Furnace and rooftop AC unit running concurrently? - Dutchmen Owners
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Old 08-28-2016, 05:53 PM   #1
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Furnace and rooftop AC unit running concurrently?

This morning I turned on the furnace from the wall thermostat for the first time. The furnace seemed to be blowing warm air out of all the places I expected, but the roof AC unit in the main room also turned on and was blowing air. I didn't leave it all running to determine if the roof unit was also blowing warm air, but I was surprised to see that running concurrent with the furnace.
Also, since the furnace is LP, why would the roof AC unit run as well? It's electric. I wouldn't think the generator would want to be on to heat the place (???)
An additional data point FWIW: we were on 50A shore power.
Is this normal?
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Old 08-28-2016, 07:49 PM   #2
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Check the FAN setting on your thermostat... make sure it's in AUTO.

If it's in Low, Med, or High... the fans in your AC units will run with the furnace on
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Old 08-28-2016, 09:12 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ATCguy View Post
Check the FAN setting on your thermostat... make sure it's in AUTO.

If it's in Low, Med, or High... the fans in your AC units will run with the furnace on
BINGO! That was it. Thanks!

Now, if you can tell me WHY it works that way, I'd be that much better educated....or mystified!
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Old 08-29-2016, 04:18 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by The Cramblersons View Post
BINGO! That was it. Thanks!

Now, if you can tell me WHY it works that way, I'd be that much better educated....or mystified!
Don't try to reason what goes on in a campers electric/tronics, it'll "drive you around the bend, to drink, crazy."

Just put everything on Auto and let it do what it does.
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Old 08-29-2016, 09:20 AM   #5
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Having the fan run while the furnace is on is a good tool to keep in your hip pocket....remember, heat rises. In the winter, we will run the main unit on low to help even out the heat, especially in the garage. It is not hot air like the furnace, but it is much warmer than nothing...we don't do it all the time, especially if the roof unit is covered in snow, but we will up until then.

Cale
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Old 08-29-2016, 03:04 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by calewjohnson View Post
Having the fan run while the furnace is on is a good tool to keep in your hip pocket....remember, heat rises. In the winter, we will run the main unit on low to help even out the heat, especially in the garage. It is not hot air like the furnace, but it is much warmer than nothing...we don't do it all the time, especially if the roof unit is covered in snow, but we will up until then.

Cale
Cale,

Good point. We run our furnace in the stick house year round, it evens the temperature spikes out and the furnace cycles less.

I've often thought about looking for a two-speed 12V motor for the furnace, but you got me to thinking about it. I can see a seperate motor for the cold air return in the near future, just in time for the fall trips that are coming up.
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Old 08-29-2016, 03:48 PM   #7
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What brand of thermostat is it? I have a Dometic on a Coachmen and mine isn't wired that way.

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Old 09-06-2016, 11:16 PM   #8
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What brand of thermostat is it? I have a Dometic on a Coachmen and mine isn't wired that way.

Aaron
I have a Dometic thermostat on a 2016 Denali and it works that way.
As mentioned above, that is useful when running the furnace.
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Old 09-07-2016, 01:39 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by Handyman View Post
I have a Dometic thermostat on a 2016 Denali and it works that way.
As mentioned above, that is useful when running the furnace.
Albeit noisey!
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Old 09-07-2016, 05:58 PM   #10
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I believe it is also associated with heat pumps that can be added to rooftop air conditioners. I don't have one so I don't know, but I've heard about them.
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