Noisy Furnace

The Suburban heater in our TM is making strange noises. When the heater is first turned on, the blower starts. Then shortly after the furnace ignites. After the furnace heats up for 3 - 5 minutes the noise starts. It sounds like you threw a hand full of nuts and bolts into the blower and the sound is almost continuous.  The sound varies in intensity but at its worst you can't sit next to it and have a normal conversation. When the flame turns off(blower still on) the noise goes away. I removed the furnace and checked for loose hardware but found none.  

P.S.
I returned the TM to the dealer. Some mounting screws were replaced and they thought the problem was solved. Our dealer is 3 1/2 hours away so taking it back is not an option at this time.

Your description of the furnace noise is absolutely accurate.  We had to purchase additional speakers for the tv (surround sound in a TM ahhhh!) in order to hear it while the furnace was on.  We also found that the noise increased and decreased depending on where one stood inside the trailer.  We will be returning ours to the dealer (20 minutes away) to have a second tank installed in the near future.  We will have them check our furnace at that time.  If there is any cure for the racket we will let you know.

Apart from your specific problems, the Suburban furnace is a noisy critter.  When I first bought the 2720SL I had the dealer take it out and check it for excessive noise.  They couldn't find any problem so I contacted Suburban and was told that the furnace was the smallest they make and there was nothing they could do to reduce it (the noise).  

In the 3326, using the furnace is a pleasure because it is located under one of the dinette seats ;D located in the middle of the TM.  The noise is reduced and because of the location it doesn't affect the living area or bedroom area.   Nice and quiet here.....

[BOB_STRONG]

Chris,

I agree with your statement about the furnace in the 3326 King. In both of our 3326 King trailers, we never had any problems with the noise. Our 2002 model has the larger furnace which is a  20000 BTU instead of the 16000 BTU. I ordered the larger furnace because I thought that a larger heater would work better in that large of a unit. With the larger furnace, it's no longer cool in the front section by the couch. The larger furnace is still as quiet as the smaller one.

Bob Strong

[Bill]

... When the heater is first turned on, the blower starts. After the furnace heats up for 3 - 5 minutes the noise starts. When the flame turns off(blower still on) the noise goes away.

It sounds like something in the sheet metal is expanding as it heats up, to the point where the blower fan hits it.  If you disassemble the sheet metal blower-motor area, you ought to be able to see scrape marks.  Bend the sheet metal a bit, or tweak the blower position a bit.  You shouldn't have to increase the clearance very much to stop the problem.

Let us know the result.

Bill

I asked my TrailManor dealer and he said the furnance was just plain noisy.  He couldn't recommend a quieter propane heater.  Therefore, we use a ceramic 110 Volt heater when hook up with power and an extra blanket when we dry camp.

I find it strange that people have such a problem with their heater, as as old as mine is, it doesn't make those noises. Upon reading another thread about a noisy converter, I'd have to say that's what's happening, metal is expanding and the fan is hitting it. Sure, mine's noisy, but not like that. I think when people are talking to dealers and Suburban, that's what they're thinking, it's just it's regular amount of noise. But if it sounds like stuff is bouncing around in there, no, I don't think it should be doing that. Mine's 17 years old, and tho the fan itself is noisy, it doesn't make any more noise than just the fan.

[glow=red,2,300]Happytrails..........[/glow]

I've got an 01, model 2619, and while my heater is loud, it doesn't make any wierd noises. I agree, check the fan blades and sheet metal. You've got a clearance issue.

Also remember, the heater is on a thermostat, so it shouldn't run all the time after it heats to the desired comfort setting. Having said this, we too use an AC powered ceramic heater in the winter.

Gregg

There's no getting around it...that darn furnace blower is loud. Early on we had some issues with rattling noises as the casing was vibrating against the metal bed frame in our 3023. I ended up substituting the 2 front grill screws with toggle bolts, which enabled me to cinch it up fairly tight. The remainder of the rattles were fixed by inserting some small wood shims here and there where the enclosure touched the metal bed frame - secured with liquid nails and no problem with the heat to date. Seems to have solved the problems as much as can be expected with this type of heater. It would be much quieter if it was tucked away completely under the couch and then ducted to a couple of vent openings across the bottom, but that's a project for another day .

Wade

You know, in my 2619, the heater IS under the dinette near the front door. Wonder if that's why mine isn't ear splittingly loud. just loud.  

Gregg