RE: RV Furnace convert from gas to electric

[kenandterry]

4garylee......

What kind of RV do you have that doesn’t vent the propane furnace outside?

[D W]

Throughout this thread I keep seeing the term "FREE ELECTRICITY" bandied about. In what universe is electricity free?

You may think it's free as the cost is buried in the daily space rate, but your paying for it. As the price of electricity continues to rise, so will the daily charges. Some private parks are now starting to bill you by meter rates by the Kwhr for stays longer than 3 days and/or if you charge your EV from the pedestal.

It's not free.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by D W

Throughout this thread I keep seeing the term "FREE ELECTRICITY" bandied about. In what universe is electricity free?

You may think it's free as the cost is buried in the daily space rate, but your paying for it. As the price of electricity continues to rise, so will the daily charges. Some private parks are now starting to bill you by meter rates by the Kwhr for stays longer than 3 days and/or if you charge your EV from the pedestal.

It's not free.

Well technically, you are correct.

But... if you are NOT being charged by the kilowatt through a meter, then it is not an ADDITIONAL expense above and beyond your daily rate no matter how much you use.

Same can't be said for your propane use.

[4garylee]

For all those that are black and white yes I messaged incorrectly. Propane furnaces are less thank 60% efficient and industry will argue 50% at best “fact” you can easily look that one up!!! So amount of air pulled in for the propane furnace does generate vapor as propane is heating that air and exhausting. Those propane furnaces and how they are installed are far from closed sealed and tight. So, running a propane furnace does create a fair amount of moisture in the RV. Dry heat (electric) which doesn’t relay on pulling cold air and reuses interior conditioned air will greatly reduce the amount of moisture being created in the RV.

I do apologize that i lead anyone to believe that RV furnaces exhaust into the RV.

It’s like the saying thinking what know but not saying it how it should be!!! LOL

[jimmarako]

Originally Posted by 4garylee

For all those that are black and white yes I messaged incorrectly. Propane furnaces are less thank 60% efficient and industry will argue 50% at best “fact” you can easily look that one up!!! So amount of air pulled in for the propane furnace does generate vapor as propane is heating that air and exhausting. Those propane furnaces and how they are installed are far from closed sealed and tight. So, running a propane furnace does create a fair amount of moisture in the RV. Dry heat (electric) which doesn’t relay on pulling cold air and reuses interior conditioned air will greatly reduce the amount of moisture being created in the RV.

I do apologize that i lead anyone to believe that RV furnaces exhaust into the RV.

It’s like the saying thinking what know but not saying it how it should be!!! LOL

I still don't follow what you are trying to say. You say that RV furnaces don't exhaust into the RV, but you seem to be claiming that between leaks and pulling interior air into the combustion process that there is still large amount of moisture released into the RV. That would mean exhaust is leaked into the RV. That would be very bad besides the moisture.

I'm no expert, nor do I know how all RV's are built. Below is the very first paragraph from my Suburban furnace manual. Very clearly stated that the combustion chamber is isolated from the interior air. Can there be some leaks and such? Sure, but they better be very minimal or your CO alarm should be sounding non stop. I'd think that RV's are just too small for any type of "vent free" appliance like those little Propane buddy heaters or the Blue flame fireplaces.

Jim M.

Suburban DYNATRAIL furnaces installed in recreational vehicles are classified as Direct Vent Sealed Combustion
Furnaces. A forced draft furnace utilizes a sealed combustion chamber which is vented to the outside atmosphere.
The intake air for combustion is also taken from outdoors and is completely isolated from the room air. A motor is used
to drive an impeller wheel to draw intake air into the chamber to support combustion and force the exhaust gases
through the furnace chamber to the outside atmosphere. A second impeller wheel (driven by the same motor yet totally
isolated from the combustion air) is used to circulate room air across the furnace chamber where it is heated. The
blower then forces the hot air into the living area either through a duct system or through a front grille on the furnace
cabinet on direct discharge models.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by jimmarako

I'd think that RV's are just too small for any type of "vent free" appliance like those little Propane buddy heaters or the Blue flame fireplaces.

I don't have one, but I watched a pretty interesting video that included a firefighter doing measurements and testing to see if it was safe or not:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVsfXuq1KFA

(spoiler) More interesting, they determined it was safe but still recommended against doing it.

[4garylee]

..do what you will with my comments!!!

Electric Heat has reduced/eliminated moisture within my RV over Propane Heat I have a 2019 CC 37RTH. I proved that to myself with utilizing electric heaters (portable) and electric fireplace thus to me for the convience factor i am pursuing the cheapheat conversion. On this thread you do have a proof in the pudding i call it with a member installing the cheapheat conversion that elimiated his moisture problem.



GW

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by 4garylee

For all those that are black and white yes I messaged incorrectly. Propane furnaces are less thank 60% efficient and industry will argue 50% at best “fact” you can easily look that one up!!! So amount of air pulled in for the propane furnace does generate vapor as propane is heating that air and exhausting. Those propane furnaces and how they are installed are far from closed sealed and tight. So, running a propane furnace does create a fair amount of moisture in the RV. Dry heat (electric) which doesn’t relay on pulling cold air and reuses interior conditioned air will greatly reduce the amount of moisture being created in the RV.

I do apologize that i lead anyone to believe that RV furnaces exhaust into the RV.

It’s like the saying thinking what know but not saying it how it should be!!! LOL

If this were true, you'd be dead from CO poisoning. It's why they put a CO detector in the RV - so if your furnace's heat exchanger cracks, you'll be warned.

This is an urban legend that seems to be very difficult to kill.

The moisture comes from your breath, cooking, and showering. Because it's colder outside when the furnace is being used, this moisture tends to condense on walls and windows more than it does when it's warm outside, and it makes people THINK the furnace is somehow adding moisture to the air. It's NOT.