Range/Furnace Connection - Fiberglass RV
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Old 10-13-2014, 02:33 PM   #1
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Name: Doug
Trailer: 2014 Scamp 16, 2011 RAV4 V6
California
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Range/Furnace Connection

Our 16 food Scamp is almost a year old. The other morning, while Scamping near Lake Almanor in northern California, the heater was running and I lit a burner on the range. Instead of the flame being directed up it was directed down. I tried another burner and the same thing happened. When I shut off the furnace, the burner flame went up where it has always gone.

I was surprised by this. Can anyone tell me why this occurred?

Thanks
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Old 10-13-2014, 02:38 PM   #2
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Sorry, I meant a 16 FOOT Scamp. Also, we have a Suburban range/oven unit.

Thanks, again
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Old 10-13-2014, 02:55 PM   #3
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That would mean that when the furnace is running there's a down draft at cook surface. If you have a vent hood or a window over the cook surface turn on the vent fan or open the window.

NEVER use the cook surface without some ventilation. Also put in a CO detector.
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Old 10-13-2014, 03:46 PM   #4
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Read note 6 in the Suburban cook top installation manual below. When you remove the top of your cook top and look into the lower part of your cook top where the gas line comes in to the unit they knock out a bushing to run the gas line. The area around the tube and any other openings should be sealed. So there is no openings in the lower box that could cause a draft to allow the flame to be sucked down into the lower box. I would also have the furnace checked as to why it is sucking air through the unit from inside the cabinet and if it is supposed to do that. Combustion air is supposed to come from out side and exhaust out side. Heated air gets sucked inside the trailer heated and exhausted out the front inside the trailer. The 2 working parts of the system should not mix and should not be causing a down draft in the stove top cabinet. I would look at the installation manuals on both units and verify they are installed properly and correct any deficiencies.

http://www.scamptrailers.com/images/..._SDN2_SDN3.pdf

http://www.scamptrailers.com/images/...SE_NT-20SE.pdf

If any deficiencies are found I urge you to contact Scamp A.S.A.P.
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Old 10-14-2014, 10:16 AM   #5
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Trailer: 2014 Scamp 16, 2011 RAV4 V6
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Steve,

Thanks for the well reasoned reply and the links. I haven't checked things out yet but I called Scamp Service to see what they thought. The guy I spoke to said that it was due to inadequate gas supply. I don't buy it because there was a definite downdraft and there seemed to be plenty of flame at the burner. The Scamp representative totally wouldn't listen to me when I told him there was a downdraft. He took the easy way out.

I recently had the range serviced (pilot light assembly replaced under warranty) so I have a call in to the rv shop where the work was done. I'm interested in their opinion. I'll let you know what I find out and what I find when I inspect the unit. The Suburban literature for the heater says that all combustion air coming into the unit must be drawn from the outside atmosphere and that is apparently not the case right now.

Doug
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Old 10-14-2014, 11:02 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug in Sacramento View Post
I recently had the range serviced (pilot light assembly replaced under warranty) so I have a call in to the rv shop where the work was done. I'm interested in their opinion. I'll let you know what I find out and what I find when I inspect the unit. The Suburban literature for the heater says that all combustion air coming into the unit must be drawn from the outside atmosphere and that is apparently not the case right now.

