LP furnace odor

[Bruce and Jenna]

My LP furnace gives off an odor in the coach when I use it. Doesn't smell like LP exactly, kinda metallic. It sure is noticeable. Makes D-Dubya sneeze some and gives me a headache if it's on too long, like now when I'm heating up the trailer from a cold night.

I thought this odor would go away with time and use, but it has not. Is this common in Excels and other RVs?

[Bruce and Jenna]

My LP furnace gives off an odor in the coach when I use it. Doesn't smell like LP exactly, kinda metallic. It sure is noticeable. Makes D-Dubya sneeze some and gives me a headache if it's on too long, like now when I'm heating up the trailer from a cold night.

I thought this odor would go away with time and use, but it has not. Is this common in Excels and other RVs?

[RustyJC]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bruce and Jenna:
....and gives me a headache if it's on too long, like now when I'm heating up the trailer from a cold night. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Bruce,

Do you have a working CO (carbon monoxide) detector? Not to overdramatize, but this is literally a life or death matter if your heat exchanger is cracked or if you're leaking combustion gases into the 5th wheel interior.

I'll link this down to the Systems and Appliances forum where there's a better chance that an RV service technician will see this post and comment.

Rusty

[ExcelRVGuy]

Bruce....

If you smell ANY odor from your furnace you should shut it off immediately and have it checked by a qualified technician.

The smell you're smelling could possibly be a cracked heat chamber. The other possibly could be an obstruction (i.e. nest) in your flu.

At any rate, PLEASE have it checked IMMEDIATELY!

Bryan

[Highgturn]

Bruce,

To specifically answer your question, there should be no odor at all coming from the furnace vents inside the coach. The LP gas flame is isolated inside the heat exchanger from the warm air that comes inside the coach. All the bad stuff should be expelled via the furnace's exhaust port. The possible crack in the heat exchanger Bryan and Rusty mentioned would allow carbon monoxide to mix with the warm air that comes inside. Once that possibility has been ruled out, I would check for some foreign material in the duct that omits an odor when it's heated.

[RV Wizard]

The unit should be under warranty and IS A SAFETY ISSUE. Have your dealer's service department check into this. If in fact the technician does not find a cracked heat exchanger, he should be able to determine if it is overheating or if there is somthing too close to the furnace causing this odor issue. Make sure he checks for proper install. I have found bad installs cause overheating of the furnace and poor heating of the RV. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Bruce and Jenna]

On Friday, I spoke with someone in Atwood HQ. Should get a call back on Monday. In the mean time, I ain't holdin' my breath.

We are heating with an electric space heater. Fortunately winter ain't cold in AZ.

Thanks for all you responses.

[Highgturn]

Bruce,

How about some details about what was wrong.

[Bruce and Jenna]

Well, I don't know more than I've written. Turn on furnace. Get metallic smell in about 5 minutes.

I checked the furnace as much as I could, which ain't much. The main cover plate has a sheet metal screw that just turns in place. I don't want to mess with it, since I don't carry a good array of tools any longer.

We tried to compare the odor to the exhaust, but ain't much odor in the latter. Maybe that odor ends up in the trailer?

I haven't found anyone to make a house call, at least not for less than $175 RT. Half the technicians on the Atwood web site are out of business, and the other half don't travel. We're 35 miles north of Phoenix, in the height of snowbird season.

Right now I'm getting by with a space heater. Spending time preparing for knee surgery rather than furnace surgery. After the cutting next week, I ain't taking this trailer anywhere for a couple months.

So I'll just put this off unless I can find someone to drive out here into the boonies. Maybe one of you? I'll put on the coffee pot. And mojitos after fixin' hours.

[rockintom]

Thanks for the update Bruce. You know if I was in your neighborhood I'd come take a look at it. I'm the crawl around under the rig kinda guy!

Good luck on the knee surgery....remember....lots of patience on that deal.

I also would take you up on the mojitos. I've been known to do a couple or one of those!

[Bruce and Jenna]

Finally found someone to make a service call. Best he could tell was that the burner chamber exhaust plate had shifted forward, possibly letting some exhaust escape.

We're not using the furnace now, what with sunny and warm days here in AZ. So we'll see how it goes in the months ahead.

Thanks much for all your suggestions and concern.

[RV Wizard]

Bruce, do keep us posted on this issue. Do to its importance of safety, I like to be able to know what to look for and at in a problem like this. Thank you.

[Bruce and Jenna]

Just for clarification, the burner chamber exhaust plate is the galvanized plate at the bottom of the heat chamber, including the exhaust port to the outside. It had moved back, i.e. away from the access door.

[ChiefJohn]

Thanks Bruce -- probably a rare occurrence, but something to be aware of if any of us have a problem with furnace odors in the future.