Fridge drain tube: to P-trap or not to P-trap?

[profdant139]

I saw a great video on how the fridge drain tube should be configured -- instead of running it straight down out the bottom of the vent screen, it should loop up and out the top of the vent screen, in order to create a P-trap. The idea is that the water trapped in the trap will keep the fridge cooler -- a wide-open tube will conduct heat from the outside into the fridge.

I am pretty sure that the drain tube on my Fun Finder was not configured that way -- it ran straight down. So my first question is whether the factory did it right or not.

Second, when I go camping in freezing weather, I would worry that the water in the trap would freeze and bust the tube. So my plan is to run the tube straight down for winter camping but to re-create the trap for warmer camping. Does that make sense??

 

[LJAZ]

I have the installation manual for my Dometic fridge and it doesn't say anything about looping the drain tube. It just warns about kinks and making sure it's long enough to drain outside the trailer. So according to my manual anyway, yes the factory did it right.

I'm thnking that while some cold air will exit via the drain hose it has to be miniscule. OTOH I suppose it can't do any harm - provided that you drain it after you use the camper. If you leave water in there for very long it's going to get pretty nasty and if exposed to any light you'll get algae growth that will likely clog the drain.

 

[roy-FUN]

Mine was 3' long I cut some off enough to leave a trap. I pull it down through vent side door when I want it to drain then push it back up in behind venue door. This has worked for two years now and when I remove vent door I have excess hose to pull door away from camper.

 

[profdant139]

Uh-oh

LJAZ, that is a GREAT point about stagnant water in the P-trap -- when the fridge is operating, the water will come out of the tube. But when we get home and the trailer is baking in the driveway and the fridge is off, the water will just sit there. Yikes! Forget the p-trap.