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CARLnJANIS · 12-24-2014, 08:02 PM

Been having a problem with both the gas heater and heat pump.

The gas heater works well keeping the indoors nice and toasty. However, once every day or so, the heater will not cycle on. The thermostat is set to 70 and the indoor temperature will drop well below the setting and the heater will not cycle on. One morning the temperature was in the 50's inside. Moving the thermostat to OFF then back to GAS HEAT will reset the thermostat and the heater will cycle on and resume normal operations until the next time it doesn't cycle back on. Any ideas? In the short run I can act as a human thermostat.

We used the heat pump for the first time last night. It did a good job but after a few times cycling on and off, we suddenly noticed a smell of hot plastic coming from the vents. It didn't smell to me like wires overheating, just hot plastic. I turned the thermostat back to gas heat and flipped the air conditioner circuit breaker off until I can have it looked at. Anybody experienced or heard of this before?

Looks like a trip to Duncan, OK is in my future.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

TexasTwoStep · 12-25-2014, 05:24 AM

Sounds like a thermostat issue to me. I just replaced mine. This might give you some additional information.

Riverc · 12-25-2014, 07:59 AM

Mine was doing that,replaced the batteries that solved the problem.

CARLnJANIS · 12-25-2014, 08:58 AM

I'm beginning to think its the heater. During normal operation there are two rapid clicks from the thermostat just before the heater starts. I assume one is for the gas to come on, the other the fan. Once the set temperature is reached, one click from the thermostat and the gas is turned off because I can hear the heat exchanger popping while cooling down. After the heat exchanger cools down, there is one more click which turns off the fan. A few seconds later, I moved the thermostat switch to off, there is no response from the thermostat.

Last night, while I was posting this thread, the heater was running and suddenly just stopped. No clicks from the thermostat, just stopped. I waited a while and then checked the thermostat. It was several degrees below the setting. I moved the thermostat switch to off and there was two rapid clicks from the thermostat. I moved the switch back to gas and there was two more rapid clicks and the heater started. Sounds like a possible problem with the heaters limit switch on the heat exchanger.

One note, this has been a problem for awhile. It happened on our first out-of-state trip to Eagle Nest, NM in Summer, 2013. First time we needed the heater. The dealer looked at it when we got back and said there was a loose wire on the thermostat and it was fixed, yea right. This trip is the first trip we have needed to use the heater since the NM trip.

I will change the batteries anyway. Could be an easy, cheap fix.

TexasTwoStep · 12-25-2014, 09:30 AM

AirExcel 316-832-4357. Ask these guys.

Rob17 · 12-25-2014, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CARLnJANIS

I'm beginning to think its the heater. During normal operation there are two rapid clicks from the thermostat just before the heater starts. I assume one is for the gas to come on, the other the fan.

I don't believe that's how it works Carl. Unless I'm mistaken the thermostat sends a signal to the heater then the heater starts the blower to get air flow. Once air flow is detected by a vane switch then the gas comes on.

If I were a betting man I'd say you have a bad thermostat.

CARLnJANIS · 12-25-2014, 11:56 AM

I think I'll let Doug's RV look into it. I have to take it in for the heat pump anyway.

Thanks everyone for the help and Merry Christmas.

CARLnJANIS · 02-08-2015, 08:53 PM

Picked up rig Friday from Doug's RV in Duncan, OK. The problem was the control board in the heater. The heater is a two stage, 20K/40K BTU. One stage was not working correctly. The heater had to be sent back to the factory to be repaired. Works great now.

As for the batteries in the thermostat, there aren't any. I guess the thermostat is tied into the trailer batteries.