Anyone have any idea what might be wring with this generator? It runs so nice and quiet, but I can't very well use it like this.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
RV Furnaces
Importance of Routine Maintenance
Your rv furnace may be the most temperamental appliance in your rv. The ignition system can perform flawlessly and then out of the blue it can totally fail. It can run quiet and purr like a well oiled machine and then start screeching and vibrating as though it has been possessed and wants "out" of your rv. Challenges for any RV, motor home, or fifth wheel owner, and even greater challenge for the RV technician.
The solution? Simple periodic inspection of your rv furnace will go a long way in averting future problems. Just because your rv furnace runs and blows, warm air does not mean some attention may be in order. The older the rv or motor home is routine maintenance only becomes more important and if it is more than five years old your safety depends on it.
Warm beer from a poor cooling refrigerator will not kill you (its really true!) but an inadequately maintained furnace could. While there are, numerous safety features built into recreational vehicle furnaces their longevity and operating efficiency rest squarely on you, the RV owner.
Rv furnaces are referred to as forced draft furnaces and are different than the forced air furnaces in our homes in that the rv furnace utilizes a separate combustion air blower which provides a predetermined volume of air to the burner chamber to achieve ignition of the main burner. Once lit the flame is sustained by air supplied by the blower. Adequate return air then is crucial in order for the furnace to operate at proper temperature.
The blowers are a squirrel cage design.
The main furnace blower sits behind the blower shroud on which the furnace data plate is attached. (The white square at upper left portion of photo) The furnace motor is also housed here. Slightly to the right is a narrow black vertical metal separator and to the right of it is a galvanized vertical metal strip. The combustion air blower (about l 1/2" wide) is housed directly behind this.
The motor has a shaft running through the center of it with the shaft on the left side driving the main furnace blower and the shaft on the right side driving the combustion blower. Two blowers- one motor. The cylinder shaped mechanism to the right of combustion blower is the outside furnace vent. This is the design of late model forced draft furnace.
Overheating is ultimately controlled by the limit switch, which will open and shut the furnace down when overheated but the best remedy is to avert the possibility of overheating with a simple routine inspection of the furnace. Besides, a hot running furnace will only place additional stress on the combustion chamber and burner and a cracked combustion chamber can leak lethal combustion gases into the coach rather than the outside where it belongs.
Furnace Inspection Checkpoints:
#1. Check outside vents for soot
Soot is a byproduct of improper combustion, which means you have a problem. Carbon monoxide is the other byproduct of improper combustion so a furnace exhibiting soot at the outside vent should be inspected and repaired BEFORE being operated again.
#2. Check return air vents (inside coach at the furnace)
Return air vents should be free of dust and lint and should NEVER be obstructed. Remove the return air vent and inspect the case of the furnace to be sure it is clean and free of obstructions. If there is any dust on the furnace, which cannot be easily removed with a vacuum, or air indicates, it has been there for a considerable length of time and a cleaning of the entire furnace is in order. Why? Because this dust will be everywhere including the inside of the furnace. Such dust can affect electrical switches, the furnace blower, and the furnace blower motor. Eventually a dirty motor and blower will slow down and the furnace will loose efficiency and if the blower slows down enough the furnace will not operate. (Another safety feature incorporated with the sail switch)
#3 Inspect heat ducts at the furnace
Heat ducts should be inspected at the furnace first to insure they are properly secured to the furnace AND that they are not leaking. Also, check the condition of the ducting. If it is stiff and brittle, it will be prone to cracking and subsequently leaking resulting in additional operating inefficiencies of your furnace. Such ducting should be replaced.
Conclusion:
Your rv furnace is the one area in which one should not skimp. Your comfort and safety far outweigh any reasons to shortcut here and safety in and of it should mandate giving your furnace the attention it requires.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
RV Tip: Troubleshooting a 12-volt DC Problem
If you enjoy RVs you already know that a major part of the fun with RVing is getting away from everything. You can just pack up the RV and head out to get some well deserved rest and relaxation without having to deal with the hassles of day-to-day living. These restful, relaxing, memory making RV trips should not be jeopardized by something as simple as a 12-volt electrical problem ruining your vacation.
