Furnace Fan Question

[Cate&Rob]

Is there a way to get the furnace blower to run continuously in heat mode like the AC fan does in cooling mode ? (All Atwood stuff on my Reflection).

This would keep the air moving around to minimize cold areas and even out the cool down between furnace run cycles and provide a more constant "white noise" than going from silence to both blower and burner coming on.

Seems like, if Atwood does this for cooling, they would do it for heating . . . but I can't seem to make it work this way.

Rob

 

[Dave and Monica]

I know that members on another forum have done that with the Suburban furnace in their Forest River campers. I want to do the same as it's easy to heat the camper in below freezing weather without running the propane furnace but you have to run it to keep some heat in the underbelly and basement. If you could circulate warm air with the furnace fan only it would save on using propane. I know that you need to provide a switched 12V power source directly to the furnace fan. Being able to access the furnace and fan will be the major obstacle.

Dave

 

[JustinThyme]

There is always a way, question is how far are you willing to go. It would entail either replacing the current Tstat or installing a separate one and most likely a little wiring change in the control box of the furnace. The fans control is a little different in that the furnace by default controls it where in the AC the Tstat controls it.

 

[TENN22]

Not to hijack this thread, but is anyone else's furnace really LOUD? This is my third camper, and I have never had one roar this loudly. Is this normal? For example, it is parked in my driveway, and while running, I can hear it inside my house.

 

[Cate&Rob]

Hi Brady,

I will be interested to learn whether the furnace noise level is "normal" . . . from those with experience with previous coaches . . . this is our first one. It does seem noisy to me, but it is moving quite a bit of air.

Another question comes to mind . . . Is there a filter somewhere that I am supposed to be cleaning/replacing ?

None of these questions came to mind, until we headed north after a winter in Florida

Rob

 

[Dave and Monica]

No filter Rob...return air is an open plenum drawing air from the opening at the bottom of the hutch and some from the basement too.

Dave

 

[Abqscott]

I just wonder with the amount of wetness found in many of the models under bellies from water infiltration while traveling and using this space as a return plenum for the furnace, what the air quality is being sent through out the trailer? I realize without this design it would not be possible to heat the under belly, but unfiltered, untreated air from the space below with fumes, and dirt from outside being sucked inside can't be good.

 

[Scott and Jan]

Abscott, the return air is being drawn in in the basement storage area (behind panel on back wall of your storage pass thru) not from the underbelly (the area between frame covered by the plastic sheeting under your trailer). The basement area is fed air from inside rv thru opening under hutch and vent register in bathroom as well as its own heat ducts. Its the same air that is already inside rv.

 

[Cate&Rob]

I have to agree with the concern expressed by Abqscott on this. The furnace is drawing air from the compartment behind the wall in the pass through. There are openings under the hutch and in the bathroom, but there are also openings to the pass through storage area and to the underbelly. Air from the underbelly IS going to be drawn in by the furnace and distributed to the living space.

Rob

 

[Abqscott]

Abscott, the return air is being drawn in in the basement storage area (behind panel on back wall of your storage pass thru) not from the underbelly (the area between frame covered by the plastic sheeting under your trailer). The basement area is fed air from inside rv thru opening under hutch and vent register in bathroom as well as its own heat ducts. Its the same air that is already inside rv.

You might be right but i'm pretty sure there is no seal between the hutch opening area and down below. I'll take a closer look next time I have the cover off. I have dropped things down in there never to be found again.

 

[game warden]

I have a 308 TT and I thought the furnace was very loud both inside and outside of the TT. I wonder if that the way it is or is there a fix for it???

 

[JustinThyme]

What part is very loud, the fan or the burner? I don't believe noise level was much of a concern in the design when packing a 35,000 BTU burner in such a small space. For comparison take an outdoor gas turkey fryer, generally 50K BTU and put it on full bore and see what is heard. They get pretty darn loud. Those burners are in open air and not fitted in a small assembly with a 1.5 inch exhaust tube like an RV furnace is. As for inside if the fan is a problem it would be more of a high pitched squeal if the bearings in the blower motor are on the way out. If its just air pressure refer back to packing 20 lbs of poo in a 5 lb bag like the burner.

The furnaces in RVs are more about functionality. Could it be made to be whisper quiet? Well yes, BUT, the inflow of complaints from people freezing their tushies off due to an under powered furnace that is quiet would far outweigh the few that are warm and toasty due to its warmth but do not like the noise.

There are electric furnaces on the market available to retrofit. Problem with that is you cant have both and would be locked in to camping only where there is a 50 AMP connection available and could not run the heat off the grid on battery. For me mine stays on a seasonal site for now and I could easily change out the furnace. My problem is the electric rates in NJ are already among the highest in the country then the proprietor of the campground tacks on more so its about half the cost to run on propane as it is to run on electric.

For me the noise doesn't bother me and I'm not full timing it so I rarely use the heat and when I do its first thing in the morning to knock the chill off.