Anyone retrofit convection oven for external venting?

[tkcas01]

The time has come to replace my combo convection/micro oven that triples as the range hood. The current one vents to the inside, basically blowing back in your face.

While I'm at the replacement, I am hoping to be able to vent the new one to the outside using this JR Products vent.

Interested in hearing tips and lessons learned from anyone who has done this on their rig. I'm specifically interested in what needs to be done to mate the exterior vent up with the back of the oven. Of course, the first thing to do will be to make sure there are no obstructions in the wall where the vent opening needs to be.

[tkcas01]

Thanks, folks. Once my new oven arrives, I get the old one out and see what I am up against, I will post findings/results with photos.

[subcamper]

Our 2004 Rockwood came with the Apollo microwave/convection oven/range hood vent. Just like yours, it recirculated the hot air (and moisture) from cooking back into the TT.

After a few years of this, I removed the Apollo and looked at the rear of the unit. You could switch it to vent outside by moving a baffle inside a compartment. Of course, I had to put a rectangular hole in the wall and used a vent simoilar to the JR vent you mention. Also, I used aluminum duct tape like someone mentioned.
It was much better venting to the outside. Now the AC doesn't have to fight the heat from the stove as much. The vent was still weaker than it should be because the fan wasn't very strong and the suction area with filter was a small size.

Finally, the Apollo died (after fixing it a few other times) and I had enough. I took it out and installed a shelf so I could put a regular microwave (or convection oven) on it. I went on Ebay and bought a 12VDC RV range hood with light for $40. I vented it to the outside (unfortunately a new hole was required as it was a lot lower) and it works much better. As a bonus the vent works on 12VDC, so I can vent out even if on battery power. The Apollo vent was 120vac only.

Steve

[Clay_L]

tkcas01 wrote:
SNIP
Thanks for sharing your experience. Did you do anything special in terms of ducting from the back of the oven to the external vent? That's really my biggest question - how air tight of a seal between the two is achievable and how.

I didn't do any ducting. The exhaust fan I added moved plenty of air from the room through the area behind the microwave outside through the vent. I also added a grill above the microwave to get air from the room.
When it was first installed, the temp behind mine got up to 200 degrees F after 45 minutes in convection mode.The fan and vent kept it way down to around 120 degrees or so as I recall.

[Roger10378]

I did it pretty much like Clay said. I had nothing in the way so it turned out to be an easy cut and install. I used aluminum duct tape around the opening to make sure nothing could get into the wall. I wanted to make sure any moisture from outside or from the exhaust couldn't damage anything. I also added foam tape to make a good seal.

[tkcas01]

Clay L wrote:
I used an electronic stud/ac wire finder to check the area. Then I used a Rotozip tool set to just cut through the 1/16 inch luan and pulled a square section loose from the Styrofoam in the wall. Then I could check for any DC wiring and verify that there was nothing in the foam I had to worry about. Then I cut a matching section from the outside and cut the foam piece out. I drilled a hole in each corner so I knew where to make the outside cuts.

I used an exhaust fan in the space behind the convection/microwave to pull air in from the room and push it out of the vent I installed. I used a vent that was flap type that tipped out when the fan was running. There were a couple of tabs on the outside that turned to hold it in place while in transit. I got it from an RV store.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Did you do anything special in terms of ducting from the back of the oven to the external vent? That's really my biggest question - how air tight of a seal between the two is achievable and how.

[Clay_L]

I used an electronic stud/ac wire finder to check the area. Then I used a Rotozip tool set to just cut through the 1/16 inch luan and pulled a square section loose from the Styrofoam in the wall. Then I could check for any DC wiring and verify that there was nothing in the foam I had to worry about. Then I cut a matching section from the outside and cut the foam piece out. I drilled a hole in each corner so I knew where to make the outside cuts.

I used an exhaust fan in the space behind the convection/microwave to pull air in from the room and push it out of the vent I installed. I used a vent that was flap type that tipped out when the fan was running. There were a couple of tabs on the outside that turned to hold it in place while in transit. I got it from an RV store.

[ScottG]

You'll need to take down the old unit and using a stud finder or just by drilling some small exploratory holes, determine if there is a stud in the wall where you need to cut the hole.
If there is then your stuck because you don't want to cut one of the few support studs.