# winter fridge vent covers



## LozSiBen (Jun 24, 2005)

Hi all,
Got some winter fridge vent covers but not sure what is their purpose or when to use them.
Thanks for any advice.

Simon.


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi Simon

Put 'em on in the winter. Take 'em off in the summer.  

They help to stop cold draughts in the winter, and allow plenty of ventilation to the fridge cooling system in summer when it needs it.

That's more or less it really, without getting needlessly technical.

Cheers


----------



## tokkalosh (May 25, 2006)

Thanks to both of you - one for asking the question and the other for answering it  

I must dig mine out and put them back on before my next trip in this weather. :roll:


----------



## 106389 (Aug 11, 2007)

Hi,
Do you leave them on when you are using the van in the winter, or take them of if you go away in it.

Thanks Jackie


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

PaulandJackie said:


> Hi,
> Do you leave them on when you are using the van in the winter, or take them of if you go away in it.
> 
> Thanks Jackie


Leave them on all the time until the weather gets quite warm - 70 degrees Fahrenheit or so.

Take them off then or the fridge will not work as efficiently.

Regards


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Winter*



PaulandJackie said:


> Hi,
> Do you leave them on when you are using the van in the winter, or take them of if you go away in it.
> 
> Thanks Jackie


Hello Jackie,

You use the winter covers when you are using the van (habitating). They are designed for use in very cold weather to avoid over ventilating or overcooling of the coil fins. Excessive cold ventilation effects the performance of these Amonia Absorbtion Refrigeration appliances.

One very important thing to remember though is that if you are taking a long ferry crossing, say more than two hours, Be sure to remove them, otherwise excessive heat can build up in the venting system that could damage the interior fittings of your motorhome.

I guess you could always keep them on when not in use to keep out heavy horizontal rains!.

Hope this helps?

Trev.


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

*Re: Winter*



teemyob said:


> One very important thing to remember though is that if you are taking a long ferry crossing, say more than two hours, Be sure to remove them, otherwise excessive heat can build up in the venting system that could damage the interior fittings of your motorhome.
> Trev.


Hi Trev

Here's where I learn something.  :roll:

On my van I can use the fridge on 12 volts ONLY when the engine is running.

You can't leave your fridge running on gas during a ferry crossing - that's obviously very dangerous and quite rightly prohibited. In fact the gas supply must be turned off before you board the ferry, as I guess most people are aware :?:

So can you use your fridge on 12 volts when you are stationary and the engine is not running?

Regards


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Crossing*

Hello Zeb,

Depends on the Ship, Deck, Operator and crossing.

Those refrigerated HGV's on long crossings are not always plugged into the ships hook-up.

Where it is not permitted, we have a 240v fridge/freezer in the garage that we run off our three 110ah lesiure batteries via an inverter.

The heater on a 3-way fridge would drain the battery in no time.

Trev.


----------



## peedee (May 10, 2005)

The recommendation is that you put fridge vents covers on at temperatures below 10C

peedee


----------



## Waleem (Nov 1, 2006)

I bought some of those when we first had the MH. Fitted them at temps of 3-1 degrees and the fridge started undercooling. Removed them and it works perfectly. I never use them now as the fridge works better without them at any temperature I have yet encountered. (The lowest being about -2.) Not sure why, because I know they are supposed to work !!


----------



## peedee (May 10, 2005)

It maybe different for the latest fridges, I don't know. Mine is an old Electrolux which incidently I much prefer to the latest ones. You can see what is going on which you cannot with these fully automatic dammed things which appear to give more trouble than they are worth. An advantage of the vent covers on my van is it reduces the draft but that is another story.

peedee


----------



## blackbirdbiker (Mar 12, 2007)

When I first started motorhoming (Nov 2005 ) we were in Chester C C site, and for the life of me I could not get the fridge going on gas.
So she said look at the Manual :roll: it suggested possible causes, one was that the cover was on so I took it off and bingo it worked. 8O 

The temperature was about +2 so I always assummed that the cover is only for travelling, but now with the Hymer there isn't one fitted with this cover jus a grill, and to date I've had no problems even in Germany at minus 5.

Keith


----------



## peedee (May 10, 2005)

The vent covers are supposed to prevent over cooling, conversely you can fit a fan to assist air flow in hotter weather when even without the covers, the fridge will struggle to keep cold enough. This I have experienced in Spain in the summer.

In actual fact if the fridge is installed correctly you should not get any drafts. It is reported that many manufacturers don't in fact do this and I suspect mine is one of them because I do get an excessive draft if the wind is the right direction but I have never actually checked the installation against a magazine article I have about this.

peedee


----------



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Gas*

Just going back to my previous reply on this subject regarding shutting gas off when on a ferry.

