Leaky shower vent cap

[Iowa Dave]

This past spring I discovered that our shower vent cap that slides up when you need to turn the fan on was leaking. The small foam gasket had deteriorated. I was just going to use some foam gasket like is used to seal up windows and doors. My wife came up with what we thought was a better product and we installed that. Driving in the rain for 300 miles on tires day, we had the same leak develop. It seems to me that someone posted the source for a product that they had used for this problem and they were satisfied with the product but I cannot find the post listing the product. If anyone has a recommendation I’d be much obliged if you’d post it. Not a big leak and I’m pretty sure the cap isn’t cracked. I will look again. Seemed ok for a while but guess it wasn’t really fixed. Thank you in advance.
Iowa Dave

[brroberts]

It was an 8” silicon something bought from ACE, but I can’t remember whom or what exactly.

[fudge_brownie]

I think I have used a foam with adhesive tape attached. Something used to prevent drafts around a window. Probably not the most robust solution. Wait to see if you get a better solution.

I do have a suggestion if you are on the roof with Rita holding the ladder. Pop the covers off each vent and look inside. Be sure that the white and green striped hose is visible and above the fiberglass body. I have had issues with both vent hoses slipping down and thus not doing a thorough job of venting.

Eight days and counting down to the Mississippi River Rendezvous.

[brroberts]

Dave it was kathytony in the what did you do for your Escape today thread:

Replaced the bathroom exhaust fan. The original one failed when the foam trim under the cap came loose and got tangled in the blades. It was covered under warranty. We removed the foam, which was already falling off, from the new fan cap. Went to Ace hardware and picked up an 8" rubber gasket for a pressure cooker and glued it with Gorilla glue to the cap. This should not fall off and seals the cap perfect when closed!

[Iowa Dave]

That’s the thread I was looking for. While I went to town to get my mail and a little hinge I needed Rita looked up some stuff. One thing that probably happened was that we did not pay strict attention to the leveling when we set up on a night that it rained hard all night. The orientation of the drainage cutout in the cap was probably so that the street side was high and let the water come in instead of going out the little slot. So we will either use a better gasket material or get a pressure cooker seal. And pay more attention to the levels in the future. Funny how you can go for years on something and not have a problem and then get a leak. Not serious, the water dripped into the toilet, which of course I left the lid up.
Thanks Randal for your research and advice. Paul, I’ll check those other pipes. See you next week.
Iowa Dave

[mtnest]

Dave. My vent cap cracked but it was so fine a crack I almost didn’t notice it. I had to hold the cap up to sunlight before it would show. A little caulk fixed it. Before that after each rain I’d find a tiny bit of water had leaked into the bathroom. -Tom

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Tom
I got the ladder out about dark and brought it up to the upper garage so I could take the cap off in the morning and check for cracks or damage. Thanks for the heads up. Drove through your fine state yesterday and found the roads, the views and people all to be pleasing. Rita likes to see big round bales scattered across the landscape before pick up and storage and sure got her fill yesterday. Came in at Marinette and left at East Dubuque.
Iowa Dave

[Mike G]

My bathroom vent cover was leaking a bit when it rained. I couldn't see any problem with the gasket. I didn't see any chips or cracks, but I suspected that the rivet holes (the rivets joining the plastic to the metal hardware) might be letting the water in. So I cleaned it with alcohol and applied a layer of 3M Clear Repair Tape (it looks like wide packaging tape, but it's thicker and it claims to have UV resistance). That was 2 months ago and I haven't had a drop of water get inside since.

[HABBERDABBER]

Originally Posted by Mike G

...applied a layer of 3M Clear Repair Tape (it looks like wide packaging tape, but it's thicker and it claims to have UV resistance).

Ahhhh......the modified DUCT TAPE repair. I approve wholeheartedly.