Doug

I wonder if when they serviced the range they did something that opened up the bottom box under the range top.... taking off the range top as Steve suggests would be the first step to see where/how the air is entering/leaving that area. Its an easy item to remove - mine only has two screws holding it in place.
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Old 10-14-2014, 12:28 PM   #7
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Allot of people use a powered fan to blow into the trailer and force the smoke out the window behind the stove. Taking cooking nastiness with it. If air is allowed to go through the lower stove top box to escape out the vents for the fridge it could also cause this type of downdraft. Propane delivered to the appliance is not under high pressure it doesn't take much to redirect it. If everything is properly sealed it shouldn't happen. People are people and some make mistakes and some alter stuff beyond design whether unknowing or just lazy, when in doubt a case as such as this issue its wise to check and see if design parameters are properly adhered too. If your instinct says something just isn't right and that little guy on your shoulder is tugging on your ear its prudent to check it out until that little guy stops nagging you.
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Old 10-14-2014, 12:52 PM   #8
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Doug,
It may not be the combustion air causing the draft it could be the recirculating air for the heater too. The fan sucks in cool air and forces heated out the front. Where is the cool air being drawn in from? I don't know how it is set-up in your Scamp, there could be ducting loose or a block off plate missing forcing a low pressure situation and sucking a down draft if the stove top is mounted in the same cabinet. If there is a cabinet door where the heater is mounted open it and see if the draft changes. On my 13 ft the heater I added is in the same cabinet with the stove top, fridge and the heater so if the stove top isn't sealed below from down draft and something goes awry I could have had the same issue you are having. Scamp could be right that you may have a low fuel pressure situation, the only way to tell would be to have a manometer hooked up to your gas supply and check the pressure with all appliances on and running at maximum consumption.
Check your propane regulator and if there is a vent on it make sure its clear and no creatures have made a home in it. When you had first issue with the stove top the repair facility should have checked gas flow to make sure there wasn't a supply issue causing your first failure.
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Old 10-14-2014, 04:07 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by Doug in Sacramento View Post
Steve,

Thanks for the well reasoned reply and the links. I haven't checked things out yet but I called Scamp Service to see what they thought. The guy I spoke to said that it was due to inadequate gas supply. I don't buy it because there was a definite downdraft and there seemed to be plenty of flame at the burner. The Scamp representative totally wouldn't listen to me when I told him there was a downdraft. He took the easy way out.

I recently had the range serviced (pilot light assembly replaced under warranty) so I have a call in to the rv shop where the work was done. I'm interested in their opinion. I'll let you know what I find out and what I find when I inspect the unit. The Suburban literature for the heater says that all combustion air coming into the unit must be drawn from the outside atmosphere and that is apparently not the case right now.

Doug
If it was working properly before the service and not now. There's your problem. They did something. Make them fix it.
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Old 10-14-2014, 10:41 PM   #10
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I never had the heater and range on together before. Tonight I took the range top off and discovered that there are two rectangular openings, about 2 x 4 inches, in the bank wall. These open to the cabinet space behind the oven and above the furnace. When I ran the furnace with the range top off, I could feel air being drawn through the openings. There are vent holes in the range top above the openings. I now think this is the way this is all designed. Maybe not the best design. The solution is to not have the range burners and the furnace operating at the same time. Not a big deal.
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Old 10-14-2014, 10:51 PM   #11
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Steve,
I'll try opening the cabinet door next to the heater. I'll bet that stops the downdraft. Thanks for the suggestion. I don't see any ductwork around the heater that could be dislodged. I think it just draws air from the cabinet space around it.
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Old 10-15-2014, 12:31 AM   #12
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hummm I have had the furnace on in my trailer at the same time I have been cooking many times and no issues with it even though the furnace is located under the cook top as yours is ...... wonder if Scamp is correct and it is a supply issue - lack of pressure? perhaps the guys that serviced it turned the pressure down.
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Old 10-15-2014, 04:44 PM   #13
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Name: Doug
Trailer: 2014 Scamp 16, 2011 RAV4 V6
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Remember that I have the range/oven combination, so it is different from most Scamps. Last night I ran the furnace, lit the range and then opened the small cabinet door next to the heater. Before I opened the door, the flame was pointed down. When I opened the cabinet door, the flame turned upward but was still a little irregular, apparently due some residual downdraft caused by the heater. Most of the air being sucked into the heater was now coming thru the open door.

There appeared to be plenty of flame so I don't think supply has anything to do with it. I think this is just the way it is. I simply won't use both the range and the heater at the same time. I figure I'm getting heat from the range when it is on anyway and we don't plan to Scamp in Alaska in the winter.

Thanks all.
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