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11-26-2021, 07:03 AM
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#21
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Northport
Posts: 624
M.O.C. #12724
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See Duchmen's point. If the vent is blocked the air being pulled into heat exchange is air pulled totally from around baggage doors and other air gaps. The warmer the air entering the exchanger the warmer the air exiting the exchanger.
My 1996 Sunnybrook had the furnace mounted under the refrigerator and was in conditioned air. Much more efficient but doesn't protect the tanks.
__________________
Paul Northport,AL W4XH
2013 358 RLT Mountaineer
2008 Silverado Duramax
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11-26-2021, 07:36 AM
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#22
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Established Member
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: Culpeper
Posts: 20
M.O.C. #30103
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I understand the concept that if the furnace is heating the interior air there’s really no way of pressurizing the interior. You would need to solely pull from the outside to do that. I would imagine that the warm air escaping from the cabin ( through doors, windows, and vents) is actually sucking this cold air in through the underbelly.
So I climbed up under and scoped things out. I found one sizable hole where the gas lines go up to the water heater and furnace. Shooting a light up inside, the appeared to be sealed through the sub floor. I then went up stairs and looked under the kitchen sink where the water heater is and that air was the same as the interior. No draft. Therefore the kitchen must be sealed off pretty good. I stuffed some battened insulation up inside the hole underneath. Went around and stuffed insulation in the slide out shafts. The Chloroplast is really fairly tight and all the sewer drain penetrations are styrofoam sealed. I’ll plan on running a 97 foot bead of caulk around the outside edge of the chloroplast just in case but there’s no real gaps in it. The basement storage area is pretty tight as well. It has a 3” gap at the top of one side where is ties into the kitchen sub floor but no drafts. It is heated. Though it’s 2017, I don’t think this unit was pulled much and it’s shows like a brand new one. I feel a huge reduction in the draft after doing the little bit of insulation and the furnace didn’t seem to run as long. I did notice that the lower floor registers are pretty cold when the furnace is off and the draft is apparent through those. Removed some of the foam sheet insulation. I placed under the steps and some of the draft , no where as much as when I started, cane back and the draft in the registers significantly decreased.
I can tell a big difference in temp on the wall panels on the kitchen head wall. The lower portion ( furnace) is 30 degrees colder than the upper portion ( water heater). I’m thinking of taking the lower paneling off to access the furnace and see what it would take to seal that area from the underbelly cavity. Maybe install a filtered grill in the paneling.
I really appreciate everyone’s insight and input into this. I think we’re getting to the bottom of it.
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12-30-2021, 02:31 AM
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#23
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Bayville
Posts: 60
M.O.C. #27691
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We had the same thing. I actually used rigid insulation board to make a "furnace room" under the stairs. Now the furnace has its own cubby that is walled off from the underbelly.
Damn near eliminated the draft coming back in the stair vent, and cut furnace run time in half when its on because its pulling warm air from inside to reheat and send out rather than cold air up into the belly and heating 20 degree air. If the rain stops here today i will go pop the panel off the basement and get a pic for ya
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12-30-2021, 05:41 PM
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#24
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Established Member
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: Austin
Posts: 12
M.O.C. #30267
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Photo's will be great as this is one of the first mods on my list!
Thanks to you and the forum!
Darran
__________________
2020 High Country 295RL
2022 Silverado 3500HD HC SRW
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03-16-2022, 06:38 PM
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#25
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Established Member
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: Culpeper
Posts: 20
M.O.C. #30103
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Doug, did you ever get a chance to take pictures of your insulation?
We made it through the winter but $500 electric bills didn’t sit good. I tried to beat the system and just use electric heaters. Well, the first night of teen temperatures showed me that you need the gas furnace to keep the water lines from freezing. Stuck a heater in the basement after taking the side panel off, but found that the lines going back to the bathroom still needed a lil warm air from the furnace. Been a journey.
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04-15-2022, 03:23 AM
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#26
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Seasoned Camper
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Bayville
Posts: 60
M.O.C. #27691
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I am SO sorry. I totally forgot to get those to you.
My sincerest apologies. Here they are
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04-15-2022, 08:26 AM
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#27
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Milwaukie, OR
Posts: 1,571
M.O.C. #23668
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I recently did something similar in ours. I opened the wall in the under-storage and found HUGE holes through the floor to the sealed underbelly for plumbing. Also found a couple large holes into the main living space for plumbing in addition to the air vents under the steps. Using both rigid and spray foam I sealed all of those leaving only the return vents under the steps. Also insulated the wall to the main living space. There were also gaps above the screw-on wall in the under-storage between the floor joists. Rigid foam and tape sealed those up.
Now the only air the furnace can breathe comes from the living space. The furnace is also even quieter now in the living space. Heading out again in a week. We'll see if it makes much of a difference.
__________________
Jeff & Sandi (and Teddy - 7lb Schnorkie)
2018 Montana HC 305RL / HW Progressive EMS
2015 RAM 3500 Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4 DRW / Demco Recon Hitch on RAM Puck Ball
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