Barbilou and Fujimo
Monticello, Minnesota and Bahia Kino Mexico
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Joined: 06/17/2004
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It started making a very loud clattering noise. DH figured bearings or motor, got out the manual and proceeded to take it apart. Found a very dessicated mouse along with TONS of pet hair and dust/crud EVERYWHERE in there. After cleaning everything thoroughly, he put it back together and VOILA! No clattering. I put this in fulltiming because we and our dog and cat have lived fulltime in this rig for 4 years, and nowhere have I read to beware of buildup like this (not the mouse, the rest of it). The maintenance sticky here doesn't say to look inside the heater for crud. Just an FYI for fulltimers with pets. And mice. And yes, the furnace removal and disassembly was difficult.
Full Time since November 05!
'04 Cherokee M315L 2 slides Fifth Wheel
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DianneOK
Donnelly, ID
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Moved from Fulltiming for a better response.
Dianne
Donnelly, ID
DataStorm
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othertonka
Stockton, CA
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Joined: 11/15/2003
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I have found it strange that they do not recommend an air filter for the RV furnace. If yours is like mine, there is a intake/return air grill in the cabinet area where the furnace is located. The return air then travels around behind the drawers and cupboard area and makes its way to the furnace along with any hair and dust that is in the area or that has been laying under the drawers. Well I took my grill off and removed all the drawers and then vacumned everything in sight. You should have seen all of the construction debries left in that area. Then I disregarded the manufactures recommendation to not install a filter and measured the grill size and bought a furnace filter that was as wide as I needed but of course it was to tall, so I cut it down to just fit inside the grill area and reinstalled the grill with the filter in place. SInce I do not full time and the furnace use is mimimal, I change my filter once a year. Full timing would probably be more often. I am not suggesting that you go against the manufacture's recomendation, but I did and have had no problems. I think their worry is that the furnance, if it had a filter and it became plugged, would cause the furnace heat exchanger to overheat because of low air flow, but I feel there is enough leakage of air around the cabinets and drawer area for that to be a mute problem, but what do I know. Just an opinion and offered as such. Make your own decision after reading all of the furnace manufactures cautions. Good luck.
Othertonka
2004 Southwind 32VS 8.1 Workhorse chassis
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Xpltivdletd
WV, U.S.A.
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Joined: 04/04/2001
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Since any MH ever likely to grace my yard will be "old©" (not to mention probably an orphan to boot), I will take liberties with the air-return as I deem proper, to use a good filter. If it sucks-in air, especially just above the deck, it's a central vacuum-cleaner no matter what it's named officially. Thank you both for sharing what you've learned.
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skylos
Issaquah, WA
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I know exactly what you mean. I had that noise happen - not once - but three times. Once it really WAS the motor bearings. The other two times it was two mice and the final time, half a mouse. Apparently it got caught in the end of the cage when the thing starts up.
I never did figure out where the other half of it went. Cannibal mice? eeeww.
Skylos
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mikhen
oley, pa
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Joined: 05/29/2006
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Oops, this time the double post was my fault.
2005 Sunseeker 3100 QBS
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mikhen
oley, pa
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Our TT had the heat registers in the floor. We were constantly taking them off and cleaning inside the duct work. Our C has wall mounted registers. I like these alot better. And cleaning the intake area is on my mid season chore list.
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1fastdad
mo.
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Joined: 08/27/2007
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I have an 05 Dolphin with basement air and I have to change that filter abought every two months so I think I am going to put a filter in that air intake. I read on another thread that the air intake was trice as big as it needed to be and to put a baffle in it to reduce noise so I don't think a filter will restrict it to much and it may reduce the noise.
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hitchup
Fulltiming in Mount Airy.
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Joined: 02/17/2005
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The mouse could have been responsible for part of the mess. It might have been trying to build a nest.
We normally have our furnace cleaned and serviced once a year. But haven't thought about it this year. We have 2 in our 2009. Now that temps have been cooler, DH needs to check ours out!
2009 DRV Mobile Suite 38TKSB3....our custom home
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gnj1958
Ain't Dunroamin'
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Joined: 05/01/2004
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Heater? what's that?
We haven't fired up our heater since we bought the TT five years ago. Don't plan to either. We have a small electric space heater for those rare occasions when it gets cold enough to need one. About 10/th of the noise that furnace makes.
Glenn & Jenn
3 dogs Cody, Dudley & Mogwai
04 Chevy Tahoe LT V8 5.3, 3.73 (HA)
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