Furnace troubleshooting

[jennykatz]

21C Tempermental furnace looking for a way to look at furnace from outside like the 2018 and newer C21 have I think there is an escape owner that did this Please if you know where this thread is please place here thanks Jim W

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by jennykatz

21C Tempermental furnace looking for a way to look at furnace from outside like the 2018 and newer C21 have I think there is an escape owner that did this Please if you know where this thread is please place here thanks Jim W

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tml#post282940

[jennykatz]

We have a 21C it’s the new version new door October 2016 one of the first new version of the 21C Thanks for the reply I thought about the round marine products or the small plastic doors

[jennykatz]

We have the AFSAD12 furnace I see Escape is putting in a outside door that is vertical N/S. Versus the horizontal E/W which I believe we have Again we have the 2016 new E21C So I would like to put in a 8 in round marine hatch but I think mine might have to be put to the left of the furnace exhaust E/W a few inches Does this sound good thanks Jim W

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by jennykatz

We have the AFSAD12 furnace I see Escape is putting in a outside door that is vertical N/S. Versus the horizontal E/W which I believe we have Again we have the 2016 new E21C So I would like to put in a 8 in round marine hatch but I think mine might have to be put to the left of the furnace exhaust E/W a few inches Does this sound good thanks Jim W

Jim: I don't have this furnace but have helped some others out with troubleshooting. Be very careful because the early AFSAD12 (Atwood) design has a different location for the sail switch than the later DFSAD12 (Dometic). Unfortunately you may not be able to easily locate one marine hatch to allow access to the circuit board and sail switch from the exterior like Ed (Eggscape) did.

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...nel-22895.html
https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tch-21484.html

[ChuckBC]

For my early 2017 E19 it has the AFSAD12121 Atwood furnace. It has the sailswitch hidden behind the plastic panel the vent runs through. Like noted before this panel is sealed with a silicone bead and there are 2 lower side screws holding it in place. All this adds to the complexity of access panel size and location to service. I thought I may buy a replacement newer Dometic exterior outside access panel and position not only to service my furnace but to be exactly where a new one would be installed. Because of the newer Dometic furnaces having the access plate getting its seal with flange of box perimeter, placement may be a problem with where the hole was cut. It may work but I thought if this furnace gives me any more grief I will possibly buy a newer piece of junk. Or it may be a case of your better off with the devil you know than the devil you don't?

[Camp@Home]

Thanks for pointer on SS location David. I had tried 2 other options (removed flex duct, plugged to shore power) no help. Slightest bit of hair&lint on sail, cleaned off and fired right up! Not easiest to remove either (wire bundling in the way, limited space). Seems like quite a POS design. Have had 5 months, used furnace twice in last month. Did have initial issued which I believe was probably air flow, cycling it a few times got it to work. Fortunately have outside access panel, but is still outside, in the cold.... I had purchased replacement SS before I got the camper, after reading all the threads on this. Maybe make switch cleaning regular scheduled maintenance, at least when expected to use it... PITA. Where is that intake on that? I'd like to try a filter for added prevention. Thanks! P.S. to add insult to injury, one of the panel's screw heads snapped off when tightening down, now have to drill that out to replace...

[brroberts]

Mine always works great when I test it. It sort of worked the last 4 days in Cades Cove in the clouds with rain and snow. The water didn’t freeze and we could keep the trailer 48-52F. It will run. SS quits. It might restart or not. Sometimes the sail switch would cycle fairly quickly on and off. Seems like current/voltage and air flow to me. We have electric the rest of the trip, so I’ll deal with it when I get home.

[Perry Butler]

We’ve decided when the Atwood furnace in our 5.0 fails I’ll install a Propex furnace underneath the camper with the inlet/outlet heat pipes in the storage area underneath the steps to the bed, or in the rear area of our u-shaped dinette.

Food for thought,

Perry

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Perry Butler

We’ve decided when the Atwood furnace in our 5.0 fails I’ll install a Propex furnace...

