Removal of Refrigerator Roof Vent

[LynnandCarol]

Has anyone removed the Refrigerator Roof Vent? We upgraded to a residential Refrigerator (Apt. Size) and no longer have a need for it. Going to be doing Roof Resealing soon and would like it gone. Not sure how to remove it, or what size hole would be left to cover/seal.

[LMHS]

I have a residential refrigerator in the truck camper, kept the rooftop vent. The refrigerator needs the air circulation (cooling tubes are in the sides and top of the refrigerator) AND I have cables running thru the vent for the inverter.

I have a 13cf upright freezer and stacked two 4.4Cf dorm type refrigerators in my bus. These both have a vent at the back to allow heat to dissipate. Residential units do have heat build up and few refrigerators have the old style "radiator coils" on the back. They tend to be build against the metal skin of the appliance cabinet. In the case of freezer doors (both dedicated and ref/fzr combo units) a "loop" of tubing is run around the door opening to help in preventing up icing at the gasket. This is why there is supposed to be a 2 inch (or more) air space on the sides and top of residential refrigerators and upright freezers. Keep the roof top vent.

[JBarca]

agwill wrote:
I would keep it. The fridge still needs air flow to work correctly.

Good point.

If you seal up the roof, while the lower side vent is still there, the back of the home fridge is buried in a dead space hole at the top. Come the hot days of summer, the heat off the coils in the back of the compressor fridge are stuck in a hot air blocked space. Hot air rises, and it can't get out.

Something to think about.

[agwill]

I would keep it. The fridge still needs air flow to work correctly.

[98coachman]

Piece of cake! 4 screws hold it down to the housing and then probably twenty screws holding housing to the roof, there will be some caulking on top of the screws, but easy to remove. The opening below is probably about 8 x 24. You can attach some cleats to the side of the opening and put some plywood over the opening and then reseal the roof. Good luck with the repair.
Bill

[TurnThePage]

It sure comes in handy for routing solar panel/wifi/network cables into the RV. I think it would be a lot more trouble to remove it than seal around it. JMHO