Furnace blowing cold air

[ZoomsBro]

I have used my 2016 Solitude furnace very little.
We turned it on last weekend and it would only blow cold air.
Never heard it light (if you can actually hear those?)
Propane tanks are both about 1/2 full or more.
Any ideas of where to start?

[JCZhome]

Turn the furnace off and turn the thermostat off. Open the tank on the side that your valve is pointing to (or turn both tanks on) and then light your stove. Let it burn for just a minute then turn the stove off. Turn your thermostat back on, turn on zone 2 and set it on furnace and the fan speed on "Auto" then turn the tempreture setting up until you hear the blower come on.

NOTE: the fan blower will come on approx. 30-45 seconds before the furnace lights.

[SolarPoweredRV]

Okay, you start with the simple things first...

First, are both propane tanks on? And, do you have a good flame on your stove?

Next, try switching the knob on top of your Regulator to the other tank (and check the stove again).

Next, are you letting the furnace run long enough to get hot? It takes a few minutes for the heat to start once the fans comes on.

Next, go outside and stand next to the furnace exhaust and listen to the sounds it makes when the furnace comes on. You should hear the fan come on first, followed 30 - 60 seconds later by a "click" (that is the gas valve opening up), followed by a series of click, click, click, click (that is the sound of the gas igniter trying to light the gas flow [ same sound as on your stove ]). The next sound you should hear is a loud "Whoosh" as the gas ignites.

If you have checked all those things and it is still not working then the problem is probably dirt causing an obstruction around the gas orifice.

One other thing, why are both of your propane tanks 1/2 full? Generally, with the automatic change-over regulators, you run on one tank until it runs dry and the regulator automatically switches over to the other tank which allows you to switch the knob on top of the regulator to the other tank so you can get the empty tank re-filled.

[ZoomsBro]

Okay, you start with the simple things first...

First, are both propane tanks on? And, do you have a good flame on your stove?

Next, try switching the knob on top of your Regulator to the other tank (and check the stove again).

Next, are you letting the furnace run long enough to get hot? It takes a few minutes for the heat to start once the fans comes on.

Next, go outside and stand next to the furnace exhaust and listen to the sounds it makes when the furnace comes on. You should hear the fan come on first, followed 30 - 60 seconds later by a "click" (that is the gas valve opening up), followed by a series of click, click, click, click (that is the sound of the gas igniter trying to light the gas flow [ same sound as on your stove ]). The next sound you should hear is a loud "Whoosh" as the gas ignites.

If you have checked all those things and it is still not working then the problem is probably dirt causing an obstruction around the gas orifice.

One other thing, why are both of your propane tanks 1/2 full? Generally, with the automatic change-over regulators, you run on one tank until it runs dry and the regulator automatically switches over to the other tank which allows you to switch the knob on top of the regulator to the other tank so you can get the empty tank re-filled.

Thanks for all the good advise.
I clicked the battery switch back and forth once, vacuumed the furnace tubes out, switched the propane selector over and took the cover off the furnace so i could see/hear what was going on. Had my wife turn off thermostat and then back on.

Bingo- something worked... fired right up.

Now i need to figure out the selector for the propane system. I'm not sure which tank it draws from first or which way the valve should face. I normally just get the tanks refilled about every 4th trip out.
We have friends from Sweden staying in the RV right now during their visit so hence "the use of the furnace that never gets ran".
Thanks again.

[CoChris]

Now i need to figure out the selector for the propane system. I'm not sure which tank it draws from first or which way the valve should face. I normally just get the tanks refilled about every 4th trip out.
We have friends from Sweden staying in the RV right now during their visit so hence "the use of the furnace that never gets ran".
Thanks again.

Glad you got the furnace working. For the propane selector (auto switch), there should be a lever on the top that can be turned to point to either the street or curb side tank (turn level all the way, do not leave it in the middle). Below the lever is a window with a red/green indicator. The lever will point to the "primary" tank. That will be used first. When that tank is used up it will automatically switch over to the "secondary" (other) tank, assuming both tank valves are open. When the selector is using the primary tank, the indicator will be green. When it is on the secondary tank the indicator will be red. When the indicator shows red, just move the lever to point at the other tank. That make it the primary tank and refill the now empty original tank. Keep repeating this procedure to automatically switch (alternate) tanks.

You can see the auto selector behind my propane tank. The indicator is red, showing I am on my secondary tank - opposite direction from lever.


Chris

[JCZhome]

Thanks for all the good advise.
I clicked the battery switch back and forth once, vacuumed the furnace tubes out, switched the propane selector over and took the cover off the furnace so i could see/hear what was going on. Had my wife turn off thermostat and then back on.

Bingo- something worked... fired right up.

Now i need to figure out the selector for the propane system. I'm not sure which tank it draws from first or which way the valve should face. I normally just get the tanks refilled about every 4th trip out.
We have friends from Sweden staying in the RV right now during their visit so hence "the use of the furnace that never gets ran".
Thanks again.

You have a 2016 so you have the older style t-stat and when you haven't used your furnace for awhile sometimes you have to reset or reprogram the thermostat by turning it completly off and letting it sit about 60 seconds.

The process that I outlined above was just walking you through all the basic, simple things, that it could be however, I outlined all of the trouble shooting factors as it was outlined when I took the RV Maint. Tech training. It could have been any one of those or something a little more tedious (ie.mud dobbers in the burn tube of the furnace). I was reasonably sure it would be one of those issues.

The next time it happens, you might just go straight to your t-stat and turn it off completly and then turn it back on, making sure the fan speed is on "Auto", also. I have an early 2017 model and so you and I have the same t-stat. We are full timers and I've had the same issue a few times but reprogramming the t-stat does it for us.

[ZoomsBro]

Very helpful Chris, thank you. Picture was great-