Furnace Use December 06, 2020, 08:20:05 pm When using the Suburban propane wall furnace, should a vent be kept open? There is no open flame inside the coach so I’m thinking it’s not necessary. It’s counter productive to have a vent or window open when you’re trying to heat a space but, then again, I don’t want to asphyxiate myself! I am reading the manual in that section and there are no warnings to ventilate while the furnace is in operation.
Re: Furnace Use Reply #1 – December 06, 2020, 08:51:43 pm The furnace vents to the outside.You can go out there and put your hand near the exhaust and feel some heat. 1 Likes
Re: Furnace Use Reply #2 – December 07, 2020, 01:47:35 am Not too near, or you might get scorched. That exhaust is hot! 2 Likes
Re: Furnace Use Reply #3 – December 07, 2020, 04:08:04 am Safe to run the space heater. It draws in outside air, combusts propane, and exhausts it. The heat exchanger in the heater draws in cold air from inside, heats it and blows it out the round vents. Don't run the oven, or burners of the stove top without having a small vent open. I open the fantastic vent fan about an 1/8" . That is plenty of ventilation, just while I'm cooking. For added entertainment, I have a Carbon Monoxide detector with a digital readout. Slow to respond, but it will have a reading if you have the stove top burners on without extra ventilation. It will actually alarm quickly. (ask me how I know). RonB 3 Likes
Re: Furnace Use Reply #4 – December 07, 2020, 09:48:05 am It is always a good idea to have a carbon monoxide detector in the rare event that you develop a leak in the furnace heat exchanger, or any other other source of CO.Art 3 Likes
Re: Furnace Use Reply #5 – December 07, 2020, 10:26:06 am Great advise.Propane Gas has proven to be a great companion for campers. With a caveat!Always make sure your gas detectors are working properly by testing them EVERY TIME before your trip. Stuff happens: like after using the cook-top stove, left one of the gas burners slightly open without a flame! Or after using the stove top on a very low setting, the burner went out. Before retiring for the night, we try always to insure that ALL the stove burners are in full off position, water pump is off, and the small electric heater (if using) is positioned in a way not to burn us out.Sounds like one of my experiences. Cheers!Tony R (aka codefour) 3 Likes
Re: Furnace Use Reply #6 – December 07, 2020, 01:20:49 pm Since the furnace uses a heat exchanger, neither exhaust gases nor intake air will enter the coach unless a window or door is open in proximity to the furnace ports. For a 2017 rig it would be safe to say the heat exchanger is unlikely to have been compromised due to rust-out or age-related failure. However, though the furnace can bring up the inside temperature faster than most other methods, it is highly inefficient in propane usage, and also a significant draw on your 12V resource. A good catalytic heater DOES vent and draw inside, but CO output is low, and only a small amount of venting is needed. Efficiency is very high, but heat is low and radiant, so best for maintaining interior comfort.Steve 2 Likes
Re: Furnace Use Reply #7 – December 07, 2020, 04:59:35 pm Quote from: codefour - December 07, 2020, 10:26:06 amGreat advise.Propane Gas has proven to be a great companion for campers. With a caveat!Always make sure your gas detectors are working properly by testing them EVERY TIME before your trip. And replace your LP and CO detectors every 7 to 10 years. Smoke detectors every 5-7. These items age out and are a small expense to replace compared to not working properly when you need them to. On a lighter note, a flatulent pet makes an excellent LP detector tester.... 4 Likes
Re: Furnace Use Reply #8 – December 07, 2020, 07:36:35 pm To Michelle C..... Amen to that one!! And Off, etc. 1 Likes
Re: Furnace Use Reply #9 – December 07, 2020, 07:52:45 pm Michelle, that explains a lot, and I don't have a pet... :-)Ken F in NM 1 Likes
Re: Furnace Use Reply #10 – December 07, 2020, 09:02:16 pm Quote from: codefour - December 07, 2020, 10:26:06 amStuff happens: like after using the cook-top stove, left one of the gas burners slightly open without a flame! For those traveling with kids or grandkids - the stove knobs are just the right height for little hands. My daughter, when she was 4 (now 13), would play kitchen and once 'turned on' the stove. The propane alarm properly sounded a short time later, for which I was grateful. Rich
Re: Furnace Use Reply #11 – December 07, 2020, 09:45:47 pm When I was looking at photos of people’s LD’s, and there was a photo of the stove, I could never figure out why one of the knobs was twisted the wrong way. I didn’t realize that it was the spark igniter, something that my ‘85 did not have.
Re: Furnace Use Reply #12 – December 07, 2020, 10:13:09 pm "...a flatulent pet makes an excellent LP detector tester..."Or most aerosols, such as women's hair spray, or a gas match with flame blown out!
Re: Furnace Use Reply #13 – December 07, 2020, 11:29:39 pm "Stuff happens:"Like casually leaning against the stove and silently turning on the gas. It's happened to me more than once over the years. Scary! These RV stoves lack a flame sensor, a vital safety feature that prevents gas from flowing to a burner unless it's lit. That's one reason I replaced the stoves in my most recent rigs with marine stoves that have a flame sensor. 1 Likes
Re: Furnace Use Reply #14 – December 08, 2020, 12:39:26 am We use the CO Experts Carbon Monoxide alarm in our LD when we travel in it. I am a pilot and fly in cold weather. To keep the cabin warm the heater in the plane uses air baffled from the muffler and if there is a leak it will be in the cabin right away, you need to know if small amounts are presents. The CO Experts is the most recommended detector for airplanes especially for long trips when small amounts of CO can build up in your blood till you reach saturation. The CO Experts warns you when 5 ppm are present, most alarms start at 40 to 50 ppm. We want to know! Karen~Liam 98 ~ MB NinA 4 Likes
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Topic: Furnace Use (Read 457 times)
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