Source for improved heater sail switch?

[jkordzi]

I've about had it with Dometic's crappy products and support. I've had issues w/ their electric awning not closing (fixed by me), their A/C motor bolts coming out (fixed by me), their possessed capacitive touch thermostat (still haggling w/ Dometic), and now their sail switch (must go to a service center to get diagnosed). I'm pretty sure it is the sail switch, as the blower runs for 30 seconds but will not ignite. Anyone know of an upgraded switch and where to get it? Thanks.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by jkordzi

Anyone know of an upgraded switch and where to get it? Thanks.

We also have a 2018 5.0 that came with a crappy sail switch. In the first trip, October-December 2018, I cleaned that sail switch at least five times, twice in weather below 25 F. In 2019, Dometic implied on the phone there was a problem with sail switches sent out in 2018-19 and sent us a new switch that has been working trouble free for easily 150 nights of furnace use. I also carry another as a spare and have yet to use it.

Trouble is, where is that sail switch made, is it made by properly trained individuals, and what kind of quality control is in place at the factory? This is endemic to many products produced today.

Enjoy,

Perry

[jkordzi]

So I removed heater and checked the sail switch. It doesn't seem to be malfunctioning because when I remove it and check it for continuity it clearly has continuity when the switch is activated. So I put it back in and reinstalled the heater. Previously the blower would run for 30 seconds and shut down (supposedly a sign the sail switch is bad). Now the blower runs continuously and the igniter fires and the gas ignites for a second and then shuts down. The process repeats over and over - at least five times at which point I turned off the furnace. Any clues as to what is going on? Thanks.

[Starbrightsteve]

Those symptoms indicate the need for a part called a Propex.

[Bladesong]

I pulled the sail switch from mine. Found some lint and hair Thought I solved the problem. Nope. Blower runs for 30 seconds, shuts off. I think I'll buy a replacement and try that. Does anybody know the part number? I have a 2020 E19.

[jkordzi]

I fixed my heater today. Turned out it was indeed the sail switch. It was exhibiting the classic failed sail switch symptom of running for 30 seconds and then shutting off. I suspected the sail switch, but as I indicated previously, I bench tested the original switch and verified it had continuity across the terminals when the sail was pushed. So like others who have posted similar experiences, this strategy is not a reliable indicator of the switch's functionality. My heater is an Atwood (since gobbled up by dometic) Model AFSAD12121, Serial Number 80391240. In my research into this issue, I came to the conclusion that most, if not all, of the Atwood/dometic heaters installed by Escape use the same sail switch. That part number is dometic 33081. I was not able to get this specific number locally, but I was able to get 33082. Switch 33082 is the exact same switch as 33081, but with a different (not upgraded) mount that would not work with my heater. However, 33082 worked just fine by using my existing mount. My heater does not have an outside access cover, so I had to pull it out from the inside. Reese's videos were very helpful. As he discusses, some of the heaters get hung up because there is a lip on the back of the heater (facing outside) that hangs over the plywood floor and prevents the heater from sliding out. The strategy is to first remove the exhaust pipe/cover and the underlying plastic cover first, then lift up the back a bit when pulling it out. To make this a bit easier the next time I replace the sail switch (for which I bought a spare), I cut off this 1/8" lip from the back of the heater, which is just a bit of the plastic housing and doesn't affect functionality.

[Bladesong]

I'm looking at the 33081 and 33082 on Amazon. From what I can glean from everyone they are the same switch just different housing. But either will connect to your original housing so it doesn't seem to be an issue. If that's not the case someone can chime in.