Thought about doing the same but our original Atwood 8012-II furnace just won't quit. Bought a spare sail switch and have never needed it. I hate to hear about all these issues owners have with the newer furnaces. If there is one thing that I want to be dependable it's a heater.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Thought about doing the same but our original Atwood 8012-II furnace just won't quit. Bought a spare sail switch and have never needed it. I hate to hear about all these issues owners have with the newer furnaces. If there is one thing that I want to be dependable it's a heater.

Same here, but we have two spare sail switches, so ours should last twice as long.

Enjoy,

Perry

[WillyB]

Had my first sail switch issue last night. Mid morning I woke up cold at 50F. I figured it was the sail switch so I got up and turned on my Mach 10 heater and went back to bed.

The Mach 10 heat strip is very under powered but it got me thru the night.

This morning I pulled out the sail switch and it had a good amount of fuzz unit. Clean it and put it back in.

Heater working again.

[brroberts]

Our Mach 10 keeps us warm down into the teens. Not sure if it’s a difference in the volume of a 21 v a 19 or what.

[Ooshkaboo]

Originally Posted by brroberts

Our Mach 10 keeps us warm down into the teens. Not sure if it’s a difference in the volume of a 21 v a 19 or what.

Same results here with a 5…

Carry a spare Willy, sometimes even after a cleaning they will fail.

[sameo416]

Johnny Hung did a mod to replace the sail switch with a differential pressure proving switch.

Should eliminate the linty sail switch problems.

[WillyB]

I think running the Mach 10 for heat on a long 120/1 15 amp cord might be the issue. The EMS shows voltage about 121 volts but I've caught it at 118 Volts.

With that though I would not call it a good heater by any stretch.

[WillyB]

I think running the Mach 10 for heat on a long 120/1 15 amp cord might be the issue. The EMS shows voltage about 121 volts but I've caught it at 118 Volts.

This heater will kick off the EMS after a long period of running in cold weather. By long I mean 2-4 hours.

With that though I would not call it a good heater by any stretch. Maybe this needs to be connected to a 30 Amp receptacle?

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by WillyB

I think running the Mach 10 for heat on a long 120/1 15 amp cord might be the issue. The EMS shows voltage about 121 volts but I've caught it at 118 Volts.

This heater will kick off the EMS after a long period of running in cold weather. By long I mean 2-4 hours.

With that though I would not call it a good heater by any stretch. Maybe this needs to be connected to a 30 Amp receptacle?

anything over 110V should be well within US spec, which is 107-130VAC. The Progressive EMS-HW30C cuts off below 104VAC and above 132V AC.

that long 120V 15A cord should be AWG 12 up to 100 feet, and AWG 10 if its longer.
I've had good luck with this cord, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088GGBJYH

Mine has to cross a driveway that cars go over, so I put this around it on that stretch.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006VAWFG
(hint, put this out in the sun for an hour or two before trying to lay it out flat)

[WillyB]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

anything over 110V should be well within US spec, which is 107-130VAC. The Progressive EMS-HW30C cuts off below 104VAC and above 132V AC.

that long 120V 15A cord should be AWG 12 up to 100 feet, and AWG 10 if its longer.
I've had good luck with this cord, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088GGBJYH

Mine has to cross a driveway that cars go over, so I put this around it on that stretch.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006VAWFG
(hint, put this out in the sun for an hour or two before trying to lay it out flat)

12 ga wire. at 75 feet.

I wonder why the EMS kicks off the Mach 10 after a few hours and its lack of high heat output. Hmmmm......

It will warm the camper in 40 F weather but shuts over quicker than if it is 50 F outside.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by WillyB

12 ga wire. at 75 feet.

I wonder why the EMS kicks off the Mach 10 after a few hours and its lack of high heat output. Hmmmm......

It will warm the camper in 40 F weather but shuts over quicker than if it is 50 F outside.

when the EMS kicks it off, is it a E4 error? (that's low line voltage)