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Old 11-24-2003, 06:17 PM   #1
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Question anyone ever balance the airflow on a furnace?

wondering if anyone has ever diverted more air to the rear of a coach from the furnace?

here is the deal, during this last weekend deer hunting and staying in my trailer it was cold outside, with a low of 13 this morning.

my furnace is under the range, the furthermost forward cabinet. the living room duct is about 3 inches long, the rear bedroom duct is approx 15 feet long. therefore almost all of the heat goes to the living room.

has anyone tried to partially block the shortest duct to make the trailer heat more even? if you did what did you use.

being born and raised in a cold climate i don't mind the bedroom being cooler, in fact i like it!

what i would like is the bathroom being a bit warmer.

any thoughts or ideas?

john
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Old 11-24-2003, 06:38 PM   #2
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John, mine has a louvered register in the front and back. The louvers are adjustable. I suppose you could duct tape a piece of cardboard over all or part of the front register, if yours are not adjustable.
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Old 11-24-2003, 06:41 PM   #3
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John,
on my unit you can open and close the vents, well you could if they weren't rusted half open. But anyway take a look at the front one and see if you can close it off, other wise there is always duct tape BTW we use a small electric heater in the bath to warm it up before we go in...can't stand a cold throne, reminds me too much of the days before indoor plumbing in Iowa, in the dead of winter!

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Old 11-24-2003, 06:46 PM   #4
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pick/aaron

mine just has 4" plastic round vents that you can swivel to direct the flow, not shut it off.

the duct tape idea is sounding better!

wonder if i could find the same size vent with a closeable louver?

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Old 11-24-2003, 06:56 PM   #5
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try this link, look at the one on the top right corner of the page
http://www.go-rv.com/coast/do/catalo...22&pageNum=252

I just figured AS was still using those good old steel one, another thought comes to mind, maybe you could install a booster fan part way down the duct to force the air to the bath room vent?

Aaron
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Old 11-24-2003, 07:10 PM   #6
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Fan in bath duct

John the AC people tell me fast fan for AC, slow fan for heat. You could put in a small 24VDC fan inside rear duct at bath. Would run at half speed and no noise.
My vents are adj but still the air in rear is not what it could be.

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Old 11-24-2003, 07:24 PM   #7
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that looks just like what i need!

thanxs for the link.

i remember reading in the suburban manual that one should not use booster fans. perhaps they could inadvertently trip the sail switch turning the gas on.

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Old 11-24-2003, 08:18 PM   #8
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john...
my rig is one year younger then yours..im surprised if you dont have adjustable supply louvers....the ductwork layout sux the big green one...i was able to pinch the bathroom which was hotter then a horse pistol...but sadly because of the horsesh*t layout...i couldnt force anymore back into the bedroom due to the small diameter duct run..... we both either have to change the duct diameter...or change where we crash and snore...
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Old 11-24-2003, 08:35 PM   #9
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I am a bit surprised that you don't have enough heat for the bathroom - it is such a small space, yet is served by the same size duct as the other areas. We have a somewhat weak airflow to the back bedroom - and ours is just a 25'. Like you, though, I like to sleep cool, so have not tried to address it.

I suspect the problem is a combination of the flexible ductwork and the convoluted path to the bath, going under the floor and back up. I also would not be surprised if you have serious kink in that duct, restricting the airflow. It would be worth looking for. Of course, if it is under the floor it would be a bear to fix.

I have thought about getting straight metal ducts for the two flex ducts that run from the furnace across the kitchen and wardrobe cabinets to increase the airflow. Just one of those things on the to-do list.

Mark
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Old 11-24-2003, 08:54 PM   #10
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mark

you are correct about the duct layout.

it just seems like it was tossed under the cabinets. runs here and there. straightening it out is a good idea.

norby,

can't think of crashin anywhere else, i sleep better in the a.s. than i do at home!

