heater not working

[rivrduk]

Well, here i go again needing some info. Cold weather will soon be here and i wanted to check out the two heaters in my Tradewinds model 7373 to make sure they are working. The one in zone two is working good, but the one in the front, zone 1 will not light. The fan comes on but it does not ignite. I put my nose to the exhaust outside and i can briefly smell propane but no heat. I have noticed that a different electronic board is in the one that does not work so i guess the previous owner had trouble with it. I removed the outside cover and noticed a red light blinking on the board which i guess signals that the heater is not working. The switch is on so i guess i need help on this problem. The fan comes on but no heat. I figured the heater would light before the fan starts blowing, but i dont know. If someone knows a remedy other than a service call please let me know. Thanks, Rivrduk

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rivrduk I figured the heater would light before the fan starts blowing, but i don't know. If someone knows a remedy other than a service call please let me know. Thanks, Rivrduk

I can't address an electrical failure however when I changed my cabin filters, the heater got enough air and it fired off.

[bldrbob]

I had the opposite problem The rear furnace would not light. I swapped the circuit board and it lit.A new board and everything is toasty. The fan runs for a while before it ignites. That is to make sure there is no residual gas before ignition. It also runs after the flame goes out.It will try to light 3 times then the fan will continue to run.
BOB

[rivrduk]

I heard three clicks while close to the front heater but nothing lit, however the fan did keep running. The boards in the heaters are not the same, as the front one looks like the newer board and it has a red light that is flashing on the board. I guess it is telling me the furnace is not lit. The man i purchased the MH from replaced the board on the one that does not lite, i can tell it is a newer board than the rear one.

[rivrduk]

On my MH where are the heater cabin filters, i took the screen off the front heater and i do not see a filter of any kind. I think mine are atwood heaters. I have just purchased this unit and it seems like a lot of little things are wrong. I know this man took extremely good care of this unit and stored it in a climate controlled storage its whole life. It is 10 years old and looks new both inside and out. Thanks for your help. If anyone knows what the red light is telling me i would appreciate your help on this. Rivrduk

[casagamble]

Almost all propane furnaces in mobile units are notorious for getting Mud Dobbers in the outside vent. They build nests inside and it usually ends up on the sail switch keeping it from making when the fan comes on. The fan is what makes the switch to prove that air flow is getting to the furnace. Gas valve will not open unless sail switch is working. There are so many different furnaces that I cannot say how you will get to the nest to remove it but I am guessing that you will find this to be your problem. there are small screens that you can get to prevent this problem.

[rivrduk]

Well, you were correct on the mud daubers. I took to a repair shop and the service man found 5 dauber nests. He kept them and showed them to me. I now have the screens on the heaters. Once this summer on my first local camping trip i killed 5 daubers trying to get into the frig. Got screens for it too. They were long strips that went over each vent area in the frig cover. Thanks rivrduk

[bigdog]

Hummmm,I was just going to ask the same sort of thing. Before we left on our trip,the back furnace,zone 2, was working great and now it lights and I get a little heat and not a lot of air flow,but then the airflow wasn't always as good as the front one and so I just figgered that they were different output units.. Is that true? Back to the manuals I guess.
I've gotta take it into the dealer 'cuz coming put of Death Valley on the trip to Vegas we were doing 50 along 190 south of Death Valley junction and the rig almost stopped from a HUGE gust of wind and the front of the awning unrolled and I think it broke the spring.Fastened the legs with radiator type clamps. If it hadn't been for a lock on the back of it,I would have lost the whole thing.Also the slide covers started to rip while we were camped at Furnace Creek as the winds got up over 60 mph the last nite we were there.Hope the insurance covers them.