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Furnace won't light


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#21 Smokecreek1

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Posted 19 October 2010 - 06:13 PM

FWIW: My furnace does this once in a while, but it only does this when the battery charge is relatively low...like there's not quite enough juice to do the sparking -- and yet there's enough to run the fan (but I can tell from the sound that the fan is running slower than normal).


I have a 05 Granby on a 99 F150 4x4 and have had the same problem on and off for the last 5 years-seems to be related to the battery. Out of habit, if I think I'll use the heater that night to warm up the camper (usually sleep cold-unless it's storming out) , I start the truck and turn on the heater before I call it a night-sort of warm it up. Have had the same problem in the morning-same procedure-turn on the heater and run out and start the truck. Also when I got the camper, I was told to turn off the power and turn it back on again if the heater doesn't work-doesn't work to often. If I leave the thermostat on all night and the battery is good-no problems.
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#22 pvstoy

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Posted 20 October 2010 - 02:49 AM

Check the positive and negative fittings at either end to make sure they are clean and tight. I had bad crimp fittings that the wires fell out. (somebody had a bad day at the factory)
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#23 robojeeper

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Posted 20 October 2010 - 09:11 PM

Mine did a similar thing and it was the sail switch or the high temp switch in the fan area in back.It shuts down if no air is moving or a high temp I can not remember which was bad. I jumped each one out(one at at a time) using a sharpened paper clip,(yes a paper clip) and stuck it into the wires to jump around the problem switch to locate the problem.mine had a schmatic drawing on the door to trace the wires. Good luck hope it helps.
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#24 MarkBC

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Posted 04 November 2010 - 01:25 AM

After my 13-night trip with my camper last month, I need to update -- change -- my previous post on this topic.

A couple of times when I tried to start the furnace the fan came on but the sparker never clicked and then the fan shut off. Previously, when it did this mode of failure, it seemed like it only happened when the battery was low, but my battery was never low on this trip -- thanks to charging by my PV panel.
But -- and here's the weird thing -- the issue still seems to be power-related because I was able to get the furnace sparker to go by starting my truck, which feeds the camper battery.

And a new/different problem showed up: Very weak flame. I could look in the sight hole and see that one line of flame was wimpy and the other side was almost not running at all...so not much heat was coming out. When I noticed this the propane tank was pretty low, so I thought it had something to do with low fuel (even though the stove and propane refrigerator were working fine). And, indeed, when I got the propane tank refilled the furnace seemed to work as normal again...until it didn't again -- even with a mostly-full tank.
Does anyone know if the burner in the furnace can get fouled and require cleaning? I learned the hard way that that can happen to the burner in the 'frig, so maybe?
Has anyone seen the wimpy-flame problem in their furnace?
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#25 UglyScout

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Posted 04 November 2010 - 02:49 PM

The burner can get clogged, dirty, rusty etc and not work correctly.

It is a pain in the butt to remove it and check it - but that is a sure way to see it's condition and clean it or replace it.
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#26 MarkBC

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Posted 04 November 2010 - 03:12 PM

The burner can get clogged, dirty, rusty etc and not work correctly.

It is a pain in the butt to remove it and check it - but that is a sure way to see it's condition and clean it or replace it.


Yeah, that's what I figured...I'll check it out -- thanks. Have you (UglyScout or anyone else) removed/serviced the furnace/burner, and do you have any tips for steps that might be tricky?

I now also have a Wave heater, which I got because it doesn't use electricity to power a fan and all the heat it creates goes into the camper (since it has no flue), but even though the Wave will get my legs burning very quickly :P ...it doesn't heat up the whole camper as quickly as the built-in furnace. So that's why I need/want the furnace to be fully functional, too, especially since we're getting into winter camping season.
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#27 Barko1

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Posted 04 November 2010 - 03:26 PM

I now also have a Wave heater, which I got because it doesn't use electricity to power a fan and all the heat it creates goes into the camper (since it has no flue), but even though the Wave will get my legs burning very quickly :P ...it doesn't heat up the whole camper as quickly as the built-in furnace. So that's why I need/want the furnace to be fully functional, too, especially since we're getting into winter camping season.


New name should be two heater Mark! I took my built in out and have relied on just the wave 3. Does take a while for it too get fully warm but them I'm a tough guy :lol:
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#28 MarkBC

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Posted 04 November 2010 - 03:34 PM

New name should be two heater Mark! I took my built in out and have relied on just the wave 3. Does take a while for it too get fully warm but them I'm a tough guy :lol:


Yeah, for a guy who's spent decades camping in a tent and/or out of the back of my truck in all seasons -- not to mention backcountry camping, even winter backcountry camping on skis in a snowcave -- I sure have become a wimp in just 5 years with an FWC camper! :P
But so be it -- I have no problem admitting the truth! B)
(now where's that generator?...I need to plug in my electric blanket.)
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#29 leadsled9

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Posted 04 November 2010 - 04:13 PM

Does anyone know if the burner in the furnace can get fouled and require cleaning? I learned the hard way that that can happen to the burner in the 'frig, so maybe?
Has anyone seen the wimpy-flame problem in their furnace?


Hi Mark,

When you perform this nifty task....please photograph your work and share with us. I was wondering the same thing about cleaning the furnace burner....after all it saved the day with the refrigerator. My refrigerator burner seems to need cleaning annually (2008 Hawk).....however, my furnace has always worked flawlessly.
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#30 MarkBC

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Posted 04 November 2010 - 05:00 PM

Hi Mark,

When you perform this nifty task....please photograph your work and share with us. I was wondering the same thing about cleaning the furnace burner....after all it saved the day with the refrigerator. My refrigerator burner seems to need cleaning annually (2008 Hawk).....however, my furnace has always worked flawlessly.


Will do.
My furnace burner has always worked fine, too, until now...but I said the same thing about the refrigerator until a couple of months ago. ;)
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