Propane Appliances
Four appliances burn propane in most trailers: the furnace, the absorption refrigerator, the water heater, and the stove. Three of them light with a direct-spark board that follows the same sequence of permissions, which is why a furnace guide and a water-heater guide on this site read alike. Learn the sequence once and you can diagnose all of them.
Each guide here starts with the cheap causes (voltage, airflow, a dirty electrode, air in the line after a tank swap) and ends with the expensive ones. Each has a plain box that says when to stop and call a certified technician, because propane is the one system where guessing is not acceptable.
Guides
- How Long an RV Water Heater Takes to Heat Up: Suburban 6 and 10 Gallon, Atwood, and Tankless, by the Numbers
A 6 gal Suburban on gas heats from cold in roughly 20-25 minutes by the spec-sheet math, about 45 on electric alone, and about 15 with both running.
- How Much Propane Does an RV Use? BTU Math for the Furnace, Fridge, Water Heater, and Stove
A 20 lb cylinder holds about 430,000 BTU. Divide by each appliance's rated BTU/h and its real run time and you have your answer. Here is the spec-sheet math.
- RV Fridge Not Cooling but Freezer Is: The Absorption Fridge Checks (Dometic and Norcold)
When the freezer works but the fresh-food box stays warm, the usual causes are level, poor rear ventilation, a missing baffle, or a thermistor out of place.
- RV Fridge Not Working on Propane but Fine on Electric: Thermocouple, Orifice, Flue, and Igniter
An absorption fridge that cools on 120 V but not on gas almost always has a dirty burner, a clogged orifice, or a flue full of rust flakes. Here is the order.
- RV Furnace Blows Cold Air Then Shuts Off: Why It's Usually Airflow, Not the Board
An RV furnace that blows cold air and quits is usually a sail switch or limit switch dropping out, not the board. Here is the test order with the readings.
- RV Furnace Won't Ignite: The Voltage, Sail Switch, and Limit Switch Sequence
Most RV furnaces that blow but never light have low voltage or a sail switch that isn't closing. Here is the test order, with the readings to expect.
- RV Water Heater Won't Light on Gas: ECO Reset, Electrode Gap, and the DSI Board (Suburban and Atwood)
An RV water heater that won't light on gas is usually a tripped ECO, air in the line, or a dirty electrode. Here is the Suburban and Atwood test order.