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Old 11-24-2003, 08:57 PM   #11
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well gosh....

of course in meant the front as opposed to the back....
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Old 11-24-2003, 10:00 PM   #12
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The other issue is that the tank heat is normally fed off the ducts that run to the rear of the trailer. This means that 1/2 the heat that is going toward the rear never gets there, it heats the tanks.
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Old 11-24-2003, 10:45 PM   #13
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"The other issue is that the tank heat is normally fed off the ducts that run to the rear of the trailer. This means that 1/2 the heat that is going toward the rear never gets there, it heats the tanks."

That is true, and now I think of it, it is the bathroom duct that feeds the fresh water tank. The holding tanks are, of course, heated through the bottom of the furnace.


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Old 11-25-2003, 05:49 AM   #14
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Hi all,

Have just read the above thread with interest. The furnace fan motor is a DC motor. Can dc motors slow down due to brush wear? Just a thought. maybe the fan intake is partly restricted with dust buildup or slowed down due to the dirt build up.

My thought would be to remove the fan motor - if possible and clean and replace the motor brushes. Can't do any harm and it might just make it work better.

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Old 11-25-2003, 07:04 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally posted by Mariner
Hi all,

Have just read the above thread with interest. The furnace fan motor is a DC motor. Can dc motors slow down due to brush wear? Just a thought. maybe the fan intake is partly restricted with dust buildup or slowed down due to the dirt build up.

My thought would be to remove the fan motor - if possible and clean and replace the motor brushes. Can't do any harm and it might just make it work better.

Mariner
the fan runs quite well and moves alot of air, just not to the rear.

i'll look at the ductwork next time i'm up hunting.

really think it is the unequal length of the ductwork.

john
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Old 11-25-2003, 08:13 AM   #16
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12 volt computer fans

John,

I ordered a half doz 12 volt fans that I put around the trailer. I also put resistors on all the existing fans except the heater.

One fan I mounted on the ceiling right behind the hall light and fed the 12 V from that light and installed a small switch on the end of the light for the fan - (So I can run either or both.)

My idea was when I am air conditioning the coach and the exhaust fans are closed, this little fan would help move the cold air back to the bedroom area.

I think the same would apply for the heat.

This could be an addition to straightening the hose to the rear for smoother airflow & heat.

(BTW - I think on the next coach I may use 24 volt fans so they will go at half speed and not use resistors.)

Steve in Savannah....
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Old 11-25-2003, 09:21 AM   #17
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steve

i already employ that idea when running the a.c.

got a small fan at wal mart with a clip on it, 12 volt with a 9 foot cord. less than 10 bucks.

i plug it into the rear tv outlet and clip it to the top of the room divider. it moves enough air to evenly cool the trailer.

i'm sure i can do the same when heating.

my main concern would be the tanks as brett pointed out. i have never had freeze problems down to 10 degrees.

right now my trailer is fully winterized so the tanks are not a problem.

i did notice if i run the heat strip and fan on the ac in tandem with the furnace the whole trailer is more evenly heated.

really it is just a minor problem, i think the louvered vent outlet is the way to go. very inexpensive fix. in addition to checking the vent hose route.

john
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Old 11-25-2003, 10:34 AM   #18
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I am not sure how they did it but on my Overlander somehow critters had gotten into the belly. They pulled insulation up thru the belly heat pipes into the main heat duct and had a few cozy little nests in the mid section of it, effectively plugging it up. I was told that there are screens to prevent this from happening but nonetheless it happened to me.

Even with a clear duct, the output at the rear bath grille is very minimal. I think it is just a bad design, the furnace should be more centrally located.

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Old 11-25-2003, 12:16 PM   #19
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John,

My furnace has 6 duct outlets:

2 - 3" coming out the side into the living room
2 - 2" coming out the back that goes to the holding tanks
2 - 3" coming out the side that runs to bathroom & bedroom

I had two leaks going to both the bedroom and bathroom. One was with the connecting coupler and the other was a tear underneath the duct.

John
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