furnace when generator running

[bluegoose]

I have a 2017 forester model 2801qs gts

Once a month I run the generator to make sure it is functioning like it should. I run it for about 20 min.

Today when I ran the generator I decided to turn on the furnace and check for heat, fan runs but no heat. I shut off the furnace.

When I shut off the generator I decided to once again check the furnace. This time the furnace put out heat and the fan worked.

When I ran the generator the motor home was still plugged into shore power.

any ideas ?

[bikendan]

Generator doesn't run the furnace. The furnace uses propane to heat the RV and the furnace fan is 12v and runs off the battery. All the generator will do is recharge the battery.

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[Reverse_snowbird]

To follow up on what bikendan said, try unplugging your rig and try running the furnace. It's possible that your 'house' batteries are dead or too low to run the furnace.
However, I'm not certain that's the problem if you've got a motorhome. The generator should power everything that is powered by the 30 amp connection.. including the furnace. You might need someone to track down the electrical connections.

[NavyLCDR]

More than likely the thermocouple was cold and did not detect gas ignition/burning so it turned off the gas prematurely. After a period of time the system resets and can then be allowed to try again. The thermocouple was warmed by the previous attempt to the light furnace, so the subsequent attempt at starting the furnace worked.

[Duckogram]

Since you are talking about exercising the genset I must conclude that you are not out glamping. Common practice is to turn off the propane at the tank when the unit is not in use. Sooooo, if you had the gas off and subsequently turned it on to “test” the furnace, it is very possible that it took two startup attempts in order to purge the line and supply gas to the furnace. You can encounter that same situation with your fridge, water heater and cooktop.