If you've been RVing for any amount of time you are already aware that a good portion of the devices and accessories in your RV operate off of 12-volt DC power. 12-volt DC or Direct Current is electricity supplied by the RV batteries. DC electricity flows in one direction, from negative to positive. 12-VDC electricity is stored in the RV batteries and supplies power for components, devices and appliances that operate off of 12-volts.
These 12-volt devices include overhead lights, the water pump, vent fans, furnace fan, range hood fan, LP gas leak detectors, stereos, 12-volt TVs and the refrigerator when it's operating in the LP gas mode. When you go camping you rely on these 12-volt items to operate properly, especially if you're dry camping without hook-ups. So what do you do when one of these 12-volt items quit working?
For the sake of an example let's say that we are dry camping and our 12-volt water pump quits working.
I am convinced that just about anybody is capable of troubleshooting a 12-VDC problem, and in many cases repairing the problem without it ruining your camping trip. For starters you will need a couple of simple tools to assist you in troubleshooting your RV's 12-volt electrical system.
1). An inexpensive 12-volt test light.
2). A multi-meter that can test for DC power.
Both of these are available at local auto parts stores. You should also keep some electrical tape, various size wire nuts, 12-volt light bulbs and 12-volt fuses on hand. Check the amperage of the fuses used in the power distribution box and keep an assortment. If you're aware of any inline fuses used on any of the 12-volt devices keep these on hand too.
Now, try to determine the last time the water pump actually worked. Did you leave the RV for a period of time with the pump on? Is there water in the fresh water holding tank? Were you working on or around something else that could have affected the operation of the water pump? Try to think of all possible scenarios. Something might jar your memory resulting in a quick fix to the problem.
If not, the first step is to verify that the coach battery or batteries are charged enough to supply power to these 12-volt items. There are a couple of ways to perform a quick test on the coach batteries. You can use the monitor panel to check the condition of the coach batteries. To get an accurate reading make sure the RV is not plugged into electricity and turn on a couple of overhead lights to place a small load on the battery. Check the reading at the monitor panel. (If you check the reading at the monitor panel when the RV is plugged in to electricity it will give you fully charged reading) A more accurate method is to test the battery with a multi-meter. Set the meter to read 12-VDC and place the negative test probe on the negative battery terminal and the positive test probe on the positive battery terminal. A fully charged battery will read in the range of 12.6 to 12.7 volts. If it reads less than 12-volts it is below a 50% state of charge and will need to be charged.
If the battery is fully charged, the next step is to make sure that any battery disconnect switch for the coach battery is turned on. If the battery disconnect switch is on, verify that other 12-volt devices in the RV are operating properly. If there is 12-volt power to the interior of the RV you need to check the fuse for the water pump in the power distribution center. Determine which fuse is for the water pump (fuses are normally labeled) and find a suitable ground for the 12-volt test light. Test both sides of the fuse for 12-volt power. If the test light only lights on one side of the fuse replace it with the proper size fuse and try the water pump again. If there was power at both sides of the fuse check for 12-volts at the water pump switch. If there is voltage, and the switch is operating properly check the water pump wiring for an inline fuse.
Find a good ground for the 12-volt test light and probe the wire on both sides of the fuse. If there is only power on one side of the fuse replace it with the proper size fuse and test the pump again. If there is power on both sides of the fuse check the water pump wiring connections at the wire nuts. It's possible for connections to come loose due to excessive vibration. Correct any loose connections and try the pump again. If the pump still doesn't work feel the motor to see if it is hot to the touch. If the motor is hot, a thermal breaker may have been triggered. Allow the pump time to cool off and see if it re-sets itself.
If you complete all of these tests and there is 12-volt DC power coming to the water pump motor, and it still doesn't come on, chances are the water pump is bad and it will need to be replaced.
Troubleshooting a 12-volt electrical problem in your RV is not that difficult. Follow the logical path of the device you are troubleshooting and see if you can determine where the problem is. It might be possible for you to save your well deserved vacation, some money and a trip to the RV dealership too.
Note: If you don't feel comfortable performing your own maintenance or troubleshooting the 12-volt electrical system, take your RV to a reputable repair center to have it checked out and repaired
Happy Camping!
Copyright 2006 by Mark J. Polk owner of RV Education 101
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