1978 Trillium Gravity Furnace Orange Flame

[sophier91]

TL;DR orange flame and soot in furnace, what to check with minimal invasive procedures


Hi yall, I bought a trillium 13ft trailer about 6 months ago, and I noticed recently the furnace was putting out a very orange flame, complete with soot at the exhaust.

I learned it's because of incomplete combustion, lack of air, or something like that. I haven't touched anything yet and I'm trying to be minimally invasive about this because I'm already on the road. It appears there is still the original asbestos on the heat exchanger cover.

I've changed out the gas regulator and used different propane bottles just in case, no change.

Since I'm on my own, ChatGPT told me it's either the intake is clogged, the heat exchanger is cracked, or the orifice for gas isn't getting the right mixture.

This issue just started this week and I don't remember it happening before, actually it definitely wasn't creating soot before. I did have some curious honey bees (15+) that got in but I don't think they wanted anything other than the drain water. I was only in that spot for two days.

Turning on the heater for a few minutes, the orange gets worse in the flame, and the pilot flame gets more orange as well. Possibly the intake then; but that thing is huge right? I've been scouring the internet trying to get an idea of what it looks like. It's supposed to be the surrounding pipe on the exhaust pipe I think. I don't know how I would go about unclogging it.

My next steps I think will be to undo the heat exchange cover and check out the orifices and if it's not that then I will try to get to the intake but I'm still guessing.

Anyways, I'm wondering if any of you understand this problem better than I do, and might have some good knowledge to pass me. All my research has been done on this site and I'm very thankful already for all the documentation I've found. I posted some simple pictures of my furnace and model info.

[Okie Wanderer]

My mother had same problem. Turned out that a spider built a web partially blocking the air to gas mixture. Simply put out burner and clean burner Venturi and burner opening.

[Bsharp76]

Okie could be correct. An orange flame usually can be dirty thermocouple, bad air mixture(too much air) bit I'd suggest taking it apart and fully clean it

[sophier91]

okay so after lighting it it definitely seems clogged inside that smaller chamber or something...


found this:
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f42...ent-38634.html

still figuring out if I can just use compressed air, I don't want to blow anything backwards but if it just needs some agitation then maybe it'll work.

[sophier91]

what's it looks like rn, i took a toothbrush to the top but no change

[sophier91]

Originally Posted by Okie Wanderer

My mother had same problem. Turned out that a spider built a web partially blocking the air to gas mixture. Simply put out burner and clean burner Venturi and burner opening.

success!! thank you for your suggestion.

I opened up the burner, ended up poking around where the venturi gets its air, and I found two pieces of gasket that I think previous owners had missed. Once I removed those, proded a bit more with wire, fired it up, blue flames!!

So to any newbies like me...

There's an intake that gets air from outside.

BUT

there's also an air intake that the venturi needs, which I think is located nearby where the gas goes into the venturi. That I think is what was obstructed. It wasn't clear to me searching the internet that there was another air intake. This is what the burner looks like now

[sophier91]

this is the general area I was poking around, I wish I had a diagram but I couldn't find one

Duo therm 65810 - 2

[David Tilston]

Sophie, There are a number of threads on this site about those furnaces. The reason that I became interested in Trillium trailers is, at least partially, because of the furnace.

Check out these threads:
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...ter-49659.html
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...wer-54226.html
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...do=file&id=159
https://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/...uit-95008.html