Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Safety Report August 2017

Safety Report  August 2017



Maintaining Your Propane Heating Systems

Butch Jones

While many of us are trying to find cooler climates now, it won’t be long
before some will be traveling in cooler temperatures this winter at least
perhaps until we reach our winter destinations. Of course there are also
some that prefer to travel in colder weather. Regardless, at some point you
may want to get a little heat on those chilly mornings. For this reason this
month we will look at furnace maintenance.
There are three basic types of furnace appliances used in motor homes
today. The first is the hydronic heating system such as the Aqua-Hot or
Hydro-hot unit pictured below. Today’s larger rigs can enjoy never-ending
hot water and multiple heating zones provided by hydronic heating units.
Hydronic heating systems provide a continuous supply of hot water for the
fresh water plumbing system plus comfort heat for the interior. Employing a diesel-fired burner or a propane burner, combined with 120-volt AC heating
elements, these types of “on-demand” systems are much appreciated and
handy for those slightly chilly mornings. The diesel or propane burner can
be bypassed using heat supplied by an electric heating element, thereby
conserving on-board fuel.


  Hydro-Hot Unit
Next we hat the heat pump. This has gained favor with some
manufacturers and RVers in that it is totally 120 volt and does not use
propane. The downside is that it is only effective down to about 45 o F. So it
is good for times when it is just a bit cool but may not be adequate for really
cold weather.
Over the course of RV history there have been a few different types of
heating systems employed, but most of today’s coaches are equipped
typically with at least one, if not a couple of direct-spark forced air furnaces
or a hydronic heat system for comfort heating.

LP Furnace

The first thing to understand is that all recreation vehicle LP-burning
appliances, for optimum performance, require some degree of annual
maintenance. Just read any user’s guide from any RV appliance
manufacturer and it will often state, in so many words, that very sentiment.
And because of its design and operational characteristics, regular
maintenance of the RV heating system is a must.
About the only regular maintenance required by the owner of a hydronic
heating unit is to keep an eye on the level of the 50/50 (water/anti-freeze)
solution in the reservoir tank. Additionally, diesel units require an annual
cleaning of the fuel nozzles and a new fuel filter, while the propane-fired
units require an annual cleaning and servicing and delivery source

pressure testing like any other propane appliance. Aside from checking the
coolant level, most all other maintenance tasks are usually performed by a
trained RV service technician.
But because of their sheer numbers, the main focus here will be the
forced air furnace; by far the most popular choice among coach
manufacturers today. At the root level, a forced air furnace draws in fresh
air from outside the vehicle, mixes it with propane and burns it in a sealed
combustion chamber. A blower then blows interior air over the heated
chamber and into the living portions of the motorhome through a system of
ducts or in the case of some smaller Class C motorhomes and travel
trailers, directly out of the front of the furnace grill (blow-through design).
Most of the supplier manufacturers use this same design strategy. They
may employ slightly

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