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Hi all, I was wondering if my electric furnace is getting sluggish. on the farthest end from the heater, which happens to be my bed/bathroom, has always been a bit colder in the winter than the rest of the trailer. it seems as over the years its been gettin worse. now its to the point that I need to run a small electric space heater to take a shower because its too cold in there to do so without it! theres no blockage that I can find, and the belly insulation on that end isnt missing or delapitated. can it be that my furnace is just 'gettin old'?

trailerdweller

IF you are getting good airflow, then you can test your elements to see if they are operating as designed.

You would need to test them with an Ammeter to check the amperage draw of each one.

They do weaken over time and can become non-working.

Could even be a Sequencer going bad and not energizing all the elements.

Take care and best wishes,
Robert

Thanks for the response. How do I check for good airflow aside from the air coming from the floor registers? Should a 16 x 20 return air opening be sufficient return air?
And in regards to the elements, I feel like they are all working fine, as the heat coming out of the registers closer to the furnace feels nice and toasty, just not on the far end of the trailer.
To me this sounds like theres a leak somewhere in the ductwork. Do the ductwork ever come loose? Is this possible?

trailerdweller

Ducts can come loose. I have seen older homes with rotted ducts (since yours is only 10 yrs old I doubt yours is) critters can also damage duct work. Greg

Unfortunately, on MH's, you can't go by age to judge this issue.

Due to being assembled, things are overlooked, left out or come loose at all stages of age.

Remove register grilles, lay a bright light down in duct aiming toward next register.

Go to next register and hold a mirror down in the duct looking back toward the light to inspect ducting.

Hold a 12" piece of TP at waist level above each register and see if it moves during a cycle.

If not, slowly lower until it moves and see how close you had to get.

Close to furnace, one element working will feel warm and toasty.

At end of duct, one element will be less warm feeling and if duct is loose or opened anywhere, it'll be even worse.

They need to be tested individually to know their efficiency and operational capacity.

Thanks,
Robert

well, i did the light and mirror thing, and beside a lil dirt and dog hair, theres no obstructions or holes that I can see. perhaps it is the heater itself. now I will need to figure out how to test the elements. thanks!

trailerdweller

Ammeter to test amp draw of each element.

Take care and best wishes,
Robert