Heater Power usage

[cspan0]

Hey there!

I've got what may seem like a dumb question but i'm going to ask anyway!

I recently got a 2006 hawk. Really excited about it - already spent 5 great nights in it.
Anyway - I live really high up in the Colorado mountains. and it gets really cold at nigh throughout the summer.

but I've been having trouble with the heater.

I understand that it runs on propane - but since it uses a fan, I am assuming that it also requires a charged battery to operate. Is this the case?

Also - sometimes when the battery is charged, and I turn the thermostat up a little bit to get the heater on working great, but it stays on and does not shut off. even when I turn the thermostat back to the off position. The only way I'm able to shut it off is to turn off the battery power and turn it back on.

Anyone ever have a similar problem?

any information about how the heater works exactly would be helpful.

Thanks.

 

[Phird05]

1) Yes, the heater needs a charge to operate.

2) The heater will run for a short period of time after shutting it off. This is to give the unit time to cool down by just blowing room air over the heating elements. I can't tell you how long....mine seems to be for a minute or two.

Hope this helps.

Good Camping,

Paul

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

Sounds like you might need to adjust the thermostat, or just replace the thermostat.

Easy to replace (only 2 screws and 2 wires), and approx. $ 20.00.

Or pop the cover off and check to see that the small metal arrow weather vane type piece is touching on of the silver dots.


* Another important piece of information: once you have the furnace running and it is throwing out heat, if you turn the themostat off, the furnace will keep running for approx. 1 - 3 minutes.

So there might not even be anything wrong with it.

You just might not be waiting long enough for it to cycle down and power off.






.

 

[MakersTeleMark]

Where do you live exactly? I found changing the thermostat to a digital one helped a lot with temp regulation and power usage. Like Stan said, a $20 mod.

 

[pods8]

All of what has been said already. Plus your heater likely pulls 3.4amps while running so plan accordingly if you're going to run it a lot.

 

[UglyScout]

Just to be the negative nancy --- you could also have a bad heater control board inside the heater.... When mine went bad it would work 'sometimes'....

 

[NorCalSteve]

Not much more information than has already been said. Yes, to make sure you get the most out of the heater heat, the fan remains on for some specified amount of time after the thermostat tells it to turn off. Even if you just accidentally turn it on and right back off. But, it does seem like you're fan might be staying on longer than it should. I went out and forced my fan to cycle. It took one minute, 45 seconds before it turned off.

Under my heater cover, there is a power/reset switch. Heaters change with the years so you may not have the switch but, if it does not seem to want to go off, you can always remove the cover and cycle the power at the heater, if you also have this switch.

One other item that I am sure everyone knows but what the heck. Make sure your thermostat is all the way to the off position and not just to the low temperature setting when you are finished using it. I figured this out the first time I turned the heater on but still, somehow, left it in the low position and not all the way off for one cool night while the camper was in the front yard and I was in the house. The heater did go on a few times through the night and was on when I climbed into it the next morning. Now, I am even more careful.

EDIT/and: I was unloading my overloaded camper at the campsite a few trips back and somehow, knocked the thermostat cover off the thermostat. Well, whatever I was removing, also caught the little metal weather vane (see Stan's photo)and pulled it off the contact. When this happened, the heater no longer would turn on at all. I had a meter and located the problem fairly fast. In my camper, if that vane is not making contact, my heater will not work.

 

[leadsled9]

Get one of these cheapo ($20) digital thermostats from Wally World....you'll be glad you did.

 

[MakersTeleMark]

How did you support the head unit in the back?

 

[Walldiver]

I replaced my thermostat with a digital from Home Depot. Much more accurate. Cheap too.