Propane Furnace won't ignite

[Kidkraz]

Shane, thanks for the tip. I'll check that first.

[LoveToCamp]

Well, I no longer have a TM (loved them!), but I MAY be able to help solve the ignition problem. Or, at least give you something else to look at.

I have an Atwood furnace in my current trailer. It has similar problems as all other TT furnaces. I have replaced the sail switch a few times, and messed with it (key point!) on our last trip. I had a backup, and put it in. The backup had a hard plastic guard over the sail, so I tried bending the old sail back to that shape. I put the old sail switch back in, and it worked, temporarily. So, I turned-up the thermostat and went outside so I could look for the error code.

The unit fired-up (which it wouldn't do if the sail switch was not working), and was not staying ignited. It would re-ignite without the blower turning off, and did this a few times. Then, I saw a backfire flame come out the exhaust port. HMMM!

I recalled that on the Lance Owners forum, someone had said to check the bottom knockout of the furnace housing. I had done that in the past, and the knockout had fallen out, so I put it back on with duct tape. I looked under my furnace (inside, through the cold-air return), and the knockout had fallen out again. I put it back on (again with duct tape, as that is all I had with me), and tried the furnace again. IT WORKED FINE!

So, the point is, check your furnace housing for a missing knockout. I don't know why that would impact the combustion process, but mine works great if the knockout is in place (I have since put it on with muffler tape, and support it now with a 1" x1" post). Heck, one of my wail switch replacements may have been unnecessary, if the missing knockout was causing the problem back then.

Good luck!

[Rolling Thunder]

Heater Propane Ignition
I’ve had minor heater issue when it’s wet outside, she won’t start up. When rain or dampness subsides, she starts right up. We use her sparingly because of the noise also and carry a silent radiator style oil heater and are usually in full hookup sites.

[Rob Culver]

Originally Posted by Wavery

It's most likely an air flow issue. The furnace has a "Sail switch" in the air intake and the exhaust outlet. If there is any airflow disturbance when the fan kicks off, the gas valve will shut off immediately.

It could be spider webs, mud dobber nests or a host of other obstructions. Those furnaces are pretty indestructible and very serviceable. They seldom need replacing.

Having said all that, we never use ours. They are so noisy and they put out so mush heat that they fire-up, warm the space quickly causing the thermostat to turn it off. 5-minutes later, the camper has cooled down and the thermostat turns it back on (about the time that we fall asleep). so it goes all night long.

We bought a Mr Buddy heater. It's silent and does an amazing job of heating the camper. We've used ours in +15* temps.

Hi Wayne,
What model of Mr. Buddy heater do you use? I assume this is a propane model? Does your heater require an open window for venting?
Thanks in advance..

[Kidkraz]

I've used the Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Heater MH9BX 4,000-9,000 BTU, version. Which works great in my 2619. I see Mr Heater Buddy has their own 1LB refillable propane tanks. I also have a 5 LB tank I take for sitting outside. That can last me a couple days, verses several hours. Just make sure you use a filter with the large tanks.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by Rob Culver

Hi Wayne,
What model of Mr. Buddy heater do you use? I assume this is a propane model? Does your heater require an open window for venting?
Thanks in advance..

Our Mr Buddy heater is the same as Kidraz' heater.

We use the 5G (20#) tank with the adapter hose for the heater. The 1# bottles are too expensive. We do leave a window cracked open. We've never had to use the heater on high, even in 15* F temps.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e?ie=UTF8&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e?ie=UTF8&th=1

[Rob Culver]

Originally Posted by Wavery

Our Mr Buddy heater is the same as Kidraz' heater.

We use the 5G (20#) tank with the adapter hose for the heater. The 1# bottles are too expensive. We do leave a window cracked open. We've never had to use the heater on high, even in 15* F temps.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e?ie=UTF8&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...e?ie=UTF8&th=1

Thanks Wayne and Kidraz,
Wayne, I assume you are using one of the 20 pound propane tanks that come with the trailmanor as your propane source? How did you route the adapter hose from the outside to the inside of the TM?