Furnace removal ‘83 MP May 01, 2021, 08:17:46 pm I having bit of trouble getting this furnace to come loose from the pipes and pull it in the cabin to remove and surface mount a Wave 6, any suggestions or guidance?
Re: Furnace removal ‘83 MP Reply #1 – May 02, 2021, 03:51:00 pm Likely moisture in the exhaust with heat has caused a bit of rust. Try a slight twisting/rocking motion to loosen. Note that the Wave 6 will put out a lot of radiant heat, but distribution will be poor. Suburban lists most of their furnaces as about 60% efficient, so a 20kBtufurnace would circulate about twice as much heat more evenly in the rig than the cat heater at max. Most find the furnace is nice a few minutes in the morning before turning on the cat, and a smaller Wave 3 might then be sufficient.Steve 1 Likes
Re: Furnace removal ‘83 MP Reply #2 – May 02, 2021, 04:30:35 pm A Wave 6 needs a lot of unobstructed room in front of it, the heat is purely infrared and it heats what is directly in front of it.The Wave 6’s owner’s manual shows it needs these minimums clearances.Clearances from combustible materials must be a minimum of:• 4" from each side• 4" from the floor (rug, tile, etc.)• 18" from the top• 30” from the front• 0" from the rearA Wave 6, mounted where the furnace now resides, will overheat the opposite side wall if run on high.I would be worried about damaging the paneling, among other things.Unless you have personal experience with a Wave 6, I would be cautious and investigate this more, it’s a powerful heater that many LD owners have replaced with smaller Wave 3s. The difference is that you want to use a catalytic heater as the primarly heat source, not a supplemental source . A portable cat heater, a Wave 3 or 6, on a hose, would be more useful, IMO. With a hose, the heater can be aimed at the area that needs warming.Our rig has a pair of Wave 3s, used in very cold weather. A single Wave 3 does a fine job of keep the rig from getting chilly.Two Wave 3s will keep the interior at 65-70, in single digit conditions.Larry 3 Likes
Re: Furnace removal ‘83 MP Reply #3 – May 02, 2021, 10:09:07 pm "A Wave 6, mounted where the furnace now resides, will overheat the opposite side wall if run on high."Agreed. I replaced the furnace in my 1985 22' twin/king with a wall-mounted Wave 6, and it turned out not to have been a good idea. Even on low, it was too hot nearby and not warm enough at either end of the RV. A radiant (infrared) heater just isn't satisfactory as the sole replacement for a forced-air furnace, unless you live in a very mild climate... in which case I'd suggest a portable Wave 3.
Re: Furnace removal ‘83 MP Reply #4 – May 03, 2021, 01:09:14 am Assuming it is a Suburban NT 20 S furnace make sure the front hold down screw is removed and remove the six screws around the vent tubes from the outside. Everything should come out and you can do the rust separation with total access.
Re: Furnace removal ‘83 MP Reply #5 – May 03, 2021, 07:31:41 pm Thanks fellas! Well, I might have liked cooked my goose with this. It’s halfway out and stuck. Maybe l’ll have to pull the exhaust cover and find a way to remount the unit and T into the line for quick release hose mobile mount for optimal usage. Not sure if I can get it remounted at this point.