No heat!!

[Crows Nest]

We’ve been out in our brand new 21NE for 10 days and the furnace just stopped working. There’s propane in the tank, the pilot is lit, the blower works but no heat. It’s in the 30s at night and the 50s during the day.

[Crows Nest]

Should have added that the place we’re staying gave us an electric heater so it’s not really a panic.

[Grasshog]

Try searching Sail Switch in the threads from this forum

[Rossue]

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tch-25169.html

[Ron in BC]

Try removing the front grill, remove the flexible duct and replace the grill.

Worked for my friend's new 17.

Ron

[DanandDaphne]

Yes, get a new sail switch, even if that isn't your problem it's good to have a spare in the camper for when you do need it, and it probably is the problem.

You can find instructions for changing it out on youtube I think Escape has a video. You can take your current switch out and make sure it doesn't have something obstructing its movement.

Also these furnaces don't have a pilot light. They are electronic ignition which I believe is the other most likely point of failure. Go outside by your furnace while you wife turns it on at the thermostat. The fan will come on first then you should hear rapid clicking like on a gas stove. If you hear the clicking this means your sail switch is working because if you don't have adequate air flow the furnace won't turn the ignitor on. If you don't hear clicking it could be either is bad.

We haven't had a problem ourselves so I don't have personal experience with this just some understanding of the basics.

[Crows Nest]

Ok. I now know there’s no pilot. Silly me. Cleaned a little lint off of the sail switch and presto! It works. We don’t have pets and we’ve only been using the trailer for nine days. Where’s all the dust coming from? As recommended we’ll get an extra one in case it completely fails sometime. Thanks for all the suggestions. Just Newbie panic.

[DT6]

Here is a link to a discussion regarding filters for the heater. Note Dometic claims you should not do this, but I think their point is more toward adding an actual fabric filter of some sort. We used the wire bond and regular stainless screen material. David Murphy did the same (also in this thread) and I just copied what he did.

Prior to this our Golden Retriever's hair was causing me to frequently remove and clean the sail switch, sometimes a single hair seemed to be a problem!

I also spoke to our local RV repair shop about it and the technician liked what we did with the screen, and he also cautioned about using a fabric filter (even a low MERV filter). His caution was more about airflow, but you will probably read about others here in the forum who have had success using low MERV filters.

My process was to try the screen first to see if that worked, then switch to a filter if needed. So far, after a year, the screen is working fine and I have not had to swap or clean the sail switch since.

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...r-24122-2.html

I agree with others that your immediate issue is removing and cleaning the sail switch, and you can worry about modifying the air intake later.

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by Crows Nest

...
Just Newbie panic.

Sail switches can sense Newbie Panic. They can also sense confidence - my sail switch stopped mis-behaving 7 years ago when I put a spare in the repair kit.

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

Sail switches can sense Newbie Panic. They can also sense confidence - my sail switch stopped mis-behaving 7 years ago when I put a spare in the repair kit.

Ha ha- met too Alan!

This is one definite benefit of a Gen2 Escape after when- 2018, 2019? That's when the side hatch was made larger I believe to easily access the sail switch. All Gen1's are a PITA to access & hope I never have to.

[Crows Nest]

I really like the screen for return air. That’s a job for when we get home.

[SageRpod]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

Sail switches can sense Newbie Panic. They can also sense confidence - my sail switch stopped mis-behaving 7 years ago when I put a spare in the repair kit.

I gave my sail switch a stern talking to late last spring. It still quit on me a couple of months later. Must have been a millennial sail switch.

[Ooshkaboo]

Originally Posted by Crows Nest

I really like the screen for return air. That’s a job for when we get home.

Over the years I’ve dealt a few different hvac techs, one tells me to get the cheaper filters to allow for better airflow then the next one tells me they don’t catch the dirt particles. All are telling me this with great confidence. So when it’s time for replacement of these systems I’m somewhat involved and I’ve found the cheaper blue and green filters allow for much more debris and ultimately reduce efficiency. Where the airflow enters the A coil is the tell, they’re especially bad if you own pets. I only use the white fiber filters, but not the expensive ones of those.
If I were to use a screen, I would go with small holed window screening.

