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Topic: We did it! (Read 11 times) previous topic - next topic
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We did it!
Yahoo Message Number: 1779
"We didn't know how to turn on the furnace, HELP, so it got a little chilly. The catalytic heater worked well to defrost us in the morning."

Karen, the furnace should turn on just by switching the thermostat on the wall to 'ON' and adjusting the temp. BUT there are various delays built in. At first you probably won't hear any action, but the blower should turn on in less than a minute. Shortly after, the burner should ignite, and the air should start coming out warm.
When it cycles off, the burner should go off, and the blower a couple minutes later.

If the gas was off for a while, there could still be air in the line to the furnace. If this is the case, you might find the blower comes on but the burner never does. In this case, turn it back off, then try it again after it cycles off and a 5 minute rest. It may take a few repetitions of this, then not recur unless the gas has been turned off aehile again.

The catalytic heater is nice, but just be sure you read the directions thoroughly and understand the need for ventilation. Though you didn't mention the type or brand, and some are 'externally vented', I recommend you allow some 'manual' ventilation when using that type too. Whatever type, use a cover on them when not in use. Dust 'poisons' the catalytic mat, and over time can cause improper operation and an increase of unburned fuel and CO. Ours is going strong after 4+ years.

I'm interested in the underdrive - is this something you can switch in and out?

Steve
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit
We did it!
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1783
Steve, Thanks for the info on the heater. We'll try it out now that we have a little time. I didn't know the reason for the cover on the catalytic heater.
I thought it was just for looks. The Gearvendor switches on and off with a button on the floor, similar to the old high beam switch. It adds 3 gears when in use. On a steep grade you turn it on and drop into 2nd and you can feel the change. The rpm's stay up and there's no engine strain. The shifting is so gradual that you hardly notice it. We didn't know such a thing existed. It may have been original equipment because it has the metal logo right under the Chevy logo. It must save a lot of wear and tear on the engine. We have property in Colorado and this will be the best added option our LD has. I don't normally drive as fast as I did on this trip but even at that speed we were able to average 9 MPG. We crossed a lot of mountains!

Karen