Furnace Screen Covers are they worth it

[18CrewDually]

Originally Posted by Edmund

Yes, yes, yes. I once observed a bird going in and out of a furnace vent carrying sticks and twigs for a nest. I told the owner. Can you imagine the fire when he turned the furnace on that winter!

This exact scenario happened to us 2 years ago. We didn't camp much that year until fall. We arrived at the site and set up. That afternoon it got chili and we don't have any other means of heat than the furnace. So I turned it on and it made a scraping noise and then stopped and hummed. Clearly there was a problem.
So after removing the unit from the inside, I dismantled the unit and found a nest of sticks and twigs. We have alot of humming birds around here so I assumed they were the cause. I cleaned it all out and it worked fine that night.
Later that winter I bought the round screens which also came with the tool to install the retaining springs. It's a must have for me.

[Grampa Jim]

I've been in the appliance repair business for 40 years. Don't put them on......I like the money I've charged.....a lot more than the price of the screens. All seriousness set aside though,,,,,you definitely SHOULD get them. It is very expensive to clean out the mess,,,,especially the furnaces.

[4aggiesmom]

I usually buy some sink strainers at the $ store to put over the furnace vents. They work just as well as the pricey ones they sell.

Do you need them? Yes. Once we were camping and it was freezing. My sister's furnace wouldn't blow because a mud dauber nest was blocking the fan. My husband was able to pry it loose and get it out with a coat hanger without taking the whole furnace apart. We were lucky! She covered her furnace vents the next day!

[Reb Kitt]

The screens work well. If you don't use them, you run the risk of fire when wasps build nests in your furnace piping. Don't try to save money by not using the screens or you could pay with the deductible or even with severe burns or death.

[cpaulsen]

I just used regular window screen cut to the size needed and used a hot glue gun to attach them.

[Grampa Jim]

Cpaulsen,,,,that window screen MIGHT be to restrictive with the weave and cause air intake and exhaust problems. But if it's not really hot at the exhaust and shutting off and on, it shouldn't cause trouble.

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by Grampa Jim

I've been in the appliance repair business for 40 years. Don't put them on......I like the money I've charged.....a lot more than the price of the screens. All seriousness set aside though,,,,,you definitely SHOULD get them. It is very expensive to clean out the mess,,,,especially the furnaces.

These are the ones I use for the furnace.

Amazon.com: Camco 42141 Flying Insect Screen - FUR 200 - 2 Pack: Automotive

They make different ones for different furnaces. Are stainless so should last forever and are not that expensive. As they say, cheap insurance.

Jim

[rhumbert]

Put them on every opening on our rig the first season we had it. The stink bugs are horrendous here in SW PA. It's amazing what they can get into. We go out of state a lot and there are some places that are teaming with bugs. A locust swarm in Iowa was something I had never seen before. Took a while to clean that out of the radiator and engine compartment. I think of covers as cheap insurance. When I do pull covers off, I don't find anything to clean out.

[Jack350]

Have one on furnace but removed the hot water tank cover. The Atwood heater flamed up and burnt the circuit board, wire harness, and spark device. I believe a restriction of air flow caused the problem. After repair the unit works great with no screen installed. Cost me alot of $ to learn that lesson.

[aceinspp]

Originally Posted by ov845

We have it on our fridge vent, hot water heater and furnace. Cheap insurance.


Happy Camping!

2012 Ram 1500 5.7L 3.92
Airlift 1000
2015 2809W WindJammer
Husky Centerline WDH

X 2 Have had them on every camper I've owned. Later RJD

[fella10]

you can put a lot of money into the store bought screens and still find areas where you have to make your own,.....so on all our TT we've gone the "make your own" route from the start,....inexpensive and simple, bought a small piece of the "wire" screen wire, not the fiberglass screen,....on the refrigerator vents I cut the pieces just slightly over size and pushed them into place, the cut edges of wire acts like little barbs and hold forever,...on the hot water tank vents I ran a bead of caulking around the area and then embedded the screen into the wet caulk, when dry you have a permanent fix, ...the caulking method works with any area under the TT where you might want to close off, the wire can be held in place with duct tape until the caulk is dry...........

[breezyhillfarm]

Originally Posted by wicked1

Ok I am convinced to get covers for it all


2014 F150 FX4 Crew 4X4 EB
2015 Roo 23IKSS

Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

Good idea.


2014 XLR27HFS
2006 Ford F450 Diesel Dually
2015 Harley Freewheeler Trike (Tara)
2004 Harley Road King Custom (Gemma)

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by Jack350

Have one on furnace but removed the hot water tank cover. The Atwood heater flamed up and burnt the circuit board, wire harness, and spark device. I believe a restriction of air flow caused the problem. After repair the unit works great with no screen installed. Cost me alot of $ to learn that lesson.

What kind of screen did you have on it and did you keep it clean? The screens I have seen and use could not have caused that much blockage of air flow unless the screen became blocked.

Jim

[oldtool2]

Originally Posted by fella10

you can put a lot of money into the store bought screens and still find areas where you have to make your own,.....so on all our TT we've gone the "make your own" route from the start,....inexpensive and simple, bought a small piece of the "wire" screen wire, not the fiberglass screen,....on the refrigerator vents I cut the pieces just slightly over size and pushed them into place, the cut edges of wire acts like little barbs and hold forever,...on the hot water tank vents I ran a bead of caulking around the area and then embedded the screen into the wet caulk, when dry you have a permanent fix, ...the caulking method works with any area under the TT where you might want to close off, the wire can be held in place with duct tape until the caulk is dry...........

I was just looking at the hw heater and fridge. I think the grate on the hw is small enough so wouldn't need to touch it. Fridge is another story. Will probably remove the cover and put one piece on the inside. After caulk dries put the cover back. That way will never have to worry about the screens coming out. Would only take 5 minutes to do.

Could do the hw the same way just to be safe I think metal screening is just a little bit smaller.

Jim

[OldCoot]

I also covered the entire area between the ac compressor and evaporator after I took the cover off. Not fun removing the cover and finding a dauber nest down one blade on the fan when it's 90d in FL. Tends to make the whole 5er vibrate when you turn the fan on. Luckily it evidently threw all the daubers out.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by Flybob

I have used them on my last three TT's certainly beat trying to clean out mud daubers.

More importantly, it beats finding the mud dauber nest the hard way, i.e., they find you before you find them.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by wicked1

Wondering if I should buy them for my Roo? Do they really make a difference in keeping bugs out, I don't see many ppl with them?


2014 F150 FX4 Crew 4X4 EB
2015 Roo 23IKSS

Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

For some openings you can fabricate something with cheap wire screen and some aluminum tape. I did that on the inside of my water heater access but, honestly, if I had to do it again, I'd buy the prefab stuff.

[Wolverine 1945]

I use them !!!
I have had Mud Daubers fill my Ele outlets in the Garage !!!
They love to build in hats that I have in the garage !!!
I think behind the shutters is there favorite spot !!!

[kdot]

Wolverine 1945 (" They love to build in hats that I have in the garage !!!")
Do you actually keep hats in the garage?

Kdot

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by kdot

Wolverine 1945 (" They love to build in hats that I have in the garage !!!")
Do you actually keep hats in the garage?

Kdot

Only about 320,,, I used to collect hats !!!
But I do keep the real good ones in the house !!!
Have about 50 in the house,,, 2 in the truck,, 2 in the EDGE &
2 in the MH !!! DW goes nuts when she sees me looking @ a new hat !!!
LMAO !!!