Gas furnace not working 2015 flying cloud

[Jukeboxfun]

We are camping in Gettysburg tonight. Got cool here 42, so I turned on the gas furnace. It blew cold air for about 30 seconds, then nothing. Went outside checked gas indicator, it shows green. Listened to furnace outside can't hear burner going. I tried again, same thing blower motor goes, and no clicking heard outside to indicate an electric ignition trying to light the gas. It worked ok this past spring.

Any suggestions or help appreciated. Thanks!

[paiceman]

Propane on? Sometimes if no propane has been used it takes a while. When I first turn on propane I turn on the stove to get some pressure build up in the lines. If that is not it, could be the limiter switch and or the "mother board". We had issues with the limiter switch allowing the burner to light and then after 30 seconds turn off, cycled like this for a long time. Replaced the limiter switch under warranty (we have a 2015 FC) and now after this past weekend camping down the road from you it started acting this way again, so it's going back to our dealer again today. You can supplement your heating by using the heat pump feature on your AC unit. Open a roof vent as HPs put more moisture into the trailer than the furnace does.

Also, make sure the battery disconnect switch is in the ON position. The furnace runs on 12v only and even if plugged into shore power it will not turn on, no clicking, if the disconnect is off.

[ghaynes755]

Alice and Bud, have the dealer check the Sail Switch. Might be bad or binding. Same issue with mine and it was rubbing in the the fan cage.

Jukebox, what they said is spot on for checking operation. Fire up the other propane powered devices. Might be air in the lines.

[paiceman]

Gary - Sail Switch?

[Ted S.]

I had the same issue with mine and if you look around the web, we are not alone.

I was boondocking, so I was not hooked up to power. Then later when hooked up, it worked fine. My batteries were fine, I never solved what it was. I too have a 2015 FC.

[GailMac]

Had same problem. Try using cook stove first then give heater another try. That will get air out of line and permit furnace to light. My AS is a little older so may be set up difference. Use a small electric heater until you get it fix. Good luck.

[ghaynes755]

The 'sail switch' is a switch that senses whether the blower is running. It is a flat piece of metal and acts like a vane. Air movement hits it if the blower is running and the switch tells the control board that it is ok to open the gas valves and try ignition. If it is bent, like mine, it rubs on the blower housing internally and will sometimes move and sometimes not move. Easily replaceable if totally bad and easy to tweak if it needs to be bent.

[MitchR55]

FWIW, heat pumps do not add moisture. It is electric, so no water source. AC takes water out of the air via condensation on the cooling coils, but reversing the cycle in HP mode does not add moisture. The relative humidity will drop as the air temp rises.

[Jukeboxfun]

I took cover of the furnace off, I don't know why. Then fooled with gas tanks green switch over thing, turning it to the other tank. After a couple tries then furnace ran. There must not be enough gas pressure from the other tank, however we were cooking with it and ran the fridge earlier.

Anyone care to explain how that stupid switchover green to red thing works on the gas tanks?

Where should the selecter knob be pointed? In the middle? Or to one of the tanks?

[CRH]

I don't put much faith in red/green gauge. The lever points to the tank you are using.

[gary1burke]

We are having the same problem with our 2015 International - 2nd trip out. Furnace ran fine earlier today. Now it blows cold for about 90 secs, then off. Switched tanks follwoing the above success of Jukeboxfunbut so far no joy. Fortunately, its not freezing here and the stove works so we have some heat but not wanting to asphixiate ourselves, we'll probably just wear our long johns. Going back to town tomorrow anyway. I'm not sure how to use the AC in HP mode. Just turn the thermostat to "Cool" and then adjust the temp upwards?

[Two Chicks]

I cleaned my furnace a few weeks ago, and found a sticker (in a spot that you cannot see unless taken apart) with some suggestions.
Also, before we had solar, our furnace wouldn't work when the battery was low. It's a safety feature on the furnace.


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[AstroBruce]

On my 28', the hoses to the galley faucet were leaking on top of the furnace. The furnace circuit board was getting wet and wouldn't fire the furnace. Check for water leaks.

Bruce

[gary1burke]

All your suggestions are very helpful! Especially one about heat pump. Didn't even know it had one but figured it out after seeing it mentioned here. Kept us toasty. I'll let you know what the dealer service says on this.

Thanks!

[gary1burke]

Many months later, I have to apologize for not following up here. I think the dealer said the issue might have been a low charge on the battery. Since then we traded to a 27' serenity. So far, just a few minor annoyances but generally very happy. In both units, we managed 15 3,4 or 5 days trips around Oregon in 13 months, with the trailer in storage from November to April.