Camco 42145 WH500 RV Water Heater Insect Screen

If you've ever pulled your RV out of storage in the spring and fired up the water heater only to smell something burning or watch the flame struggle, there's a good chance the culprit is living inside the vent. Wasps and mud daubers love that little sheltered opening on the side of your rig. They build nests fast, and those nests block the airflow the burner needs to run clean. Left alone, a clogged vent can mean poor combustion, sooting, and an expensive service call.

The Camco 42145, sold as the Model WH500, is the simple fix. It's a stainless steel mesh screen that mounts right over the water heater vent and keeps flying insects out while letting the burner breathe. It fits Atwood 6 and 10 gallon water heaters and Suburban 6 gallon units, which covers a big slice of the RVs and campers out there. The screen measures 6 inches long by 8-1/2 inches wide by 1-1/4 inches deep, sized to sit over the factory vent opening.

Install is about as easy as RV maintenance gets. The screen comes with two spring fasteners and a small installation tool, so you're not hunting through your parts drawer or drilling anything. You hook the screen over the vent, seat the spring fasteners, and you're done. Most folks knock it out in a couple of minutes without leaving the ladder. And because it's stainless steel, it won't rust streak down your sidewall the way a cheap plated screen will after a season in the weather.

Here's why the mesh matters. A water heater burner needs a steady supply of air to burn cleanly and vent its exhaust. Block that airflow with a mud dauber nest and you get incomplete combustion, which shows up as yellow flame, soot around the vent, and sometimes a heater that won't stay lit. The open weave on this screen is designed to stop insects from getting in while still passing the air the burner needs. You get protection without choking the appliance.

We tell every RV owner the same thing. Install these when you de-winterize, and check them when you button up for storage. That's when nests get started, during the shoulder seasons when the rig sits still and the bugs go looking for a home. If you camp in the South or anywhere mud daubers are thick, a vent screen is cheap insurance against a repair that costs a hundred times as much. Pair it with screens on your furnace and refrigerator vents and you've closed off the usual entry points.

The package includes English and French instructions, so it's ready for use across North America. And the screen is reusable. Pull it off if you ever need to service the water heater, then snap it right back on when you're done. There's no adhesive to peel and no residue left behind on your sidewall. When it does eventually collect dust and pollen, a quick rinse with the hose or a pass with a soft brush clears the mesh and it's back to full airflow.

Note that this is a single screen, sized for the water heater vent specifically. It's not a universal cover, and it's not the same as the screens made for your furnace or fridge vents, so grab the right part for each opening. Before you order, confirm your water heater is an Atwood 6 or 10 gallon or a Suburban 6 gallon, since the screen is cut for those vent openings. If you're running a different tank, measure your vent against the 6 by 8-1/2 inch footprint. Get the fit right and this little stainless screen will quietly do its job for years. It's the kind of small part that saves you a big headache.