Alternative Furnace Fan

[DWM3]

Since the furnace fan is the greatest boondocking power draw at 2.4 amps, has anyone found an alternative fan motor that produces a like flow rate at a lower draw? For comparison, 12 volt computer case fans typically draw <0.2 amps.

[Tom&Joan]

I would not re engineer the furnace. A fan with a lesser flow rate would likely not move the sail switch sufficiently to allow it to fire. Just not a practical idea in my opinion.

[Brian B-P]

The fan and motor for this unducted furnace is already different from the ducted furnace, because less power is needed to move the air; if it could work properly with less fan, it would have less.

A typical computer cooling fan uses much less power, but it moves much less air.

The same motor drives the fan for combustion air and the fan which moves room air through the heat exchanger to be heated. The need for combustion air is determined by the rate of fuel being burned; the need for room air flow is determined by the heat production and the allowable temperature rise of the air. Less air flow will either not work, or will be dangerous.

Having said that, a more efficient motor or fans moving air at the same rate would reduce power consumption, but there probably isn't a lot of room for improvement.

[davidmurphy02]

We had a furnace with ducted air and a larger blower motor in our previous trailer. Compared to that, the smaller fan in our Escape furnace uses much less electricity. I'm not into measuring and calculating every amp - but we have been very pleasantly surprised by the low battery usage from the furnace fan. We have one solar panel and dual 6 volt batteries and have found that it easily keeps up with the relatively mild battery drain when the furnace is running during the night.

[DWM3]

I was hoping that there might be a more efficient alternative with the same flow rate that someone had come across. This group has developed some really creative approaches to improving systems on the Escape.