Re: [A/S] I'm getting warmer....

["Mr. Joy H. Hansen" <joytbrew@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Kim,

I thought I'd diswaded you from continuing with the furnace project without
expert help; however, you seem bent on "do-it-yourself or husband self".

I just removed the furnace from my '69 Safari sufficient that I can get to
the thermocouple and the microswitch.  I have a Suburban furnace.  If yours
is different, don't read any further.

The first thing to do is disconnect the electrical power - temporarily.
then disconnect the propane supply line downstream of the valve (I have my
tanks disconnected so this isn't important to me), but in your case, you
MUST have the propane supply turned off and the valve at the furnace turned
off.

Remove the front cover and set it aside.  Then go outside and take the
screws out of the intake/exhaust housing.  It should be tightly fastened
with Vulkem and will be difficult to remove.  A sharp putty knife driven
under the edge of the casting will eventually break the casting loose.  The
top port has a stamped fitting that has two screws under a lot of vulkem.
The vulkem must be removed to get at the screws.  With all this done, grasp
the plenum inside the trailer and pull it out of the housing.  It will have
resistance as the tubes pull from the boot in the side of the trailer.  Be
sure that the wires are long enough to allow the plenum  move far enough to
get to the thermocouple, etc.   Putting this back together will take two,
one on the outside to guide the tubes back into the boot.  I'd use some type
of rubber lube or soap solution to help.  Don't lose the asbestos gasket on
the upper tube.  I'm unsure if this takes a fireplace bonding agent to keep
it in place or not.  Most of the outside seal seems to be Vulkem or
equivalent.

If I run into any problems later tonight, I'll let you know what they are.

As I said before, this isn't a simple task and you must have tools,
experience dealing with gas fittings and operations of a furnace.   I don't
have experience with this type of furnace, but I have the tools, the
experience with other brand natural gas and propane furnaces, electrical
circuits, thermostats, etc. that I feel confident that I can check my
furnace out for proper and safe operation.

If you are at all unsure, get professional help with the furnace.

By the way, low propane pressure might be a problem, but I think it's
unlikely unless the ambient temperature is well below zero.  If the supply
gas were butane, the boiling temperature is much higher than propane.  I've
not had a problem with propane well into the low teens.  Of course, the
regulator could be faulty as any other component could be faulty.  I doubt
that the pressure regulator is a problem.  Are the water heater and
refrigerator working OK?

Good luck,

                                                       Joy