Another Furnace issue!

[Wiarton William]

Good Morning to all...I have read everything I could find on this forum regrding the Suburban furnace and LP gas hoses, regulators and lines..I asked a couple of questions and followed some of the advice given..my furnace finally just stopped heating and recycling..not working, just heating, propane tanks are half full on both sides, everything else works on LP as it should without any problem..I called in a tech to fix things up....as there is not tester to check out the board we went thru a question/answer period and he checked out other things...we decided to change the board ($160).,,,we pulled out the gas nozzle and found a touch of grit in there..we checked supply and found that there was a definite lack of LP coming thru and then adjusted the regulator...The tech then commented that the LP didnt smell right but dismissed it (althouhg he did say that LP gas can go the same as old diesel or gasoline..finally when everything is back in order..I still have one issue...the flipping thing still takes up to ten ignitions to lite the gas...sometimes it lites first time and next time it wont...during the burn it will pop and burp or make little exploding sounds..(similiar to air in the lines of a motor)....on one series of ignitions I placed my hand over the air intake and the furnace fired right up......so I am wondering IF I really do have a tank of bad LP gas???which is not as volatile as it is supposed to be???I beleive this tank was filled two years ago......I will be calling a supplier later...but thought I might ask around first...

[camper4]

I've had propane stored for over 5 years and not had it go bad. There could be a problem with the gas you got from a supplier. You could try the other tank, if it was bought from somebody else.
Just something to try. Good luck

[Wiarton William]

Defintely Possible..

[Ozz]

I would change the regulator, sounds like that is the problem from 1,000 miles away in my chair.
(I would have to look at it, listen to it and use my meters and tools to give a good evaluation.)

[CRUZIN 2]

I had the same problem with our furnace,we changed the regulator works great now.
I agree with ozz.

[Wiarton William]

Are you talking the red regulator on the drivers side or the two stage on the curb side..........my red one was removed long ago..it sprung a leak and had to be taken off...Couldnt get one in Canada..(long story wont bore you with it),,I noticed the two stage moves side to side ok but sounds like it should be lubricated...makes noise when you move it resembles grit crunching inside it..

[nunya]

can you borrow a tank from someone else and try their propane? Regulator issue next as stated above!

[Ozz]

I would shange the one he adjusted

[Wiarton William]

After much ado and further checking we changed the two stage regulator..everything is working well.. although I just heard from the teck and he advises me the reason for the red regulator on the drivers side line....apparently the distance tween the two bottles is too great and the LP will actually attempt to come across in a liquid form..when it hits the two stage side things start to go awry...so the little red regulator is not a gas regulator as such but is more a liquid gas vapourizer and Must be there..he can get one..but I advised him of my readings on this forum and informed him of the Marshall C6131 30 lb regulator..I will be hearing from him later when he finds out about this regulator ..and will do whatever is required to get this problem solved....

[Ozz]

Hi William, glad your furnace is cranking out heat.
You do need the Red regulator, but for the reason that a guy named Bill, I copied from another Forum stated, much clearer than I would be able to, but the two stage regulator you changed would take care of liquid Propane the tech was talking about, but I doubt you would get liquid. Here is a diagram also.
http://www.fft-inc.com/korkwerks/200...der/page33.htm

You should leave both tanks “on” or open. Your correct IMO assuming you have the standard “$45.00” automatic regulator which it appears you do.
As you thought, when the first tank runs out it does indeed change to the second tank automatically. There is usually an indicator as you have – it changes from green to red or has a red flag on some of the older ones. This requires the other full tank to be on.
When the red comes up, you change over manually with the lever and take the empty tank for refill.
You can actually “test” this by turning off the “on-line” tank with the hand valve (the one that’s been selected by the manual change over lever) and watch the red flag come up. You then use the manual change over to select the tank that has the gas turned on and watch the red flag either change to green or go away. This does require some gas to be flowing. The range or heater operating will make this test complete much faster.
When I purchased my current rig about 4 years ago, the dealer told me the same incorrect thing about how these work and what should be "open" and when. Having been in RV’ing for 30 years I just smiled knowing better. So do you. Leave 'em both open, that way you never run out and also get all of the gas from each bottle.
Hope this helps.
Save travels
Bill
(Thanks Bill)

[Mudchief]

I don't travel with out a spare two stage regulator. Just had to change mine about two weeks ago. The oil that is in the propane tends to clog them over time. The first sign of a problem is that the red green indicator will show green except for just a little bid of red at the very top.

[Wiarton William]

Good Morning everyone..thanks for the info and tips..all is almost well again..I just had the one LP tank refilled, it was drained as far down as I could draw it out, the tech seemed to feel and smell I guess that the LP in that tank wasnt right(he showed me the different flame colours/heights/intensity/ignition points between two different bottles) ...I recall that the tank was filled just before we left for the south and the O/O of the CG was closing down for the winter...makes me wonder if I got propane of sweet gas,,He had never heard of the red regulator and was researching it out..he asked if I wanted it replaced...I requrested that he find the Marshall C6121...30 lb and do it that way..and explained the reasons to him...he may even show up on this forum..Ozz I am sure he will be interested in talking to you as I have mentionned your posts several times.. so the weather is warming up again and I wont need artificial heat sources soon I hope..I will be relaxed and confidetn that when I need it I will have it...will let you all know what the final is.. thanks again,,,Don

[norm]

since you solved his problem maybe you can help me or direct me. I have a Atwood in my
2006 3000RK..Sometimes it works and other times it just sits there.always fires right
up when works. seems like if you change temps on thermastat it will have a problem.
If I turn it on and off a few times it will fire right up. Does anyone think a thermstat
problem of a board in furnance. thanks Nomr

[Ozz]

Does it seem to try a few times then 'lock out', or quit making any attempt to fire?
Could be a dirty flame rod, weak sail switch, probably not the board.
Shut off the furnace, shut off the gas, then Blow it out with compressed air real good.
Then turn all on and try it.

[norm]

It doesnt try to fire, then when click thermastat on and off a few
times it will fire right up and work and recyle several times and then
not do anything until you turn it off and on at thermastat and then it
will fire right up. I am thinking thermastat but that is a guess on my part
thanks, Norm

[Ozz]

It is so difficult to do this long-distance, but when a person cycles the thermostat, you are breaking the current to the furnace controls. This starts a new Ignition try, it is a new cycle then. It could be that the furnace safety's have it locked out, you reset it and it tries again. Sometimes the signal is getting through.
Could be any of the parts in the safety ignition circuit. Did you blow it out?
I doubt it is the thermostat, it is just an on-off switch.