Recently, I had my fridges roof vent off and was amazed at how much hot air comes out of that hole. Seems like a lot more than when the vent is installed.
Compared to other vent covers I've had, This cover seems extremely restrictive. It probably doesn't help that the sides are warped inward.
There are a myriad of different types of these covers Linky .
Based on your experience, opinion or "just what looks right", I would like to know your thoughts on which style you think would allow more draft.
Compared to other vent covers I've had, This cover seems extremely restrictive. It probably doesn't help that the sides are warped inward.
There are a myriad of different types of these covers Linky .
Based on your experience, opinion or "just what looks right", I would like to know your thoughts on which style you think would allow more draft.
When I installed my fans I meant to take more pictures, but carried away with the job and forgot to take very many.
The first picture is taken from inside of the refer compartment when we later had to remove the refer for some other work. You do not have to remove to the refer to install the fans, BUT, you do need to be very careful of where you run the wires so they don't touch the burner assembly. This, in the end, was a rather simple installation. I spent more time thinking about it than it took to do it.
Take off the top refer vent cover and measure the vent opening. Then go to someplace like Home Depot or Ace Hdwr and buy a small sheet of galvanized metal. It should be about four inches longer and three inches wider than the hole. I also bought a cheap saber saw for $27 since I was traveling on the road.
You'll see how I cut the hole in the metal a little smaller than the four fans. You can see the sheet metal screws holding the fans to the metal. The four fans completely cover the hole, so the only place the air can come from is the lower vent behind the refer pulling the air up through the back of the refer to cool it.
Note in this picture rubber grommet in the metal where the power wires go through so the metal doesn't cut them causing a short. And the white wire doohickey further down to keep the wires away from the burner.
Now this part I don't have a picture of - how to secure the metal with the fans to the MH roof. When you remove the OEM long plastic fan cover, it will be held in place with four screws. The metal needs to be large enough so it's larger than the four screws coming down from the plastic vent. Take the vent and use something that will take 30 seconds to dry like finger nail polish. Put some on the bottom of the four screw studs and then put it on top of the metal. This will tell you where to drill four holes through the metal. What you're doing is using the four screws from the vent lid to secure the fan metal. There's no need to secure it separately. If you look to the left of the rubber grommet protecting the wires, you'll see the screws coming down from the roof vent - these are going through the metal to secure it into place.
Now to provide power to the fans. I did two things. I hooked all four fans together and then ran the wiring down the back of the refer and into the power on the board. I also put a switch back there so I could turn them on and off as needed. We boondock occasionally and because I choose some rather high output fans suggested by Executive, the four of them draw about two amps total so I don't want them on if I don't need them when we're living off of batteries. Below is about the cheapest I've found these fans for at $12 each. Actually I bought 10 of them and the price drops to $9.50. These are higher priced than most 4" fans but they're rated at 100CFM each and they have ball bearings. I don't like having to redo things so I didn't buy cheap fans.
NMB 4710KL-04W-B40 119MM Fan for $12.00 from CWC
Like I said, we later had to remove the refer for something else, so the fan switch that was outside under the lower refer vent cover, I relocated the switch to the front facia board inside the MH above the refer so I no longer had to go outside to turn the fans on or off.
Also, as a minor item, someone had at one time installed my refer roof cover which drywall screws. They grab well in the soft plastic, but they were all rusting out. While you're at the hardware store buying the metal, buy four good stainless steel screws.
The reason the fan mesh is torn on one side is that's where I had to work to get the wires for the power through. I fixed the mesh later.
Bill
The first picture is taken from inside of the refer compartment when we later had to remove the refer for some other work. You do not have to remove to the refer to install the fans, BUT, you do need to be very careful of where you run the wires so they don't touch the burner assembly. This, in the end, was a rather simple installation. I spent more time thinking about it than it took to do it.
Take off the top refer vent cover and measure the vent opening. Then go to someplace like Home Depot or Ace Hdwr and buy a small sheet of galvanized metal. It should be about four inches longer and three inches wider than the hole. I also bought a cheap saber saw for $27 since I was traveling on the road.
You'll see how I cut the hole in the metal a little smaller than the four fans. You can see the sheet metal screws holding the fans to the metal. The four fans completely cover the hole, so the only place the air can come from is the lower vent behind the refer pulling the air up through the back of the refer to cool it.
Note in this picture rubber grommet in the metal where the power wires go through so the metal doesn't cut them causing a short. And the white wire doohickey further down to keep the wires away from the burner.
Now this part I don't have a picture of - how to secure the metal with the fans to the MH roof. When you remove the OEM long plastic fan cover, it will be held in place with four screws. The metal needs to be large enough so it's larger than the four screws coming down from the plastic vent. Take the vent and use something that will take 30 seconds to dry like finger nail polish. Put some on the bottom of the four screw studs and then put it on top of the metal. This will tell you where to drill four holes through the metal. What you're doing is using the four screws from the vent lid to secure the fan metal. There's no need to secure it separately. If you look to the left of the rubber grommet protecting the wires, you'll see the screws coming down from the roof vent - these are going through the metal to secure it into place.
Now to provide power to the fans. I did two things. I hooked all four fans together and then ran the wiring down the back of the refer and into the power on the board. I also put a switch back there so I could turn them on and off as needed. We boondock occasionally and because I choose some rather high output fans suggested by Executive, the four of them draw about two amps total so I don't want them on if I don't need them when we're living off of batteries. Below is about the cheapest I've found these fans for at $12 each. Actually I bought 10 of them and the price drops to $9.50. These are higher priced than most 4" fans but they're rated at 100CFM each and they have ball bearings. I don't like having to redo things so I didn't buy cheap fans.
NMB 4710KL-04W-B40 119MM Fan for $12.00 from CWC
Like I said, we later had to remove the refer for something else, so the fan switch that was outside under the lower refer vent cover, I relocated the switch to the front facia board inside the MH above the refer so I no longer had to go outside to turn the fans on or off.
Also, as a minor item, someone had at one time installed my refer roof cover which drywall screws. They grab well in the soft plastic, but they were all rusting out. While you're at the hardware store buying the metal, buy four good stainless steel screws.
The reason the fan mesh is torn on one side is that's where I had to work to get the wires for the power through. I fixed the mesh later.
Bill
