Quote:
Originally Posted by Tonopah
When I push the thermostat up the heater clicks on and I can see what appears to be a pilot light on behind the furnace vent in the trailer. It should click and the burner should light but the burner does not light. So I get essentially cold air forced through the vent, warmed only a tad by the pilot light. Maybe I'm missing something ...
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No, you're not missing anything. If you can see the pilot light, it proves that gas is getting to the furnace. I think it also proves that the thermostat is working. It also proves that the electronic ignition of the pilot light is working. I see two possibilities, or maybe three.
1. Is the blower running strongly? Are you on shore power? There is an airflow switch inside the furnace (appropriately called the "sail switch") that won't allow the gas to come on unless there is a good flow of air. The purpose, of course, is to make sure there is enough airflow to carry heat outside the furnace and into the living spaces. This, of course, prevents the furnace itself from overheating. If you are dry camping, your battery is low, and the blower running slowly, there may not be enough airflow to activate the sail switch.
2. The second possibility is the one which Leon suggested in his second post - the thermocouple is out of place. The thermocouple is a small metal cyclinder with a smaller metal tube coming out of one end. The body of the thermocouple must be bathed in the pilot flame. This proves to the system that the pilot flame is on, and that it is safe to turn on the main gas valve. If the thermocouple is off to the side so it doesn't heat up enough, the main valve won't turn on - and no heat! The thermocouple could also be faulty, of course.
3. Has your TM been in storage for a while? In some parts of the country, there is a tiny spider and otherwise-harmless that LOVES the smell of propane. They tend to get into the orifice area, and weave webs that clog up the jets. If you can get to the orifice area, this is easily cured by runing a Q-tip around the inside of the gas burner pipe.
By the way, I see that your TM is new. Has your furnace EVER worked (to your certain knowledge)? Or is this a first-time-I-tried-it problem? All in all, it probably requires at least semi-competent/experienced tech help to address any of these. Your dealer or any other RV dealer should be able to handle it - it is a common appliance, and it is under warranty. Good luck and let us know what happens.
By the way, Leon's first comment about the levers on the thermostat applied only to older models, such as the 2002 models he and I both owned. Newer TM's have a different thermostat.
Bill