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Old 12-14-2005, 09:15 AM   #1
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Anyone else get chilly watching TV in the evenings?

Some evenings we'll sit down and watch a DVD Or VHS film through the TV, and my wife has often pointed out that she is feeling cold. The furnace is doing its stuff very efficiently, the thermostat is set to 72 degrees, as usual, the windows are well insulated with accurately cut panels of the silver coated padded material sold to cover car windscreens. The temperature outside in the evening may be between 35 and 55 degrees, so why are we feeling chilly?
After a little thought, I realized what probably many of you doubtless already worked out. The TV, of the traditional cathode ray tube variety, gives out some heat. On an Excella, as in many Airstreams, the usual place for a TV is on the credenza .............just below the wall thermostat! The thermostat is bathed in the warm air rising from the TV, so it shuts the funace off when the temperature by the couch is well below 72 degrees. Some solutions are to turn the thermostat up a couple of degrees, pull the TV forward away from the wall, buy a TV that produces less heat (LCD?), or re-site the thermostat.
We opted to turn the stat up to 74.
Nick.
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Old 12-14-2005, 10:12 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by nickcrowhurst
Some evenings we'll sit down and watch a DVD Or VHS film through the TV, and my wife has often pointed out that she is feeling cold. The furnace is doing its stuff very efficiently, the thermostat is set to 72 degrees, as usual, the windows are well insulated with accurately cut panels of the silver coated padded material sold to cover car windscreens. The temperature outside in the evening may be between 35 and 55 degrees, so why are we feeling chilly?
After a little thought, I realized what probably many of you doubtless already worked out. The TV, of the traditional cathode ray tube variety, gives out some heat. On an Excella, as in many Airstreams, the usual place for a TV is on the credenza .............just below the wall thermostat! The thermostat is bathed in the warm air rising from the TV, so it shuts the funace off when the temperature by the couch is well below 72 degrees. Some solutions are to turn the thermostat up a couple of degrees, pull the TV forward away from the wall, buy a TV that produces less heat (LCD?), or re-site the thermostat.
We opted to turn the stat up to 74.
Nick.

Or install a Wave 10 Cat heater on the bulkhead near the door to provide radiant heat My unit had one there at one time and I plan on replacing it when I get done with a few other items.

Aaron
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Old 12-14-2005, 10:28 AM   #3
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Hey Aaron, just put a sweater on... or use this phenomenon to justify a new LCD flat panel TV. It will take up less space too.
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Old 12-14-2005, 11:19 AM   #4
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Heat and Insulation

There are two vents in the front section heating up the thermastat before the rear bedroom is warm enough. We have thought of replacing the duct screens with one that can be adjusted or closed, but don't know where to find them.

I sat and read in the AS last night. It was perhaps in the 20s. Furnace and ceramic heater in the rear, and a sweater for sure, no special window dressing besides the shades and curtains drawn. I noticed that the cold drifts down from the curtains on the windows. Does that insulation work well for you? Do you remove it during the day? I think a sheet of insulation over the skylights and vista views would help as well as wall to wall carpeting. It is also cold around the rear nightstand and walls probably emminating from the outside storage.

What I have also been wondering about is why the furnace has to kick off a burst of cold air each time it cycles on. Is there any way to prevent that from happening, can we add some insulation some where around the ducts? Same with the bathroom air. Yes it warms the room but often the forced air feels cooler than the room air.

Guess I better get a heated cuddlesac or throw.
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Old 12-14-2005, 11:40 AM   #5
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What I have also been wondering about is why the furnace has to kick off a burst of cold air each time it cycles on. Is there any way to prevent that from happening, can we add some insulation some where around the ducts?
I'm not an expert here but I believe that the furnace requires the air flowing before it will allow the gas to kick on. That would result in a burst of cold air each time it cycles.
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Old 12-14-2005, 11:59 AM   #6
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I believe the "burst" of cold air is required to open the sail valve allowing propane to enter and begin the combustion process initiated by the pilot or electronic ignition and hence heat. Also, do be careful in closing the front vents etc as this might affect the amount of required air flow reaching the sail vale at the furnace, thus preventing its opening. The result is the fan running with no attendent heat.
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Old 12-14-2005, 12:14 PM   #7
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I'm not an expert here but I believe that the furnace requires the air flowing before it will allow the gas to kick on. That would result in a burst of cold air each time it cycles.

That is it and it happens in a LP fired house furnace too, but just not as noticeable. In the AS you are dealing with a smaller volume.

Wheelinterested,
I use Reflectix in my windows and vista views. Makes a huge difference. I orginally did it for protection from the outside heat in the summer, but it works well in reverse in the winter. FWIW I also used it in the bunk ends of my popup to extend the camping season.

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Old 12-14-2005, 12:22 PM   #8
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Guess I will just have to get some long underwear. Actually that's what I wore when we were hit by the two snow storms in Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon this January and except for travel days we were snug enough except for having to shovel "in."

Thanks for the advice and info, I will not block the vents. Aaron has the right idea though. And no drain on the battery! Insulate too. Just maybe I will get a Little Buddy heater if I think I can stand leaving the window open, :-0 while we are awake and emergency type basis. I am a bit "concerned" about using those though.

