Coleman Furnace doesn't work

[blazn]

Sent: 11/26/2004 5:03 PM

I just bought my first winnie it is a 1970 and I have one problem so far. It has a Coleman model 9223 furnace in it. I have followed the instructions to a "T" and get the thing to light. the directions say I should see a glow in the observation window and I see nothing. I am running it on AC power, the gas valve is open, but alas no flame.
any help will be greatly appreciated

blazn

[denisondc]

Sent: 11/26/2004 6:02 PM

If your furnace is similar to mine, it had an electric coil, as well as a pilot light. I was able to get my pilot light lit, by opening up the front of the stove, to where i could hold a red button in, and keep poking a flame in through a small round window into the main burner chamber - to where the pilot light is. This took quite a while, maybe ten or 15 minutes, since the pilot light is a tiny flame from a tiny pinhole, and the propane has to push all the air out of the lines, before it will ignite and stay lit. And that is just getting the pilot light lit! I used a propane torch, but one of those long butane grill igniter's would work as well. It also took a while before I figured which way the manual valve feeding the furnace needed to be turned to be ON.
The electric coil was apparently to ignite the pilot light, Im not sure, since I never saw that coil glow at all. Probably it had dirty connections. Instead I removed the glass inspection window, and got the pilot light lit. With the glass inspection window back in place, you could see the dim blue glow of the pilot light. This was at night; Im not sure you would see it in daylight though. Then when I turned the thermostat up, the main burner came on, and few minutes later - it shut off! It turned out I had a large mouse nest in the blower. After I removed the furnace, cleaned that out, and the furnace worked fine. Ever since then, when I go to light that pilot light, I have to be very patient, unless I had just used the furnace in the last day or two.
By the way, the first few days I was working on the furnace, I had to move all of the wires running to the main safety valve and control. Someone had put them on incorrectly, and the diagram inside the door of the furnace was confusing to me.

If you do a message topic title search on -furnace-, I know the topic has been gone over several times; each fall. Good luck.

[enigma960080]

Sent: 11/26/2004 6:05 PM

This  may be a no-brainer,   but  did you  try the other  gas appliances?  maybe there is no LP to be had...   just a  thought.

[70winnie]

Sent: 11/26/2004 7:00 PM

I'm confused... if it's running on AC power, why should you try to light it?

[enigma960080]

Sent: 11/26/2004 7:09 PM

I think he  means  he's  plugged in to 110 power and not relying on battery voltage alone...

[blazn]

Sent: 11/26/2004 8:44 PM

thanx I will give that a shot and see how it works out, I also need to check the thermostat also

yes I have a new bottle on and the stove works fine.

I am plugged into 110 not using the battery, I am sorry for not being more clear. I have a switch that is for using either battery or 110 power.

[HeavyHaulTrucker]

Sent: 11/26/2004 9:52 PM

Blazn, look in the cabinet just to the right of the gas valve (the one for pilot/ run); you will see, just close enough that you can reach it with your fingertip, a silver toggle switch.  This is the furnace's ON switch -- up is on, down is off.  This switch must be on in order for your ignitor and thermostat/ blower to work.

LIGHTING PROCEDURE:


   1. Flip the furnace switch to the ON position;
   2. Turn your wall mounted thermostat all the way up so that the blower comes on for a few minutes;
   3. Turn the thermostat all the way down so that the blower turns off;
   4. Turn the gas valve to the first detent (the PILOT position);
   5. Push in on the gas valve with you index finger while pressing the ignitor with your thumb.  The ignitor is located on the underside of the cabinet ledge immediately above the gas valve;
   6. Hold the gas valve in until the pilot light stays lit.  It it goes out, simply press the ignitor again;
   7. Once the pilot light stays lit, turn the gas valve to the RUN position;
   8. Replace the front of the cabinet enclosure;
   9. Turn your thermostat to the setting you desire.

John

[blazn]

Sent: 11/27/2004 8:46 AM

Thank you John I was just getting ready to go have another crack at it when I figured I would stop here and see if anyone else had some ideas, now I have severl things to look at.

thanx for all the replies .

AJ

[blazn]

Sent: 11/27/2004 5:06 PM

Well folks we now have heat Yahhhhhhhhh.
First I need a new thermostat! then I got the wires connected togeather and walah we have a small fan running, is this the sail fan? well it did its thing for awhile and then I heard the burners kick in, I think sweeeet!! but still now blower but I waited and sure enough it kicked on. I had the biggest smile on My face. Now the next thing is to get the oven to fire.

Thank you all for the information. I am going to need all the help I can get with this project.
AJ

[denisondc]

Sent: 11/27/2004 7:13 PM

Its possible the small fan you hear running is just the forced draft for the burner, and the main circulation fan comes on later, when the burner is warm enough so you dont get just cold air from the vents.

[HeavyHaulTrucker]

Sent: 11/28/2004 9:55 PM

Blazn, that small fan you hear IS the blower  !  The ignition sequence is as follows:

   1. When the ambient temperature drops to a certain point, the thermostat trips, closing the circuit to the blower motor;
   2. When the sail switch detects enough draft, it closes the circuit to the gas valve allowing gas to flow to the main burner;
   3. The main burner ignites and heats the firebox;
   4. When the thermostat gets to the temperature you have set, it opens, opening the circuit to the gas valve;
   5. When the temperature switch on the firebox senses the firebox temperature dropping to a safe level, it turns off the blower.

Perhaps I should clarify the fan/ blower issue.  When the thermostat first trips, the blower is turned on at low speed for a pre-determined length of time to purge the furnace cabinet of stray gas vapor -- a safety feature designed to prevent an explosion from accumulated gas.  After this pre-determined time, the main burner is allowed to light.  Then, after the main burner has had a short time to bring the firebox up to temperature, the blower is then stepped up to high speed to blow the heated air through the vents.  The same motor is used, though.

John

[blazn]

Sent: 11/29/2004 11:07 PM

Heavey

I actually do have two fans, one is a small one under a panel outside, when the power is turned on to the furnace it kicks on first, then the burner kicks in, then the blower... so on and so forth. so now I am thinking the small fan is the purge fan.

thanks for the info .

[HeavyHaulTrucker]

Sent: 11/29/2004 11:15 PM

Yes, it looks like you have an older dual fan model.  Most of the newer RV furnaces are single fan models with dual speed motors.  I actually have a Model 4328, and it only uses one dual-speed fan.

John