How to replace sail switch ? (Atwood 8012)

[chemando]

Can anyone point me to directions on how to get access to and replace the sail switch on an Atwood 8012-II?

Furnace fan comes on but shuts off quickly before ignition. I assume its most likely the sail switch.

Thanks.

 

[padlin]

In lieu of someone that's done it... Just a guess, but if you look at the top drawing in the linked manual the switch is part #35, it looks to be mounted to #34 which in turn goes through the small rectangular hole in the side of the housing #26. I'd pull the unit and see if that's what it is. The spare I have has 2 push on spade connections, should be an easy swap.

http://www.atwoodmobile.com/manuals/furnaces/FurnaceExplodedViewsandPartsList.pdf

Here's a blow up.

 

[tractors1]

Last one I changed (20+) years ago, the switch itself was a small MicroSwitch brand with two very small Phillips headed screws that held it in place. Tricky to get at but simple to change.

 

[BCnomad]

Mine was best to remove the furnace. Then get at squirrel cage via fridge side edge (21).

Putting furnace back in with lining up vents properly is another topic.

I would suggest a trip to Chilliwack unless very comfortable with repair.

 

[tractors1]

Mine was best to remove the furnace. Then get at squirrel cage via fridge side edge (21).

Putting furnace back in with lining up vents properly is another topic.

I would suggest a trip to Chilliwack unless very comfortable with repair.

One of the first thoughts I had when viewing a 21 was how simple a furnace R&R would be with the old furnace location (under the bench) compared to inside a cabinet!

 

[chemando]

Thanks guys. How easy does the actual unit come out? Is it just some screws on the front of the unit and then it slides out? I assume I have a to disconnect the propane line before pulling the unit out?

I am at work now so I don't have the unit in front of me to take a look at. Just hoping to get an idea of what I am in for tonight before I start working on it.

 

[BCnomad]

Yes and yes and yes.

My expert popped the vent rivets too, but not sure if that was really necessary. Mine took a bit extra to get out of dinette.

 

[chemando]

Removing the furnace was a fairly easy procedure. When pulling it out it got hung up on the white tape around the vent box. Took some pretty good pulls to get it loose.

Replaced the faulty sail switch and put the furnace back in this morning. To get it lined up with the vent box again my wife looked through the vent from outside to provide directions to get the alignment correct. When pushing the furnace back onto the vent box my wife had to keep pressure on the vent from the outside so that it didn't damage the fibreglass.

The furnace was originally hard wired in with crimp butt joint terminals. I replaced these with fully insulated spades in case I need to take it out again in the future.

 

[Parker-ESC]

I just pulled the sail switch from ours and discovered a ball of dust interfering with the sail switch motion. We've been camping in some really windy dusty areas, and it apparently only takes a little dust ball to prevent the sail switch paddle from moving. I just talked with Tammy, and it sounds like I probably could have fixed the problem with a blast of air through the ducting and avoided all this, but now I know how it goes together. I'll post some photos, which should be self-explanatory. Before proceeding, I turned off the propane, burned off the pressure with the stove, and pulled the 12V fuse. I also leak-checked the propane connection afterward.

After the furnace is out, to get to the switch (highlighted by padlin) it's only necessary to remove two screws and cut one zip tie to lift the entire blower assembly out of the way. Like chemando, I had to cut the power and thermostat wires and installed two-piece connectors during re-installation.

 

[Parker-ESC]

Three more photos.

 

[Tonny LR]

Hi Parker,
Thank you for posting furnace removal procedures and pictures. They are valueable for DIY repair. Do you have a special technique for aligning the furnace with the exhaush pipe when you reinstal the furnace? Thanks.

 

[Parker-ESC]

Hi Tonny, or is it LR? After reading a couple of other posts, I asked my wife to look through the exhaust port with a flashlight. She described it as looking like a partial eclipse....when it became a total eclipse, the two tubes were lined up! They overlap by a couple of inches, so there is no getting it wrong. It took a few tries, and could have probably been easier with someone outside using a long screwdriver to help guide the exhaust tubes together. I can envision a tool made of a slotted tube to help do this, but it really wasn't that hard.

 

[Tonny LR]

Hello Parker,
Thank you for sharing your furnace maintenance write up. Congratulations on your successful re-installation of the furnace.

Tonny

 

[Kountrykamper]

I see your dust bunny in the switch before you removed it. Something to try blowing out with air if I should have the problem. Thanks for the pics.

 

[Parker-ESC]

That's what I'd try next time. If the furnace is pulled part way out (wires still connected) a blast of air into the openings on the side of the furnace opposite the sail switch would do it. Tammy implied that a good puff of air through the opening in the front or maybe even from the outside wall opening might do the trick without even pulling the furnace.

 

[fudge_brownie]

How do you get the danged pipe from the furnace into the exhaust pipe? I can line it up fine and it does go on and then stops. I have a good inch further to go so the furnace fits snug against the bench. So the connection is made, the pipe from the furnace is inside the exhaust portal pipe but there is a need to go further.

I tried polishing the connection with steel wool, no help there. I have checked for any other obstructions, all good from what I can see. The outer box seems to be lining up properly. The foam tape is not an issue because I am not even reaching it yet.

When I took it apart it was hard to separate, I thought the foam tape was the issue.

 

[tractors1]

How do you get the danged pipe from the furnace into the exhaust pipe? I can line it up fine and it does go on and then stops. I have a good inch further to go so the furnace fits snug against the bench. So the connection is made, the pipe from the furnace is inside the exhaust portal pipe but there is a need to go further.

I tried polishing the connection with steel wool, no help there. I have checked for any other obstructions, all good from what I can see. The outer box seems to be lining up properly. The foam tape is not an issue because I am not even reaching it yet.

When I took it apart it was hard to separate, I thought the foam tape was the issue.

When I reinstalled mine I had the same problem. Removed the outside plate, then had a helper hold the face of the furnace in place after I screwed the furnace down. Used a rubber mallet to tap the outer plate onto the pipes until it seated pretty well. Unscrewed the mounted furnace and wiggled both it and the outside plate until tapping the outside reseated the pipes. Reinstalled the outside plate, then screwed the furnace back down. The number of 4 letter words used during the process was considerable, but I think it only took 2 beers (one for each of us.)

 

[Donna D.]

Parker's idea in post #12 may help you get those pipes lined up.

 

[Parker-ESC]

If I understand correctly, you're getting the two tubes aligned and partially slid together, but you're hitting some kind of resistance with an inch to go. Mine was a really snug fit and took a bit of wiggling around to get it to seat propeerly. Does it feel like you're hitting a solid obstruction, or the fit is just too tight? Are both tubes round over their entire length? Any chance something else is interfering?

 

[fudge_brownie]

Based on what I have read and my experience in removing the furnace I think (as does my wife) that the issue is the snug fit of the tubes. We are not seeing any other obstruction. I think Charlie maybe offering the only solution for tight pipes. (In college I had tight pipes, it was usually after the night before. Sometimes they were referred to as hot pipes).

So I have to drill out the rivets on the outside exhaust, used a rubber hammer, twist the bugger around and remount everything? I do not have a rivet gun, do I need one to rivet the outside exhaust or is there is screw/bolt option? I would not mind learning how to rivet. That opens up several new questions.