Ho many of you carry more than the several bottles of LPG when many operators carriage conditions state you may only take one single bottle?.

I also note that on some Dometic/Electrolux fridges, it is recomended you do not fit the lower vent as it could prevent gas falling out in the vent of a flame failure device failure!.

Trev.


----------



## zulurita (May 9, 2005)

Obviously Auto-trail have not been fitting fridges correctly for sometime. Our previous mh also a cheyenne 660 had draughts top and bottom of fridge. a bit much when the fridge instructions explain how to fit them!

However in the new mh we haven't noticed any draughts so I wonder if they are now fitting them properly?


----------



## trevorf (May 16, 2005)

I had a similar experience to blackbirdbiker.

Had never heard of winter vent covers. Van bought in September, fridge worked fine until the following June when it was distinctly "uncool". After lots of messing about checking gas, mains, and 12V supplies I discovered the covers    

Trevor


----------



## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Fridge Vent Covers*

I also fit mine when I jetwash the van.
Swinging to the draft problem. Out last van an Autosleeper I needed to fit extra wiring so I gaine access by removing the fridge vents acres ao room to manouver and plenty of drafts.
Our current van La Strada same problem so I removed the vents and found I couldn't go anywher because all of the vent surrounds was packed with insulation. Inconvenient but no drafts.

Steve


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

*Re: Fridge Vent Covers*



pneumatician said:


> I also fit mine when I jetwash the van.
> Steve


Turn the power down on the jetwash Steve - you've nearly scrubbed all the paint off your van. 8O 8O

While the other Steve (SandJ) and I are in benevolent mode (_it won't last if the weather ever brightens up_) why not post a large picture of your van and one of us will reduce it for you, hopefully without the scurvy.

If you do post it, please put it on the Avatars thread so we can find it easily.

Cheers


----------



## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

There was me thinking it was supposed to be two colours.

If I knew how I would 

Steve


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

pneumatician said:


> There was me thinking it was supposed to be two colours.
> 
> If I knew how I would
> 
> Steve


Put your picture on your desktop so it's easy to find.

Post a reply and write a few words first or you can't upload the picture.

Scroll to the bottom of the window and click on "Add an Attachment."

Scroll back down again and click on "Browse"

Find your picture on the desktop and double-click on it (or click on it and "open")

Check it is there by using "Preview"

If it is, click on "Submit".


----------



## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Photo of metruck*

Following Instructions. Van has turned arround meantime.

Many thanks 
Steve


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

No problems to turn it back round. Choose which looks best.








. . . . . . . . . . . .









Cheers

Dave


----------



## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

Fantastic, I think Nose right.

Many thanks


----------



## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

I would be careful of that overhanging branch before you move the van 


-------- oops - too late!


----------



## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Zulurita wrote 


> Obviously Auto-trail have not been fitting fridges correctly for sometime. Our previous mh also a cheyenne 660 had draughts top and bottom of fridge. a bit much when the fridge instructions explain how to fit them!
> 
> However in the new mh we haven't noticed any draughts so I wonder if they are now fitting them properly?


Quite likely Rita because the article which I have now dug out was written in 2002 and did criticise Autotrail as well as many other major manufacturers and states there should be complete isolation of the vented area from the inside of the motorhome and there should be no drafts.

peedee


----------



## alunj (Sep 5, 2007)

I have mentioned this before but please if you have a draught from your fridge fix it . Most , if not all gas powered fridges should be room sealed. They may well produce Carbon Monoxide when in use if there is any kind of problem and we know where that leads  

I am amazed that some manufacturers seem to be ignoring the safe installation guides for these items 

Oh and BTW some electrolux fridges MUST NOT be run on gas if the winter covers are fitted. Some have a seperate 'chimney' some vent the flue gas out of the top vent as a whole, check first


----------



## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Point taken alunj. Sounds as though members should check their manuals to see what is the correct procedure for *their* fridge and those of us with a draft get the installation checked. It wasn't only Autotrail who was criticised, nearly all the big boys are named. You also wonder why things like this are not picked up on habitation checks!

Perhaps the manufacturers and dealers service centre staff on here would like to comment?????

peedee


----------



## peedee (May 10, 2005)

I checked my fridge venting today, it wasn't raining for a change. There is a clear division between fridge venting for cooling and venting of gasses. The gasses are vented seperately through an exhaust which must be sealed from the fridge venting otherwise I would probably not be here by now. Fridge venting is definitely not fully sealed from the interior because I can see the vents when looking through the gaps in the fridge surrounds.

peedee


----------

