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Old 03-15-2012, 05:53 PM   #1
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Help! No Heat...Murphys Law

Hows that saying go...what can go wrong will?

I was just outside getting things ready for our first trip and its a bit chilly so I opened the propane tank, lit the stove for a second to draw up the propane, moved the lever on the thermostat over the about half way between cool and warmer and...nothing. Waited for 5 mins and still nothing. We have used the heat before and never had a problem.

Any ideas? This could really make our first trip with the nights dipping down to the 30s a little less than comfy.
Thanks!!
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Old 03-15-2012, 07:44 PM   #2
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do you hear it clicking when it tried to start ? is the blower running when you turn it on ?
did you open propane valve to fast ?
is there debris in the gas tube ?
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Old 03-15-2012, 07:49 PM   #3
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You mentioned setting the thermostat...did you switch from off to heat?

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Old 03-15-2012, 07:55 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ddepr1217
Hows that saying go...what can go wrong will?

I was just outside getting things ready for our first trip and its a bit chilly so I opened the propane tank, lit the stove for a second to draw up the propane, moved the lever on the thermostat over the about half way between cool and warmer and...nothing. Waited for 5 mins and still nothing. We have used the heat before and never had a problem.

Any ideas? This could really make our first trip with the nights dipping down to the 30s a little less than comfy.
Thanks!!
Do you have the switch on?
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Old 03-15-2012, 08:21 PM   #5
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Here is some Furnace troubleshooting info.

Furnace will not light if the air blower is not running.
There is a "sail" switch that has to close to put power to the gas solenoid.
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File Type: pdf suburbantech.pdf (804.8 KB, 56 views)
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Old 03-15-2012, 09:07 PM   #6
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Do you have gas at your stove or hot water tank? Make sure you purge the system! Also make sure propane tank is full if low on propane pressure may not be recognized by furnace to kick on. As f1100turbo stated valve may have been open to fast freezing valve if real cold outside.
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Old 03-16-2012, 06:43 AM   #7
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Here is where I'm at...
I lit the 3 burners on the stove and for a few minutes before I tried the furnace. Tested the fuses (all good) and switched the breakers on and off for good measure. The tanks should be more than full because we have not used the trailer yet. The thermostat does nto have a an on/off switch. It only has the lever on top that goes left to right from cooler/off to warmer. When I push it over to warmer to get things going, there is no click, no "woosh", nothing. I waited maybe 5 mins each time I tried.
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Old 03-16-2012, 06:59 AM   #8
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Pic of thermostat?
Never assume tanks are full.
you should hear the blower kick on.
There should be an on off switch to as well as a a/c -heat switch.

Make model and year of unit would help at this point.
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Old 03-16-2012, 07:20 AM   #9
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Found this picture online. This is my exact thermostat except mine is black. My trailer is a 2012 rockwood mini lite 2109s


suburban rv thermostat - Google Search
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Old 03-16-2012, 07:31 AM   #10
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Are you hooked to shore power or just battery?
If just battery you may not have enough juice to get the fan going which will prevent to furnace from starting. If you have the option try this on shore power otherwise check to see if the battery is fully charged & try again
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Old 03-16-2012, 07:40 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sreddy View Post
Are you hooked to shore power or just battery?
If just battery you may not have enough juice to get the fan going which will prevent to furnace from starting. If you have the option try this on shore power otherwise check to see if the battery is fully charged & try again
sr
Did think of that. I'm hooked up to shore power. Plugged into into house.
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Old 03-16-2012, 08:55 PM   #12
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Maybe you have a bad thermostat. Not sure how to do it but you should be able to hook up the wires behind the thermostat and overide the system to see if you can at least get it to come on and run. I am sure someone on here knows what wires to hook up so that it could be tested. It sounds like its not recognizing the demand for heat. The wiring should be similar to that of a home thermostat. I know you are able to do that on a standard home thermostat. Just check to see if one of the wires is loose even or broken on the terminals. I found an article to test the system on a thermostat connect a jumper wire to the W terminal and the other to the R terminal. That was an article on the internet so not sure but it should work. If it goes through the heating cycle then thermostat is bad and if it doesn't start system then looking closer at the furnace
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Old 03-17-2012, 02:53 PM   #13
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Update!!

Funny thing just happened. I was just outside showing the TT to a family member and I glanced over at the thermostat and noticed that the needle that indicates the room temp had moved over considerably. Previously, it was all the way to the left indicating <50 degrees. The lever on top of the thermostat (that sets the desired temp from cooler to warmer) was in the warmest position. So I went out and turned the propane on and the heat came on! Can anyone explain this?
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Old 03-17-2012, 03:00 PM   #14
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can't explain it but sounds like you need to do the mod that a lot of us do.
throw that cheap thermo out and install a digital Hunter or Honeywell.
very common and popular mod.
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Old 03-17-2012, 03:44 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ddepr1217 View Post
Can anyone explain this?
Of course!

In the aviation world; this is called the "Lockheed Fix."
(I flew the Lockheed C-130 Hercules and saw it many times).

It is when an aircraft malfunction suddenly disappears and the aircraft just "fixes itself" for no apparent reason.

This is a well known and documented "legit" repair. The maintenance forms typically are notated "CND" by the flight line mechanics and signed off "Ready for Flight". (CND - Could Not Duplicate)
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Old 03-17-2012, 03:49 PM   #16
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Only problem his conduct doesn't involve a possible CRASH.
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Old 03-17-2012, 03:52 PM   #17
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Pilots hate the CND code. They generally question the crew chief extensively if he is around when that code appears. I flew as a WSO and was all over the EM shop when I saw that code.
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Old 03-17-2012, 07:19 PM   #18
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Pilots hate the CND code. They generally question the crew chief extensively if he is around when that code appears. I flew as a WSO and was all over the EM shop when I saw that code.
Yea, that was always the problem with the "Lockheed Fix."
It never seemed to stay fixed for long...

Sometimes it was just better to "break it better..."
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Old 03-19-2012, 04:27 PM   #19
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Well, at least I don't have to worry about falling out of the sky

So the heater goes on when the thermostat indicates an inside temp of more than 60 degrees. Below that...nothing. Ain't that irony?!

Hopefully when the dealer looks at it this weekend they will replace the thermostat.
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Old 03-20-2012, 07:04 AM   #20
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I have the same thermostat in my pup. I had the same problem. I pulled the thermostat off and messed around with it and then put it back on and voila, it worked. Basically, its a REALLY cheap thermostat. Either replace it or smack it a couple times when it acts up.
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