked in the shop the other day...so I don't think it is an issue with the igniter itself (i.e. a gap issue or something like that).

I did try to cover some of the holes that come out of the bottom of the furnace thinking it was letting too much air out of the thing...but that didn't help either I wouldn't think I could have too much air blowing over the limit switch to not allow it to work...

Lots of ideas to try...will see what I find out. Too bad I cannot work on it until this weekend when I am done working I wanna get this thing figured out!!

Track~