Mud dauber/wasp screens

[Valkyriebush]

While reading my current edition of Motorhome magazine an advertisement in a article concerning these screen protectors states to remove the furnace screen before use?? Seriously? Misprint??

[Dutch_12078]

I put the screen warnings in the same category as Onan's warnings about attaching a Gen-turi to their generator exhausts due to possible restrictions. The fact is, the Gen-turi direct attachment section presents less restriction than Onan's own add on exhaust extensions. The warnings are nothing but legal CYA...

[K3WE]

Cloud Dancer wrote:
I've got the stainless steel bubble screens, 2 of them. They look good, keep the wasps out, and do not restrict the exhaust flow. What's not to like?
All it took to get me hooked was having to take the furnace blower apart in order to remove a couple of large mud nests.

Wasps LOVE LP (or the safety odor it contains)...

Thus a halfway decent, halfway engineered screen might just be worthwhile...

I too have found lots of wasp/mud-dabber activity around LP things on my camper, including the furnace, as well as the regulator/tank area. Therefore, I too have installed the screens (leaving them there 100% of the time) and lived to make this post.

As to the particulars and legalities that inspire a statement that might as well say, "this item should not be used as intended, even though we engineered it to be used as intended reasonably well"...yeah, a sad state of affairs.

[Cloud_Dancer]

I've got the stainless steel bubble screens, 2 of them. They look good, keep the wasps out, and do not restrict the exhaust flow. What's not to like?
All it took to get me hooked was having to take the furnace blower apart in order to remove a couple of large mud nests.

[navegator]

I just found I guess a mud dauber in the lock of the water valve compartment, I had to use plenty of WD-40 to soften the mud before the lock turned, third time in 3 years, same place, I am going to place a small piece of tape, the ones they sell at the post office, area denial from now on.

navegator

[Dakzuki]

old guy wrote:
a doctor once told me once that all those warnings on all these products, medical or what ever, are to protect the manufactures back side in case something did happen

I just had a doctor tell me the same thing.

Yeah, that warning about removing it is strictly a liability thing done by their legal department. The furnace manufacturer will not approve it and the screen manufacturer cannot control what it it attached to.

[johnnyrv]

they are difficult to install. would not use one if i had to take it on and off. i think the open surface area of the screen is as large as the vent openings so no air flow restriction.

[E_J_push_n_wind]

tragusa3 wrote:
I just bought screen to do this job myself. However, I bought fiberglass screen. I'm now realizing that it may not be suited for such a hot application? Anyone know?

The folks that have the heater "bug screens" are referring to a stainless steel screen more in order with this, click here. Not so much your common household window screen.

[mobeewan]

If the screen is laid flat against the opening there would be a flow restriction. Most of the prefabricated dauber screens are dome shaped which creates more open surface area for proper air flow.

[seaeagle2]

On residential high efficiency gas/propane furnaces, the concern is in freezing weather, the condensation in the exhaust will freeze on a screen and build up enough to block the exhaust. I'm not sure about mid efficient rv furnaces...

[tragusa3]

Thanks. I'll proceed.

[noplace2]

We've had a paper wasp with a growing nest in one of our 2 propane compartments for a little over 3 years and over 13 states. He/she doesn't seems to mind our occasional intrusions to change that tank and the moves to divergent new locales and we don't mind him/her being there.

[nwtraveler]

I had some leftover door screen material, and I doubled it up and installed it over both the intake and exhaust for our furnace, and it works just fine.

NWTraveler

[B_O__Plenty]

I've had mine installed for years. No problems. Your results may be different.

B.O.

[fj12ryder]

I've put the fiberglass screens on the fridge vents and the water heater cover vent. No issues.