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Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: Lt403 on December 22, 2021, 02:14:10 pm

Title: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain
Post by: Lt403 on December 22, 2021, 02:14:10 pm
For those that have a propane/electric refrigerator , where does the water go that gets in the vent?
is there a drain for that compartment ? does the refrigerator evaporate the water that gets in there?


Title: Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain
Post by: nitehawk on December 22, 2021, 02:55:22 pm
Well, I don't know about your coach, but our '89 has an access door on the outside of the coach. We open that door and there is a small plastic catch container that the drain tube drips into. I have to periodically take that container out and empty it.
I suppose I could extend the tube down thru the floor layers and let the little bit of water drain out on the ground, like some other RVs do. But, I have other priorities all the time it seems like.
Title: Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain
Post by: Joe Phebus on December 22, 2021, 03:21:05 pm
On my 2002 270, there's a drain outlet that the drain pipe goes into at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment.  This is routed to the bottom of the coach and water drains out of a tube protracting from the bulkhead cover. 
Title: Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain
Post by: wayne m on December 22, 2021, 04:31:07 pm
I have had a samsung for about 6 or 7 years, and never felt
a need to do anything about the side vent. never seen it get
wet in there, and I live in rain country.
Title: Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain
Post by: Lt403 on December 23, 2021, 11:16:09 am
I had some water coming into the basement and I believe it's coming from the refrigerator vent.
I looked at the frame which was sealed but obviously I get water through the openings.
I did not see anywhere on the bottom of the frame for water to drain out, hence my question.
With the frame removed I see the fiberglass exterior then I see foam and then wood. There is a piece of rigid foam insulation installed to cover the opening.
Title: Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain
Post by: Roger & Susan in Home2 on December 23, 2021, 02:03:44 pm
If you have an Lp refrig with the drain tube down through the basement floor and you experience cooling issues when driving... Check the tube hanging down under the coach. Depending on how it is cut and oriented pressure at the tube will be lower than ambient this sucking out water or higher than ambient which will inhibit draining and can actually increase pressure in the refrigerator, pushing on the inside of the doors and allowing the seals to leak.  Cut the tube at an angle so that the forward edge is lower than the rear edge.
Title: Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain
Post by: dsd on December 23, 2021, 04:03:33 pm
Frank  when i removed my fridge to replace the cooling unit I too removed the outer trim and found that the silicone rubber applied during construction had failed prior. I removed all of it exposing the the different layers and filled with a fairing material and made sure not to build up material any higher so that it can drain out under the outside trim. I caulked the top and sides and left open at the bottom. There were no other factory drains under the fridge.
Scott
Title: Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain
Post by: Lt403 on December 23, 2021, 08:27:12 pm
Roger, i have a residential fridge.
i posted my question to see how the gas fridges worked and where the water goes and how it gets there.
I think that i had some water getting into my basement from the fridge vent door. i have no tube.

Scott, i looked up fairing material b/c i did not know what it was. sounds like a permanent solution. i don't know what type of prep is involved to use it but will research it further

thanks to you both
Title: Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain
Post by: dsd on December 23, 2021, 10:14:27 pm

Scott, i looked up fairing material b/c i did not know what it was. sounds like a permanent solution. i don't know what type of prep is involved
Sorry I didn't follow with a link and a photo. They have several different blends of the scotch weld fillers and i have a source for timed out material so i really never look at the price. Think of me as a hazardous  waste disposal specialist . Doing my part to save the landfills.
Stop by the house i always have something on hand that will work.
3M Scotch-Weld 1751 Epoxy Adhesive 20101, 1 pt Kit, Gray | RSHughes.com (https://www.rshughes.com/p/3M-Scotch-Weld-1751-Gray-Two-Part-Epoxy-Adhesive-Base-Accelerator-B-A-1-Pt-Kit-20101/021200_20101/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA2ZCOBhDiARIsAMRfv9L2Y6qzar305wfee2A6YXzEdMQOacv8avSvlHJufSSXlCxGk4xX1OAaApEFEALw_wcB)
Title: Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain
Post by: John44 on December 24, 2021, 04:32:06 am
Picture would help but if the coach has the same vent as our older ones why not just get/make a plastic blank and put that in place of the vent you don't need,also any chance for a follow up on the valve adjustment?
Title: Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain
Post by: Lt403 on December 26, 2021, 08:48:06 am
Here are some pics of where I'm at.
Thinking of lining the entire opening with 10mil plastic and/or sealing all the vent openings with the 10 mil plastic and adhesive.
Last photo is the top.
You can see the exterior wall, foam and wood.