Suburban NT 22c Furnace

[TG Twinkie]

I know this is one of the units on the recall list. My question is. If back in the '70's when these units were recalled. Did Suburban have a fix? If the owner of such a unit took it back on the recall. Did Suburban make the necessary repairs to the crossover pipe problem?
I recently removed the unit from my trailer and did a thorough checkout of the components including the crossover pipe. I understand that some units had a rubber crossover pipe and others had a metal pipe. My unit has a rubber type crossover and it is in exceptionally good shape. There is no sign of dry rotting or cracking of any type. It fits tight at both ends and has what I would consider good flexibility. The wall thickness must on this piece of hose (pipe) is close to 3/16".
The heat exchanger and plenum are in great shape with very little surface rust. What rust is there can be wiped of with a cloth and the surface below it shows no signs of pitting or deep erosion.
The unit fires up and runs great. It has done a good job of heating the trailer. It is a simple unit with no electronics. One does have to light the pilot, which is relatively easy to do. And it is a very quiet unit.
Has anyone else found this to be the case with these old furnaces? Does anyone know when the last NT22c was made and if Suburban may have updated some units before they left the factory? The serial number on this unit fits within the recall list.
Since the unit is in great shape I plan to continue to use it. Of course I have CO and smoke alarm detection installed.
Any and all input would be appreciated.

[silverleeper]

This is a good read. Suburban furnace

[exthemius]

You know..I'll probably get heat (no pun intended) for this, but we've kept ours and use it all the time...and I'm with you on how simple they are to start, operate, and maintain. I've read a lot of stories here where the control boards go out and have to be replaced, and this and that...I've completely rebuilt ours from the ground up because of a dirt-dauber nest being built inside the blower unit. We don't have the recalled unit (we have the metal tube in ours) but everything else works great and we have no hesitation in using it until it doesn't work anymore (although I only wish it were a bit smaller so that I could easily fit a new range/oven combo in my galley).

Since I've rebuilt the unit and gotten everything re-balanced (that was hard) I've not had a single problem with it in a year and a half, and we use it all the time!

[cameront120]

Shawn, you aren't alone. I've been using mine without issues. My records indicate that the original order had the problem fixed during the recall.

[idroba]

Originally Posted by TG Twinkie

I know this is one of the units on the recall list. My question is. If back in the '70's when these units were recalled. Did Suburban have a fix? (snip) My unit has a rubber type crossover and it is in exceptionally good shape. There is no sign of dry rotting or cracking of any type. It fits tight at both ends and has what I would consider good flexibility. The wall thickness must on this piece of hose (pipe) is close to 3/16". (snip)

Yes, Suburban had a recall program and would replace the rubber crossover tube with one with a RED stripe on it. So, if yours has a Red stripe on the rubber crossover, it has the recall modification, or was made after the recall was instituted. In theory, after someone made the modification, there was a label placed on the furnace stating that it had been done. But you know how labels disappear, or were not put on to begin with.

I understand Suburban no longer supports any parts from these units, including the recall parts and tube. I know that parts for the pilot light, including the orifice, are very difficult to come by, as only NOS sources may have them. Gaskets were asbestos and are not available now, but there may be some alternative materials you can use.

I agree, it was a nice simple unit, and exceptionally quiet compared to the newer ones available now. New ones, however, have lower 12volt current draw.

If you have yours apart, remove the cast iron burner assembly and run a hacksaw blade through each of the slot openings in the burner. They tend to rust up over the years and then do not burn right, no matter how much you adjust the air input to the burner.

[BIGED52]

Originally Posted by idroba

Yes, Suburban had a recall program and would replace the rubber crossover tube with one with a RED stripe on it. So, if yours has a Red stripe on the rubber crossover, it has the recall modification, or was made after the recall was instituted. In theory, after someone made the modification, there was a label placed on the furnace stating that it had been done. But you know how labels disappear, or were not put on to begin with.

I understand Suburban no longer supports any parts from these units, including the recall parts and tube. I know that parts for the pilot light, including the orifice, are very difficult to come by, as only NOS sources may have them. Gaskets were asbestos and are not available now, but there may be some alternative materials you can use.

I agree, it was a nice simple unit, and exceptionally quiet compared to the newer ones available now. New ones, however, have lower 12volt current draw.

If you have yours apart, remove the cast iron burner assembly and run a hacksaw blade through each of the slot openings in the burner. They tend to rust up over the years and then do not burn right, no matter how much you adjust the air input to the burner.

Thanks for posting the info on the crossover tube w/red stripe. Until now I thought the Suburban Factory Mod was the adjustable metal sleeve. I am stll working on a replacement crossover tube that seals on the ends and is safer than the original rubber one. Ed

[Gearheart]

just marking this to find again