Tatuo Flying Insect Screen RV Furnace Vent Cover Water Heater Vent Cover Stainless Steel Mesh with Installation Tool

Why I installed this screen

A few seasons of RV travel taught me that the quietest troublemakers are the tiniest: mud daubers, wasps, and other insects love warm, protected cavities. Furnace and water‑heater vents are prime real estate. After cleaning out one too many nests and chasing intermittent ignition issues, I put a Tatuo stainless vent screen on my coach to keep pests out without compromising airflow.

Build and design

This is a simple, purpose-built accessory: a rigid stainless steel mesh in a 4.5 x 4.5 inch square with about 1.3 inches of stand-off height. The mesh openings are roughly 0.3 inches. That size is the right compromise for stopping most flying insects and debris while keeping restriction low. The frame is also stainless, spot-welded to the mesh, and has just enough stiffness to keep its shape against spring tension and road vibration.

The kit includes four small tension springs and a hook tool for installation. There are no gaskets or rubber edging, which keeps the profile slim but does leave bare metal edges. The stainless is nicely finished for a utility part, but it’s still cut wire—gloves are a smart idea during install.

Fit and compatibility notes

The screen is designed to fit common Atwood furnace vents (models 2540, 8516, 8520, 8525, 8531, 8535, 8940) and Suburban 6, 10, and 12‑gallon water heater vents, as well as many battery vents. On my rig, it slipped cleanly over the Atwood furnace port surround, aligning squarely with enough margin for the springs to catch the edges of the vent’s mounting flange.

A word on sizing: 4.5 x 4.5 inches sounds small until you hold it up to a vent. Many RV furnace and water‑heater vents have a raised flange or bezel that this screen is meant to capture. Measure the outer dimensions of that flange, not just the door opening. If your water‑heater vent has an unusually large cutout or an extended bezel, you may need a larger screen or a different mounting strategy. The 1.3-inch height provides good clearance over louvers and ports; I didn’t see any contact points once it was tensioned.

Installation experience

Out of the box, installation is straightforward but a little fiddly—typical of these spring‑retained screens. The included hook tool is almost the same diameter as the mesh openings, so you’ll need a bit of finesse to thread it through. Here’s what worked well for me:

• Pre-bend each spring slightly so the hook end wants to angle toward the vent flange.
• Start by lightly seating the screen over the vent and identifying four anchor points where the springs can grab behind the vent’s lip without interfering with louvers.
• Thread the hook tool through the mesh, through the center of a spring, and grab the far hook to pull it through the mesh. If you miss the spring’s center, it tends to straighten and becomes hard to clip.
• Hook the inner end onto the screen first, then stretch to latch the outer end on the vent flange.
• Work opposite corners to keep the tension even and the screen square.

Two practical tips: wear gloves, and keep a pair of needle‑nose pliers handy. On one corner, I found it easier to grab the spring directly with pliers than use the hook tool. Also, the springs in my kit were slightly long for one edge of my furnace bezel; I trimmed a coil off with side cutters to get a tighter hold. Stainless safety wire is a fine alternative if your vent geometry makes the springs hard to place.

All in, my first installation took around 15 minutes, including measuring and a quick edge deburr with a file where a weld nub stuck out. The second time (on a water‑heater vent), I was done in under 10.

Performance and airflow

The main question with any vent screen is restriction. After installation, I ran the furnace through multiple cycles and listened for changes in burner sound, checked for clean ignition, and felt for airflow at the floor registers. Everything behaved normally with the screen in place—no short cycling, no excess noise, no soot buildup on the screen after extended use. The 0.3‑inch grid provides a lot of open area, and the 1.3‑inch stand-off prevents the mesh from sitting flush against louvers, which helps.

For water‑heater use, I didn’t notice any difference in burner performance or exhaust flow. The screen warms but doesn’t discolor, and I didn’t detect any exhaust gas reflecting back into the compartment. As with any modification, keep an eye on things for the first few uses and follow your appliance manufacturer’s guidance.

On pest control, the screen does what it should: no wasps, no mud daubers, and dramatically less lint and debris creeping into the vent cavity. I wouldn’t count on this mesh size to stop rodents by itself—most mice can exploit surprisingly small gaps—but it’s a solid deterrent against the flying intruders that cause most RV appliance woes.

Durability and maintenance

Stainless steel is the right material here. It shrugs off road spray and coastal air, and it’s easy to clean. After a few thousand miles, mine still looks new, with no rust, stretching, or broken welds. The springs keep their tension, though I’d prefer them a hair shorter out of the box.

Maintenance is simple:
- Inspect the screen during seasonal checks; brush off soot or debris with a nylon brush.
- Verify the springs are still anchored and haven’t cut into soft aluminum flanges.
- If you camp in areas with heavy pollen or fine dust, rinse the mesh occasionally to maintain open area.

What I’d change

A few small tweaks would improve the experience:
- Shorter or progressive-tension springs. The included springs work, but many vents benefit from a slightly shorter length or lighter pull to make positioning easier.
- A slightly slimmer hook tool. It does the job, but a narrower tip would thread through the mesh more gracefully.
- Optional edge guard. A thin stainless or polymer edging would add a touch of safety and reduce the chance of marring painted flanges during install.

None of these are deal‑breakers, and all have easy workarounds (trim a coil, use safety wire, wear gloves).

Buying advice

• Measure before you buy. Confirm that 4.5 x 4.5 inches will cover the flange you intend to hook to, not just the visible opening.
• Know your appliance. This screen is intended for Atwood furnace vents (including the common 85xx series) and Suburban 6/10/12‑gallon water‑heater vents, plus many battery vents. If your vent is atypical, be prepared to adapt mounting.
• Plan your install. Have needle‑nose pliers, gloves, and possibly stainless safety wire handy. If a spring feels too long, trimming a coil or swapping to wire is perfectly acceptable.
• Don’t ignore airflow. After install, run a full appliance cycle or two and check for normal operation. Clean the screen periodically if you notice buildup.

The bottom line

The Tatuo vent screen is a simple, robust solution to a common RV headache. It fits the intended vents cleanly, the stainless construction holds up to real travel, and the mesh size strikes an appropriate balance between protection and airflow. Installation isn’t hard, but it does require a few minutes of patience, and the included springs won’t be perfect for every vent geometry. Once in place, though, it’s the sort of set‑and‑forget upgrade that quietly prevents expensive repairs.

Recommendation: I recommend this screen for RV owners who want reliable, low‑restriction protection for furnace and water‑heater vents. It’s durable, easy to maintain, and sized well for the most common Atwood and Suburban applications. Measure first and be ready to tweak the springs or use safety wire for an ideal fit, and you’ll end up with a tidy, long‑lasting barrier against the insects that cause most vent‑related issues.