Pull off your furnace cover and look into the area where it’s mounted, you will see gaps in the side that allows for all the left behind mess from the build access. I placed some filter fiber in that gap, all of this will get run right through your system otherwise.

The problem with the flex tube is it’s restrictive to your exhaust air flow. Myself and others have replaced it with dryer vent pipe.

[DT6]

Originally Posted by Crows Nest

I really like the screen for return air. That’s a job for when we get home.

Just a note for FYI as you may not be able to see it all clearly in the picture. We (like David M) replaced the flex hose with a solid aluminum duct. You will probably end up having to buy a duct a few feet long and only using a small length of it. You will also need to place a small wood block under the new duct to support it. I just took a 4-inch section of a 2x4 and then cut it down so it was the right height to support the duct. I also painted the wire bond black, but painting it is optional. Pretty easy mod overall.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by DT6

We (like David M) replaced the flex hose with a solid aluminum duct.

My friend took out the duct, put the grill back on and can't detect any difference in the flow of warm air. Except his furnace works now.

He also did drill the 6 ventilation holes that ETI now recommends.

Ron

[splitting_lanes]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

My friend took out the duct, put the grill back on and can't detect any difference in the flow of warm air. Except his furnace works now.

He also did drill the 6 ventilation holes that ETI now recommends.

Ron

Ron, where are the 6 ventilation holes that you refer too? Is this something we have on our 22 5.0?

[MyronL]

This sail switch discussion got me wondering, why is it my Atwood Model 8012-11 12,000 BTU 12 v gas furnace has never suffered a heating problem? Maybe it’s time I should go buy a spare switch to keep on hand, just in case. Went out and fired the furnace up. Back in the trailer 45 minutes later, and it’s blasting away, all good to go.

But, it’s 40°f out there today. This Atwood is eleven years old – so why take a chance? Opened the furnace user’s information manual - a good place to start finding a sale switch.

Assumed there would be, at the very least, a diagram showing where to install it and/or a listing of sale switch part number. Nothing - zero mention of any sale switch in that users manual.

It does warn me to keep all vents clean, watch for soot, lint, dog hairs, obstructions. Plenty of warnings about fire, explosions, injury and death.

Next, went online to the PDX RV LLC site in a search for an OEM sale switch. Of their long list: zero/nada mention of my model Atwood. Really just a total (sic) “no-sale.” Part numbers have changed but the model #8012 to 8900 series is not mentioned. Makes me wonder if this furnace even has a sale switch. Or maybe that switch has sailed.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by splitting_lanes

Ron, where are the 6 ventilation holes that you refer too? Is this something we have on our 22 5.0?

A friend picked up his 17B this summer. Instant furnace problems except it'd work when it was warm out but when overnight temperatures dropped it wouldn't keep running.

Posted the new official ETI protocol previously but: they told him to drill 6 holes, 3 on each side through the floor that the furnace sits on. Allows more air flow. He did that and removed the flexible duct behind the grill. Tested removing and installing 3 times. Runs with no duct and doesn't with the duct installed.

Been used quite a bit this fall and no problems.

Ron

[Crows Nest]

Does our brand new trailer already have these six holes? If not, how do I get ahold of the “protocol?” Ron is suggesting that no duct is needed. Has anyone else tried this? Will that impact return air flow?

[Ooshkaboo]

Originally Posted by Crows Nest

Does our brand new trailer already have these six holes? If not, how do I get ahold of the “protocol?” Ron is suggesting that no duct is needed. Has anyone else tried this? Will that impact return air flow?

Ron wouldn’t steer you in the wrong direction.
That said, play with it and get to know your camper. Then do what works for you.
Myself, being familiar with home units I use that knowledge along with the info on here to do what works for me.