Aaron, please tell me if during the day you remove the insulation to let the light in or does that defeat the purpose and let all the cold in?
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Old 12-14-2005, 12:59 PM   #9
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hi nick and others

another option (besides kicking up the thermostat) would be a small fan to move air, even between furnace cycles.....why let that hot air the tele produces go to waist....blow it around!

the platinum cat heaters are great since they use so little electricity and can be installed without venting. they are especially nice for the pooch...like being near a warm fire....which it actually is....also ok to use when away from the trailer or watching tv. but be very careful about using them when asleep. while they completely combust the lpg, so there's no CO to kill ya', they do use up the oxygen inside the trailer, so venting is needed for fresh air to breath....cracking a window usually is enough...but there goes the heat.

also keep the cabinet door open since any room air heater will not warm the plumbing like the furnace does...

foil insulation is a great idea for the vistas, skylights, bathroom fan, wrap around windows, and especially the door....

but if it's sub freezing and one places insulation in most of the windows....those windows will freeze! moisture will collect on the insides and because the window/frames are now closer to outdoor temps......iceeeee will form on the inside.

so if using foil.....it should be romoved regularly, and windows checked for ice....

also any trailer zipped up this tight will need regular daily "airing out" or moisture becomes a big problem....

thoughts from someone who's used the airstream for skiing, and fulltimed in sub freezing months...

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Old 12-14-2005, 01:48 PM   #10
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The T-stat in my unit is on the rear closet wall of the street side twin beds. Sometimes the pilot would blow out in my old timey NT30, and it would be cold in the morning. So I would light the catalytic heater and turn on a ceramic 1500 watt heater in the bathroom, while I took my morning shower.
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Old 12-14-2005, 01:48 PM   #11
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Aaron, please tell me if during the day you remove the insulation to let the light in or does that defeat the purpose and let all the cold in?
It will depend, the bedroom windows usually stay blocked all the time. I love my vista views, I am 6'2" so I can actually see out of them I usually leave at least the kitchen window and two windows in the lounge area unblocked in all but the coldest weather. FWIW I put my reflectix in the window itself, so you have to make a trip outside to install or remove it.

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Old 12-14-2005, 01:52 PM   #12
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It is also cold around the rear nightstand and walls probably emminating from the outside storage.
A good solution is to buy some Reflectix and insulate around the places where cold air can come in.

On my queen bed model, there are a lot of gaps between the nightstand and the plywood bottom of the bed. There is also a small gap at the rear where the plywod doesn't quite match the contour of the body interior. If I lived in a colder climate, I would raise the bed, crawl in there, and staple Reflecticx in that area. The entiire underbed area could easily be insulated from the balance of the trailer.

In my old Scamp, I also put Reflectx all around the interior of the refrigerator cabinet while the refrigerator was removed for service. Kept the heat out in the summer, the heat in in the winter, and actually seemed to improve the coolng of the refrigerator, probably because it increased the thermal currents by keeping the heat contained.
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Old 12-14-2005, 01:55 PM   #13
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Just keep a moving....

remember - when you sit, your metabolism slows, and your body cools off. There's other things to be doing in bed on a cold night to keep warm too.....

Course, you may get a cold shoulder too...
Happy Holidays!
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Old 12-14-2005, 03:42 PM   #14
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Question Electric mattress pad works well for us

We use an electric mattress pad under our regular mattress pad. We turn it on a couple hours before we go to bed and when it's time to slip under the covers it's toasty warm. It gives you more heat at your feet and runs for 10 hours which is perfect because it's turning off when it's time to get up. We have this in our home as well. It only took one cold weekend camping for us to go out and buy one for the trailer. I don't mind if it gets chilly at night when I sleep, I just want it warm when I jump into bed. You can also adjust how warm you want it. I usually have it all the way up when I turn it on and then when I get in I adjust it down. We bought them at Linens 'n Things, used one of those 20% coupons but I've seen them at KMart too, not to much $$.

A quick question, is it true you'll dry out the inside of the trailer some if you run your heat pump?? I like the constant noise of that rather than the on off of the furnace which wakes me up. I know we can set our thermostat on automatic and it'll switch to furnace if the temp drops low enough. I was just wondering which would be a better way to get some of the moisture out of the trailer, the heat pump or the furnace? Is it true that the furnace adds more moisture because propane releases moisture when it's burned?
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Old 12-14-2005, 04:12 PM   #15
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A quick question, is it true you'll dry out the inside of the trailer some if you run your heat pump?? I like the constant noise of that rather than the on off of the furnace which wakes me up. I know we can set our thermostat on automatic and it'll switch to furnace if the temp drops low enough. I was just wondering which would be a better way to get some of the moisture out of the trailer, the heat pump or the furnace? Is it true that the furnace adds more moisture because propane releases moisture when it's burned?
Neither statement is true. The AC will remove moisture from the trailer interior, but the heat pump does not. The "cold" side of the heat pump is outside on the roof and that is where moisture collects; that is the reason the heat pump must defrost occasionally.

The furnace will not put moisture into the trailer. The combstion process that is the source of moisture is sealed and open only to the outside of the trailer.

In other words, the only thing that puts moisture into the trailer interior in the winter is the occupants and the only thing that removes it is opening a vent.

I noticed sometime back on the Flying J site that they have a tiny dehumidifier that is intended for the sleeper cabs in 18-wheelers.
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