Suburban Furnace Output

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jkmurray

Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2013
Posts
7
We have started our Suburban furnace for the first time after purchasing our 2006 Rockwood TT. Can anyone tell me how hot the air is supposed to be coming out the external exhaust, and how do we determine the peak efficiency of the furnace? It seems to me that an awful lot of heat is escaping to the outside, rather than into the trailer.

Thanks!

Jenny
 
There will be LOTS of hot air coming out the exhaust. It should heat the RV well but not real efficient. If you are on shore power get a small portableelectric heater and save some propane.
 
On your stick house, point an infrared thermometer at the flue on the furnace.  You'll see the same thing happening there.  Any gas fired furnace, home or RV, suffers from the same inefficiency......lots of waste heat venting to the atmosphere.  Of course, the alternative would be CO poisoning.

Internal combustion engines are the same.....most of the energy produced is lost as heat vented to the atmosphere.
 
As the others have said there is a LOT of heat exhausted outside from the combustion process. I don't know how you could measure the efficiency very accuratley but the air you feel coming out of the interior ducts should also feel pretty hot once the furnace has run for a couple minutes. I have a small digital thermometer and did measure the air coming out the duct in our back bedroom and it was about 160 degrees. Needless to say that room warms up quick.
 
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