Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hoping someone has some knowledge here to help point me in the right direction. Currently camping at Seminole State Park in SW Georgia - so it's not life or death - but it sure would be more comfortable if we had heat for the next couple of nights!
First - our setup: 2014 Coachmen Freedom Express travel trailer. We're the 2nd owner, have owned it for 5 years now, have had very few problems (mostly self-inflicted!) and we use it 4 or 5 weekends a year.
Heater: Atwood AFMD25121 propane heater.
Issue: No heat. Last night, I turned the thermostat to heat and up to 80 - the overhead unit fan would kick on to move the air, and then the furnace fan would start blowing, but no heat. Tried this several times - nothing changed.
I've checked propane levels in both tanks - they're both full. I do have gas to my gas stove - it lights and works properly.
Once everyone was bedded down last night with extra blankets, I started tearing into this heater. After unhooking the ductwork and removing the heater from the area it's mounted, I checked the fan switch - it's working properly, it clicks normally and sounds / feels like a switch should - so I'm pretty certain this is not the issue.
Next - I removed the thermal switch or limit switch - little bit of corrosion on the leads but I cleaned them up, didn't suspect this to be the issue.
I put everything back together and tried to run the heater there on the floor - I must have made a little bit of progress, because now the furnace does kick in and ignite, and I could feel the heat blowing out for about 3-5 seconds, and then it kicks off. It repeats this cycle - ignite/burn for 3-5 seconds and makes heat/stops burning.....then 10-15 seconds later it will ignite/burn for 3-5 seconds/stop burning....and over and over.
I used a jumper wire (okay....a paperclip) to bypass the limit switch, same result. I used the same paperclip to bypass the fan sail switch, same result. So I feel like both of those switches are working normally.
I did clean out probably a dozen bugs of various kinds from the bottom of the heater, around the gas valve. Even a couple of live ones that took the brunt of my anger (didn't know that they had a yellowish/greenish blood in them...).
I turned my focus then to the actual burner. I removed it - it's got normal corrosion on the actual burner, nothing out of the ordinary and no cuts or cracks. I used a metal file to try and remove a little of the corrosion. Next I removed the electrode and looked at it - there were no glaring issues, and I took my file and tried to clean up the metal just a little bit to remove any corrosion on it.
I reassembled everything - no luck. I have the same 3-5 second cycle of heat, followed by the burner stopping, and then re-igniting in 10-15 seconds for another 3-5 second burn, etc.
At 2am my hands were numb and I figured it was too late to have a shot of Crown to warm myself up, so I gave up for the night.
So here's my summary:
-Thermostat - working normally.
-Battery level - full, on 30A power at campground.
-Propane tanks - full.
-Propane supply - it's lighting my gas cooktop and it's running normally.
-Blocked air - I don't think it's the case as the heater is removed and has unrestricted air supply now and not working.
-Fan sail switch - appears to be good.
-Heat limit switch - not the issue, bypassed it and having same problem.
Any thoughts on what I should check next? Besides into motel options nearby??
Furnace Issues - cycling on / off
Linear Mode
