Troubleshooting an Atwood furnace - my experience

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
O

OSUTRIKERS

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 18, 2013
Posts
95
First off, this furnace is on our park model, but still holds true.  We noticed it was blowing but no warm air.  Bad time of year for that.  Anyway, My 2 bro-n-laws and I started in on it with a couple of ideas. First off, none of us had dived into a furnace fix before, here?s our result. 
1. Replaced the sail switch, which looked bad but wasn?t sure.  No change.
2. Tested igniter to make sure of spark.  It was ok.
3. At this point and through next few steps, when it was on, furnace seemed to be pulsing air.
4. Made sure we cleaned out any apparent mud dobber homes. None readily seen, however did finally see some up the exhaust pipe.
5. No change.
6. Removed and replaced burner.  Again, it was in bad shape, appearance wise.
7. No change.
8. Removed orifice, blew it out... yes residue could be seen floating in,the air.
7. This time, you could really here when burner lit.  IT worked!
All that to say, taking it apart for each step wasn?t bad, but took some patience in where screws are located.
Word of advice, it helps to have a magnetic set sockets and about 3 extensions to reach some.
 
I'm glad you got it going. There is a good write-up in the library for troubleshooting furnaces. I can't really say I would recommend troubleshooting the way you did. Starting by throwing parts at something. The money would have been better spent on an inexpensive multimeter. I understand the way this is going to read is sounding like I'm chewing you out, but it's not meant that way. I just want folks to understand that throwing parts at something isn't the best way to troubleshoot. One is far better off to read the manual and get an understanding of how something operates, and use logic when troubleshooting. Asking a question or two on a forum first doesn't hurt. Being the elcheapo person that I am, I pretty much try the free to low cost stuff first.
 
Good points.  However, I?m not sure I?d say we just threw parts at it.  The manufacturer service dept was called as well as 2 other RV technicians.  With the way it was performing, initially all 3 thought it was a sail switch issue.  That was a $9 upgrade.  Not igniting , I?m not sure what the multimeter would tell me.  But overall, it was a good experience as we had never delved,into a furnace before.  Thanks for the comments.
 
Techs replace the sail switch almost automatically, but it is not any more likely to be the culprit in a non-ignition than anything else.  They simply don't want to spend the time to diagnose sail switch operation (they are spending your money, so they just swap the part).  Simply listening for the pop-pop-pop of the igniter will tell you that the sail switch is working or not, and you can also just bypass it with a jumper wire to eliminate it as a possibility.


In my experience, few RV dealer techs are well-versed in diagnosis - they get "rewarded" for being fast and selling parts, not for quality repairs or saving the customer money..
 
One of my furnaces quit lighting a few weeks ago.  In working on it, I discovered that the fan would come on, then the gas valve would click, but after that...nothing.  I could smell a wiff of propane in the exhaust when the valve clicked, so I suspected the ignitor. 
In the process of fooling with it, I tapped the gas solenoid with a screwdriver while it was going through a lighting sequence.  POOF! the thing lit off just like it was supposed to.  Been working every night for 3 weeks since then.  I figure a piece of trash in the solenoid that I dislodged with the tap.
 
Old_Crow said:
One of my furnaces quit lighting a few weeks ago.  In working on it, I discovered that the fan would come on, then the gas valve would click, but after that...nothing.  I could smell a wiff of propane in the exhaust when the valve clicked, so I suspected the ignitor. 
In the process of fooling with it, I tapped the gas solenoid with a screwdriver while it was going through a lighting sequence.  POOF! the thing lit off just like it was supposed to.  Been working every night for 3 weeks since then.  I figure a piece of trash in the solenoid that I dislodged with the tap.
Click to expand...

I don't mean to change the subject, but I wonder over the years how people have had the same luck as you just tapping something and it works again.  I know in my 82 years on this earth it has probably worked for me a dozen times.
Another way is to take a non working thing apart and put it back together.  Many times that will fix the problem and you become a hero.

jack L
 
JackL said:
I don't mean to change the subject, but I wonder over the years how people have had the same luck as you just tapping something and it works again.  I know in my 82 years on this earth it has probably worked for me a dozen times.
Click to expand...

The Fonzie use to do it with a JukeBox. Remember?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP1cZ3rbkRg
 
JackL said:
I don't mean to change the subject, but I wonder over the years how people have had the same luck as you just tapping something and it works again.  I know in my 82 years on this earth it has probably worked for me a dozen times.
Another way is to take a non working thing apart and put it back together.  Many times that will fix the problem and you become a hero.

jack L
Click to expand...

I can't tell you the number of times I've taken something apart, found nothing wrong, put it back together, only to have it start working.  As a professional auto mechanic I used to hate that.  I just knew the thing would stop working again the next day, and the unhappy people would be back.
 
Rene T said:
The Fonzie use to do it with a JukeBox. Remember?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP1cZ3rbkRg
Click to expand...
  I think you also have to have the cool hairstyle he had for that to work...?. 8)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 999 (members: 10, guests: 989)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,981
Posts
1,388,591
Members
137,727
Latest member
Davidomero
Back
Top Bottom