Exterior Fridge Vents

Milhouse wrote:Finally received a reply from A-S Homologation Engineer. Apparently Thetford have never fitted flyscreens to their fridge vents, Dometic used to but haven't done so for some time.

er, utter falsehood, we like others on this thread have Thetford fridges with fly screens fitted as standard. More specifically, the inner vent housing fixed to the outer sidewall is indented to accept the actual fly screen. As for Dometic, what purpose did it serve to discontinue such a fundamental part of the specification? Like I stated earlier, if you don't have a fly screen you've been robbed......probably?

Can't understand why they don't consider them essential . Just ask the owners of a caravan that found a wasps nest behind their fridge when collecting it from storage to go on holiday 

I have never had fly screens on any fridge vent in any caravan or motorhome that we have had in over 40 years. Think they would be an excellent idea though.

Come to that I have never had a fridge installed with draught exclusion as well.

Thetford part number 691128 but only on the 186x483 vent not listed on the other sizes. http://www.thetfordservicenet.com/?product=vent-186x483&lang=en 
About £15 on eBay. 
They do rattle in the wind unless you use something to stick them in place, I used some felt sticky tabs I had to hand.

Mike

Jaytee wrote:Can't understand why they don't consider them essential . Just ask the owners of a caravan that found a wasps nest behind their fridge when collecting it from storage to go on holiday 

Reminds me of my post last October when finding scores of harlequin ladybirds, flies and a huge angry hornet in the van. The ladybirds were concealed mostly under the rubber seals surrounding the cab doors and the flies from the cab vents. I'm trying to imagine how many more insects would have invaded our van if no fly screens in fridge freezer vents.

Had my fridge vents and covers off today to clean the gas burner. No fly screens fitted, but there's no chance of any insects getting inside the van as the fridge is totally sealed from inside, I thought they all were?

Extract from info in Caravan Club leaflet

"Check your ventilators have not been reduced in size nor lined with an insect gauze. Air from outside must be able to enter unhindered low down at the rear of the refrigerator, then pass back outside at the top. Note that ‘winter covers’ are not draught excluders."

See

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Peter 

Out of all the responses there aren't many who have actually had issues of insects getting in. Not that much of an issue??

I had the vents off last year and could see the fridge was well sealed all round bit I also saw that there was about a 10-15mm gap around the wheel arch allowing gases and/or cold draughts from behind the fridge into the bench seat storage space and then through gaps into the habitation area. I sliced a strip of foam from some pipe insulation that filled and sealed the 10-15mm gap around the wheel arch.