_Rusty_
Well-known member
Haven't cleaned my Suburban gas furnace(s) in 4 years. Opened the first one and found minimal dirt and dust in the combustion chamber. Second one the same. How often would you perform this?
Clean Suburban Furnace cycle? How Often?
- Thread starter _Rusty_
- Start date
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stripit
Well-known member
I lived in a 5th wheel for 8 years, never had to clean the furnace chamber. I did have screens installed to keep any bugs out so maybe they helped?
Kirk
Well-known member
It doesn't hurt to use a shop vacuum to clean up around the furnace seasonally, I sure wouldn't take mine apart unless there was some reason. I have owned 6 different RVs over the years and we lived fulltime in one for 12 years and have only once ever disassembled my furnace and that was when it stopped working.
Rene T
Site Team
Don’t fix what ain’t broke. 
Domo
Well-known member
I suggest you download and read the manuals for the equipment in your RV (and home also). It could end saving you a lot of inconvenience, dissappointment, frustration and money.
Page 39 of the suburban furnace manual (my version, saved on-line as a convenient PDF);
"Cleaning of the main burner and an inspection of the venting system should be done at least once a year, preferably justbefore the beginning of the heating season. Some RV owners and service personnel have the false assumption that if afurnace has not been used, it will not require cleaning. NOT SO! A furnace which has not been used for some time couldbe more in need of cleaning than a furnace which has been used extensively.
Dust and lint should be removed from the room air blower wheel and sail switch. A build up of dust and lint on the blowerwheel can cause the motor to drag and not generate enough air flow to engage the sail switch. Dust accumulation on thesail switch will restrict the travel of the actuator arm and prevent operation of the valve circuit.
A yearly inspection should be made of all gaskets on the furnace. If any gaskets show signs of leakage or deterioration, they must be replaced."
Page 39 of the suburban furnace manual (my version, saved on-line as a convenient PDF);
"Cleaning of the main burner and an inspection of the venting system should be done at least once a year, preferably justbefore the beginning of the heating season. Some RV owners and service personnel have the false assumption that if afurnace has not been used, it will not require cleaning. NOT SO! A furnace which has not been used for some time couldbe more in need of cleaning than a furnace which has been used extensively.
Dust and lint should be removed from the room air blower wheel and sail switch. A build up of dust and lint on the blowerwheel can cause the motor to drag and not generate enough air flow to engage the sail switch. Dust accumulation on thesail switch will restrict the travel of the actuator arm and prevent operation of the valve circuit.
A yearly inspection should be made of all gaskets on the furnace. If any gaskets show signs of leakage or deterioration, they must be replaced."
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Cleaning is a preventive maintenance action, something "recommended" rather than "required". Most RV furnaces get along fine without ever receiving a cleaning.
Based on the number of folks who come here for help on furnace issues, I'd say that an occasional vacuuming of the combustion air inlet & exhaust would be good practice, but owners capable of doing that could probably wait until symptoms made it a necessity. At worst you might suffer an inconvenient chilly night and then do the cleaning in the morning.
In my 20+ years helping others with their RV problems I can't say that I've ever heard of the blower or sail switch getting bogged down by dust, but it is conceivable I guess. The dust bunny problems in the circulation air system appear in the ducts themselves or the outlets, not at the fan or actually on the sail switch. When the sail switch prevents burner ignition, the problem is rarely the switch itself. It's just doing its job.
Based on the number of folks who come here for help on furnace issues, I'd say that an occasional vacuuming of the combustion air inlet & exhaust would be good practice, but owners capable of doing that could probably wait until symptoms made it a necessity. At worst you might suffer an inconvenient chilly night and then do the cleaning in the morning.
In my 20+ years helping others with their RV problems I can't say that I've ever heard of the blower or sail switch getting bogged down by dust, but it is conceivable I guess. The dust bunny problems in the circulation air system appear in the ducts themselves or the outlets, not at the fan or actually on the sail switch. When the sail switch prevents burner ignition, the problem is rarely the switch itself. It's just doing its job.
