Removing insect screen on fridge vent

[Xabia]

i have been told that removing the insect screen from the vents on my Dometic fridge can increase cooling by 25%. So, the questions are:

1) do you think that the statement is correct.

2) if yes, and bearing in mind that the equipment is sealed by Hymer from the habitation area, can you see any downsides in removing the screens.

Mike

 

[dave newell]

1/ no

2/ yes, insects will get in behind your fridge and breed/die and clog up your burner. Don't do it is my advice.

D.

 

[Xabia]

Thanks Dave, that makes sense.

Mike

 

[Manic]

I wouldn't think the likes of Hymer would fit the insect screens if they were not needed, so I would leave alone.

 

[Theonlysue]

If you need the extra cooling, why not fit a fan?

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[DanielFord]

If you need the extra cooling, why not fit a fan?

Yup, I have one, they work very well, and are easy to fit. I forget how much it was, but it wasn't expensive.

 

[Emmit]

For those of a nervous disposition, switch off/over now.

September 2004 me and SWMBO are on a rally in the caravan AT Seaview Int campsite, Cornwall.
Lovely day, sunny pleasant.

Came the time for bed. Fixed bed, no probs. Got between the sheets and switched off the light.

Bzzzzz. Switch light on find and kill one fly. Same again Bzzzz Switch light on, kill two flies.
and so it went on until I killed about ten flies.
I then opened the knife drawer cos Icould hear something in there.

The only thing I could describe the resultant action was like a scene from The Mummy. Flies flew out in Biblical proportions.
Me and her got dressed, sprayed the scene with half a can of fly spray and left the 'van and went home in the car.

The following day we returned and surveyed the scene. We hoovered up literally hundreds, if not thousands of flies.

On investigation we discovered that the flies had entered via the fridge vents. Other caravans were affected exactly the same.
We cured it by doing exactly what Hymer now provide, via a mesh obtained at Lidl

Would we voluntarily remove that mesh now.

What do you think???

 

[pappajohn]

For those of a nervous disposition, switch off/over now.

September 2004 me and SWMBO are on a rally in the caravan AT Seaview Int campsite, Cornwall.
Lovely day, sunny pleasant.

Came the time for bed. Fixed bed, no probs. Got between the sheets and switched off the light.

Bzzzzz. Switch light on find and kill one fly. Same again Bzzzz Switch light on, kill two flies.
and so it went on until I killed about ten flies.
I then opened the knife drawer cos Icould hear something in there.

The only thing I could describe the resultant action was like a scene from The Mummy. Flies flew out in Biblical proportions.
Me and her got dressed, sprayed the scene with half a can of fly spray and left the 'van and went home in the car.

The following day we returned and surveyed the scene. We hoovered up literally hundreds, if not thousands of flies.

On investigation we discovered that the flies had entered via the fridge vents. Other caravans were affected exactly the same.
We cured it by doing exactly what Hymer now provide, via a mesh obtained at Lidl

Would we voluntarily remove that mesh now.

What do you think???

I wouldnt bother too much about the flies.....but i would get the fridge properly sealed from the hab area.
If flies can get in then so can Carbon Monoxide.

A properly fitted fridge is hermetically sealed to the outside.

 

[Techno]

Yes it's not an insect screen but for flies that can hibernate in there or other airborne nasties.
When I bought my van and got it home I found what seemed like a million flies in the awning.
Been stored on a farm I believe

 

[sedge]

LOL many years ago my BIL built their first home, right on the side of the Clee Hills at Cornbrook. Lovely big place, however their bedroom was on the ground floor whereas the bathroom and the spare bedroom were upstairs.

Friends staying for the weekend, not long after they finally moved in. Friend goes up to the bathroom and comes straight back down and into the lounge. Martin - I haven't been - because the bathroom is full of flies. There can't be that many surely? Yes - there are.

So up go BIL and friend. Oh sheet. They had had flies 'nesting' in the roof void as he did the roof (it was a red hot summer and he did it more or less on his own) and they had bred. The council pest control people had to come out and finish sorting it. I wouldn't wish that on anyone .......

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[mitzimad]

i find it strange that they have mesh in them. as a profesional gas installer any vent with a fly screen isnt allowed on natural gas appliances as they can easily become blocked

 

[dbnosey]

I have a 2015 Pilote with the Thretford large vents for the large fridge/freezer no mesh fitted and I could not pruchase any so made some.
On all small Thretford fridges and all my Dometic fridges before mesh screens were fitted as standard,
I think they are as important as the mesh over windows and doors.

 

[Emmit]

I wouldnt bother too much about the flies.....but i would get the fridge properly sealed from the hab area.
If flies can get in then so can Carbon Monoxide.

A properly fitted fridge is hermetically sealed to the outside.

Hi Pappa,

Whilst I understand what you are saying, the cutlery drawer on that model was above the fridge. Am I not right in saying that CO is heavier than air and would therefore sink to the floor where it would escape via the vents one of them being at floor level.

 

[The Wino]

No fly screens on our vents (they are the large ones too) but when we were if France last year at about 38c our fridge was still working fine the Germans next to us had taken both vents off presumably to make theirs work better. If your vents clip off easily why not leave them alone and just take them off if it gets really hot and the fridge gets warm I bet it never happens or only for a couple of days a year.

 

[GJH]

Am I not right in saying that CO is heavier than air and would therefore sink to the floor where it would escape via the vents one of them being at floor level.

I don't think so. Carbon Dioxide is heavier but Carbon Monoxide is lighter (which is why fixing alarms on ceilings works).

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[Emmit]

I don't think so. Carbon Dioxide is heavier but Carbon Monoxide is lighter (which is why fixing alarms on ceilings works).

Just checked and it's slightly lighter than air but apparently, it makes no discernable difference in reality.

That is unless it's KILLING YOU!!!

 

[DBK]

i find it strange that they have mesh in them. as a profesional gas installer any vent with a fly screen isnt allowed on natural gas appliances as they can easily become blocked

My vents have these flyscreens but I've always seen them as something for the air flow to cool the evaporator.

There are two much smaller vents below the fridge which are in the floor and these don't have any fine mesh, just a coarse grill to keep mice out I guess but these should always be able to provide air for the flame.