Date: Sat, 2 Oct 2010 09:44:17 -0400
Reply-To: Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Subject: Westies at Watkins / propex heater repair / Frank Condelli or
Greg Potts, maybe this email is for you?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Hi all,
I'm really hoping to get to Westies at Watkins next weekend.
And if I go, I'm wondering if there's someone who's going who might be able
to repair my propex heater. For money, I'm not looking for favors! Frank,
I put you in the subject line because I seem to recall that you're coming,
and I thought you might know how.
It hasn't worked for at least a year. I posted last January, and had some
discussions about the symptoms - I've put some of that below, FYI.
Is there someone out there who's coming to W@W who might be able to fix it
and would be willing to have a look (and bring the tools/parts you think
you'd need)?
Joy & Matilda, who would like heat for the planned winter drive back to
Newfoundland...
Discussions from last January - slightly out of order, but hopefully
manageable. For more detail and everything that was suggested, search the
archives for January 2010 searching for "propex." It only takes a moment to
do that search, and only returns a few messages that are not part of the
thread on my problems.
Hi all,
Thanks for all the suggestions regarding my heater. I'm copying Karl
directly this time - Karl, are you there somewhere? Are you no longer on the
vanagon list?
I've followed the instructions people suggested - turning it on with the
thermostat dial on the lowest setting, waiting, etc. The fan stays on for
about ten seconds, then turns off. The red and green lights (not yellow -
I'm sort of color-blind, thought it was yellow) stay on. The red light does
not flash. I assume it would do that reasonably soon after the fan goes off,
say within a minute? No flashes. Just two little lights glowing at me.
I have one propane tank, not two. I do have propane, I've been cooking with
it before & after trying the heater.
I do have the blue heater.
It is possible that my auxiliary battery isn't super charged, as I haven't
driven in a few days (and I had started to wonder if it was dying of old age
and I might need to replace it). But other things that use the aux battery
are working fine - lights, radio, etc.
The heater used to work. I haven't tried it in a long time. I did try it
last winter sometime, and it didn't work, but I don't know if I had any
propane at the time.
If this were a pressure regulator problem, where would I find that pressure
regulator?
Thanks for any additional advice anyone can offer!
Joy
On Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 11:02 PM, Jim Arnott <jrasite@eoni.com> wrote:
> Call Karl. > Telephone: 301.637.2299 > Email Karl: Email, general:
karl@westyventures.com > > Jim > > > On Jan 26, 2010, at 7:48 PM, Joy Hecht
wrote:
> > On Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 11:16 PM, Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@gmail.com> >>
wrote: >> >> Turn the rocker switch left to begin the start/heater-on cycle,
and move >>> the >>> temp knob all the way down to the "little" lines. The
fan will come on as >>> you've >>> said, turn the knob toward the large
lines which is telling the heater >>> how >>> hot >>> you want it to heat,
how long you want it to run before it reaches that >>> temp >>> and shuts
off. >>> >>> The heater is supposed to be "started" with the thermostat dial
at the >>> lowest >>> setting, then once the on/rocker switch is turned
left/down and the fan >>> begins >>> blowing that indicates your start cycle
has started. When it's very cold, >>> the >>> green light on the right comes
on at the lowest thermostat setting but >>> when >>> it's not so cold, the
thermostat has to be rotated to get the green light >>> to come >>> on and
the start/heat cycle to start. >>> >>> The red light just means the heater
is on and when the ambient inside >>> cabin >>> temp gets low enough, the
green/start light comes on and the fan starts. >>> >>> Hope this helps get
the chill off your home.
>>> >>> >>> Nope. I did just as you said. No matter where the dial is, the
fan >> stays >> on for ten seconds if I switch it to the left. If I turn the
dial to the >> little lines, turn the switch left, and then rotate the dial
to the big >> lines, the lights do not turn green, and the fan goes off
after ten >> seconds. >> >> It's 40 in the van now, which isn't really that
cold, but I'd think the >> heat >> would go on at 40, woudln't it? Or does
it only work at lower >> temperatures? >> >> I do have propane in the tank!
>> >> >> Joy
On Tue, Jan 26, 2010 at 7:49 PM, Joy Hecht <jhecht@alum.mit.edu> wrote: >>>
>>> Hi all, >>>> >>>> I thought the south was supposed to be warm! But no.
And my propex >>>> heater >>>> doesn't seem to be working. >>>> >>>> Can
someone who has one (or knows them) give me some info? I have this >>>>
switch box/thermostat for it. The switch can go left, right or in the >>>>
middle (middle is off) and the thermostat dial can go from what I assume
>>>> is >>>> minimal heat (very short bars on the dial) to hottest (long
bars on the >>>> dial). >>>> >>>> When I switch it left, towards the little
picture of a flame, red and >>>> yellow >>>> lights come on. The fan blows
for ten seconds and stops. No heat, just >>>> cold >>>> air. When I switch
it right, towards some other little picture that I >>>> can't >>>>
interpret, one green light comes on. The fan blows constantly. No >>>> heat,
>>>> just cold air. Turning the thermostat dial makes no difference to any
>>>> of >>>> it. >>>> >>>> What is supposed to happen when I turn the switch
either way? And what >>>> would be causing this lack of heat? >>>>
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