blackhorse04
Texas
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I have an '07 Cardinal 36TS with an Onan 5500 LP Generator. I noticed in the winter while I was traveling that I can't run my generator and the furnace at the same time while stopped. This has me pretty confused - I can't imagine it would be designed that way, so I'm wondering if this is normal or if I need to have something checked. Normally, I'll just warm the coach up with the furnace and then power up the generator, but it's annoying.
When I run the generator and then turn the furnace on, they will both run for about 20 seconds and then the generator will power down. If I restart the generator while the furnace is running, it will continuously power down - while the furnace will continue to run. If I run either separately, they're fine. The generator will start and run fine every time, just not with the furnace. I don't have this issue cooking with the stove top, running the refers, or hot water heater (all which run at the same time on the go).
I imagine it's a propane flow issue, but I don't know what it takes to correct this and I don't know how much it would cost either. Any suggestions/ideas?
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grey`eagle
N31° 55’ W95° 30’ ----- ESE of One Tree, TX
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Joined: 07/06/2004
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Sounds like a pressure regulator or possibly a restricted line.
I'd take it to a RV shop that has a person familiar with this set up and let them check it.
It's probably something real simple.
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krmcg
New Boston, Texas
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Had similar issues with my 06 Escalade...couldn't run generator and oven at same time. Reading literature with generator, Onan says do not run the generator off the same line as appliances,,,generator takes its own regulator to keep pressure high enough to run..I piped in a new regulator that feeds just the generator off one bottle as well as feeding the changover valve and the other bottle is feeding the changover valve. No problems now...also I bought a manometer and monitored all pressures before and after the problem was discovered and confirmed that the new regulator indeed was the answer..may do a search under my name krmcg, and read the thread and my findings.
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blackhorse04
Texas
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@krmcg: Looking at your other thread it pretty much sounds like the same thing - didn't catch that when I was searching earlier. I'm going to sound pretty silly in a second, but don't care.
How do I know if the line is running correctly like you've indicated? Is there a hose that comes directly off the propane bottle thru the regulator and then only goes to the generator (I interpret what I've read to mean one bottle is dedicated to the generator...).
And is this something I could tackle with a free weekend, my regular toolset (no manometer though - I'd have to buy one) and a boat load of patience? Never worked with propane lines or regulators (or anything propane for that matter other than turning the knob and filling the tank). More of a computer/electronics tinkering kind of guy.
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houtrz
Lake Jackson Texas
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Joined: 05/15/2005
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I know on my fiver, there is a large, I"m guessing 3/4" line from the propane tanks to my genset and a 1/2" line going to everything else. The TEE is right by the tanks so I"m betting you have gas flow problem. If your genset and the furnace are on the same line, you are staving one of them.
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krmcg
New Boston, Texas
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On my original setup, the generator was tapped off a tee in the line feeding the entire trailer, so in affect, it was just another item being fed off the regulator. It was also the first item being fed, so upon running it actually seemed to rob the entire system of propane, thus my stove would go out. Another problem I was experiencing was trying to run 2 a/c's and the generator wouldn't get enough propane to run under that much load. I did purchase a good regulator, not an rv type. I don't remember the name but can look it up later, but I got it off e-bay and it is working great. I just bought the stuff at Lowes, piping and fittings and was lucky enough that the flexible rubber line feeding the generator was long enough to reach my new regulator and it was quite simple to do.New setup is thus, right bottle feeds directly to new tee, new tee feeds downward to new regulator, new regulator feeds just the generator. and other side of tee feeds thru to switchover valve, so I still have use of both bottles for entire trailer. Left bottle feeds directly to switchover valve. This setup means the left bottle cannot feed generator, but that is OK because now I can run generator off right bottle, trailer off left or I can run everything off right bottle, Hope this helps
* This post was
edited 01/26/09 03:07am by krmcg *
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