SolAire Furnace

[eieioh]

My furnace quit last winter and I have just now been able to work on it. The
trouble-shooting procedure in the manual showed the IGNITION PACK to be bad.
I took this bad part to an RV Heating and Cooling shop. The technician
immediately recognized this as being from a GMC coach and offered as a
replacement Norcold part number 61746122. I installed the new part and fired
up the furnace. At first, it coughed, spluttered, backfired, and belched
black fumes out the exhaust vent. Didn't sound good at all. Finally, it did
fire and ran normally with the thermostat bringing several on/off cycles for
about half an hour. I thought maybe the system was now purged and would be
okay. However, after letting it sit idle all night, I tried to start the
furnace again this morning and it backfired sending black soot through the
exhaust vent again. The gas is now turned off and the furnace is staying off
until I figure what must be done. I hesitate to make any adjustments to the
air/fuel mixture control because this furnace was running fine until the
ignition died last winter.

Any advise?

Bill Macdonald
77 Kingsley, Beaverton, Oregon
- -----------------------------------------
(503) 526-8649
eieioh

 

[bob mclaughlin]

Bill,
After setting that long its probably full of carbon, rust and mud dauber
nests. I'd recommend removal and cleaning. Make sure the blower motor is
turning freely. If it is belching black it means a rich mixture which is
probably due to not enough air rather than too much gas. Check the
combustion chamber closely for cracks and rust out. Carbon Monoxide
poisoning is your biggest worry. Good luck.
Bob McLaughlin

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-gmcmotorhome
[mailtowner-gmcmotorhome]On Behalf Of eieioh
Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2000 11:27 AM
To: gmcmotorhome
Subject: GMC: SolAire Furnace

My furnace quit last winter and I have just now been able to work on it. The
trouble-shooting procedure in the manual showed the IGNITION PACK to be bad.
I took this bad part to an RV Heating and Cooling shop. The technician
immediately recognized this as being from a GMC coach and offered as a
replacement Norcold part number 61746122. I installed the new part and fired
up the furnace. At first, it coughed, spluttered, backfired, and belched
black fumes out the exhaust vent. Didn't sound good at all. Finally, it did
fire and ran normally with the thermostat bringing several on/off cycles for
about half an hour. I thought maybe the system was now purged and would be
okay. However, after letting it sit idle all night, I tried to start the
furnace again this morning and it backfired sending black soot through the
exhaust vent again. The gas is now turned off and the furnace is staying off
until I figure what must be done. I hesitate to make any adjustments to the
air/fuel mixture control because this furnace was running fine until the
ignition died last winter.

Any advise?

Bill Macdonald
77 Kingsley, Beaverton, Oregon
- -----------------------------------------
(503) 526-8649
eieioh