Solar cable thru fridge vent

[DAS26miles]

Planning out my solar system and I see most go thru the fridge vent. Are you drilling a hole from the side and running cable down shaft or using fittings? I read that you stay on opposite side of flue.

[Almot]

Open the vent - remove that big plastic cover. Then you will have a better picture. There is no "shaft" in my trailer. Under the cover you will find a plastic coaming with mesh on top, about 2" tall. Under this coaming there is a fridge cabinet.

It's difficult to use a normal strain-relief fitting without having access to both sides of the fitting. I had to cut the mesh a little, to access the fitting on the inner side of the coaming. Some other people cut the fitting flash with the coaming and glued it to the coaming from outside. If you you attach the cable to the roof with a caulk before the vent, and then with a spray foam or caulk on the other side - where it exits through the fridge cabinet wall - you don't need to worry about fixing it in the coaming.

Once inside the coaming, my cable exits right through the fridge cabinet wall to kitchen (there was some wigging with a coat hanger wire to route the cable through that wall, while sitting on the roof). I used a spray foam in that hole in the wall. On the other side of the wall there is (usually) some cabinet.

I didn't use fridge vent combiner box for these reasons:
1) This box is expensive and bulky, it doesn't fit under the plastic cover well.
2) I didn't need all those many fittings because I used series wired panels, so there was no cables to "combine" and therefore no need in "Combiner box".

[westend]

An alternative: fridge vent combiner box

[RoyB]

I had to go through a screen on the fridge flu to gain access when I ran two RG cables down through for SAT TV...

I guess I didn't seal it too good as now I get the LADY BUGS in the fall part of the season in my air conditioner ducts that run thru the ceiling area...

Everything works fine just be sure to seal up any holes you make good...

Roy Ken