Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain (Read 636 times) previous topic - next topic

Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain

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?


Frank & Daisy
NO LONGER  "looking for the perfect Foretravel
36' or less non slide preferred."  She has been found and is ours.
2003 U320 36' non slide  Unit 6103
Cummins ISM 450
Allison 4000MH

Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain

Reply #1 –
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.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain

Reply #2 –
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. 
Joe Phebus and Jaime Trujillo
2002 U270 3410  Build: 5953 Motorcader # 18595
2100 W Solar, 600 AH Battleborn Batteries,  Victron Multi-Plus II 3000 Inverter, Cerbo GX, & MPPT Chargers
1992 Geo Tracker

Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain

Reply #3 –
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.

Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain

Reply #4 –
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.
Frank & Daisy
NO LONGER  "looking for the perfect Foretravel
36' or less non slide preferred."  She has been found and is ours.
2003 U320 36' non slide  Unit 6103
Cummins ISM 450
Allison 4000MH

Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain

Reply #5 –
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.
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain

Reply #6 –
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

Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain

Reply #7 –
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
Frank & Daisy
NO LONGER  "looking for the perfect Foretravel
36' or less non slide preferred."  She has been found and is ours.
2003 U320 36' non slide  Unit 6103
Cummins ISM 450
Allison 4000MH

Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Lt403 –

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

Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain

Reply #9 –
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?
96 U270 BUILD 4810
85 380SL
Drummonds TN.
 

Re: Vent door, refrigerator sidewall exterior drain

Reply #10 –
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.
Frank & Daisy
NO LONGER  "looking for the perfect Foretravel
36' or less non slide preferred."  She has been found and is ours.
2003 U320 36' non slide  Unit 6103
Cummins ISM 450
Allison 4000MH