PDA

View Full Version : Vent or no Vent?


47hook
01-18-2009, 05:49 PM
A couple weeks ago I was up on the roof clearing off the remnents of 3' of snow. I managed to kick off the top of one of the vents, the one directly over the bathroom, vicinity of the w/d, also. Looking into the vent I noticed a plug of something, caulk? Tried prying it out and the more I pried around the more I thought that it was there for a purpose. The caulk had kind of a granular consistency, not your normal caulk.

The unit was special ordered without the w/d oem installed (but preped for it), then after it was built I requested that the factory install the w/d and put in the Advantium microwave. They were good enough to bring the unit back into the factory to do so. I mention this to show how good DRV is to work with and also to point out the unit didn't originally have a w/d and maybe they seal up that vent until/unless a w/d is installed. I have used the w/d a lot without any problems.

I quit trying to get out the rest of the blockage and am asking for anyone's idea of what / why that stuff is? Thanks, Gordon.

Huck
01-18-2009, 11:26 PM
Maybe it was the wind sensor for the automatic awning....

Motor31
01-19-2009, 11:07 AM
Where was the vent located on the roof? Did it have the regular plastic cap or was it a flat thin solid cap? If it was the plastic hollow cap that drapes down over the opening it was a vent cover. If it was the flat solid cap it was the cover to the wind sensor.

47hook
01-19-2009, 12:32 PM
Wind sensor is located at the front curb side of roof. This is definitely a vent/vent cap: snaps on, one screw to base, black pipe sticking up out of roof under cap. Located directly over bathroom window, curbside edge of roof. Our W/D is located just fwd of bathroom (toilet), same side.

wannabe
01-19-2009, 12:49 PM
It is probably the satellite prep. It is usually over the bathroom area.

bstark
01-19-2009, 01:00 PM
Unless I'm way off base (happens often) that is your bathroom/biffy power vent exit, the one you turn on so as to avoid embarrassment after a dinner of baked beans produces the predictable results!

Proceding along that thought: there should not be any blockage but quite often the underlying roof insulation was not cut away to provide a direct flow of exiting air from the ceiling mounted fan. I removed my fan assembly from the ceiling in the biffy and stuck a flashlight down the pipe in the roof to accurately locate the route the air needed to take to make a quick exit and in my case it was about 10" away from the fan port so I cut a large plastic jug in half and removed the bottom and top portions to fabricate a type of duct/dome to hold the insulation away and allow the air to get right to that pipe's bottom end to minimize how much moisturized air went into that attic insulation.

The hard crystallized stuff you mention does not ring a bell as the attic insulation is your typical beige colour of fibergalss batting.

47hook
01-19-2009, 01:53 PM
Not sat prep, already have the factory installed dome, but thanks for the suggestion, wannabe.

bstark maybe the closest to the answer. Will go out and investigate more. And, if it is plugged up that could be the reason for the lack of rodents in our MS, been gassed out!

BobW
01-19-2009, 03:13 PM
Hate to tell you this, but if it's the vent over the bath room, it goes nowhere. I had to replace my powered vent in the bath and when I took it down, there was no exit to the outside. It just looks like a vent. I did finally get it vented. Also, there is a vent in front of the RV. Last week the snow knocked the cover off. What i found inside was nothing but a loose pipe going nowhere. What in the world were they thinking? I think they made a hole and patched it with a vent cover. Anyway, it leaked and we got water in the closet area. Fixed now, I think.

ponch
01-19-2009, 09:18 PM
On the front right of the coach is a plastic tube looking affair that sticks up. On top there is an opening that is about 3/4 of an inch tall with bars that run vertical all the way around it and then it's solid all the way down to the roof.
This is the wind sensor.

If you unscrew it from the top of the roof you will find nothing more than a wire, that comes out of an opening, that plugs into the bottom of the unit that you just unscrewed form the top of the roof. There is nothing else in the hole. No tube, nothing.

That wire runs straight down to the master box that is attached to the fornt of the basement.

If you have a beeping sound coming from the box,when you have the wind sensor enabled, then you have one of three problems present. Either the temp is below 31 degrees, I believe that is the correct temperature, or the wire that I just described does not have power down to the base unit or the mother board is bad.

Hope that helps.

47hook
01-22-2009, 10:08 PM
Well, finally got around to removing the fan and as has been stated, ain't no stinking vent to outside! Fan just blows into the area below the roof insulation area. Probably why, in my case, there aren't any mouse type critters living up there; been gassed :lol: .

Think I'll let well enuff alone; thanks for all your input.

BobW
01-23-2009, 10:27 AM
Well, finally got around to removing the fan and as has been stated, ain't no stinking vent to outside! Fan just blows into the area below the roof insulation area. Probably why, in my case, there aren't any mouse type critters living up there; been gassed :lol: .

Think I'll let well enuff alone; thanks for all your input.

I removed some of the insulation and found the hole. This is just a case of what the owner doesn't know doesn't matter. We just don't give a sh**.

47hook
01-23-2009, 01:05 PM
Guess I won't leave well enuff alone. BobW, did you come up with a way to hook the exhaust to the vent? And was the vent that is there, on yours, was the black pipe plugged also?

I am wondering if going to all the effort to hook it up is worth it? Gordon.

Huck
01-23-2009, 06:02 PM
I used some 3" flexible drier vent that I found in an old hardware store(they sell it by the foot).
It slipped right onto the fan exit, then I just taped the other end over the underside of the roof vent.

47hook
01-23-2009, 07:22 PM
Now I know why I love RV's. Keeps me active! Thanks for that suggestion, Huck. Since you have experience, whatca doin next week? I'll provide the beer......

Huck
01-24-2009, 08:22 AM
I'm in Deming, NM at Road Runner RV Park for a couple more months.
Stop by anytime.

I'll pass on the beer(don't drink). Thanks though.
I'm a sweet iced tea type.

Motor31
01-24-2009, 10:00 AM
Where is Road Runner at in Demming? We stop in Demming each time we travel between San Antonio and Tucson. We'll be passing that way on the 3rd of Feb. if we get the OK from the Dr's.

We stay at the SKP park (Dream Catcher) just off the highway.

Huck
01-25-2009, 09:18 AM
Road Runner is about 1/2 mile past Dream Catcher on the north side of the street between Little Vineyard and Wagon Wheel RV parks.....

BobW
01-25-2009, 10:08 AM
BobW, did you come up with a way to hook the exhaust to the vent? And was the vent that is there, on yours, was the black pipe plugged also?

Now our fan makes a really bad noise. It sounds like a blade is missing. I didn't hook a vent pipe to the fan, I just took some of the insulation away from the opening to the overhead vent hole that was already there. I will be replacing the fan next week. I'll let you know what I find.

Motor31
01-26-2009, 09:17 AM
Before you decide to replace the fan take a look at it. If all the blades are there it's just vibrating too much on the mount. That sound was what ours was making from day one. I pulled the cover down and saw that the motor had 2 legs on it that mounted parallel to the mount holding the assembly in position. I took some wire (in my case aircraft safety wire) and put tension on the legs. Each set of legs in close proximity got tied together dampening the vibration. The fan is nice and quiet now and has been for over 3 years.

BobW
02-02-2009, 02:28 PM
Ok, I took the fan down and found out the problem. There is no outlet for the air to go outside. All there is is insulation and a ton of wires. I took some of the insulation away and found the hole directly above the fan. It's going to be impossible to vent the air out through the hole. So I think I'm going to cut the top of the fan away and put a computer fan directly on top of the housing. I'll let you know how that works out.