The vent cover for my dishwasher wasn’t doing it’s job well. Either overflow from the vent was spilling out onto the counter, or condensation was gathering inside the vent cover and leaking out the bottom. I’m still not sure which. In either case, that water was interacting with the (doubtless cheap) metal washer used to fasten the vent to the counter top. That washer rusted and the leak would leave a bit of a rust stain on the counter.
I certainly could have just purchased a replacement vent, but this seemed like a great opportunity to work on my cad skills. So I fired up FreeCad and got to work making the most complicated model I’ve attempted to date. It’s a bit of a mess, structurally (hello Topological Naming Problem) but I managed to create what I wanted.
It’s a press fit vent cover with a sloped internal compartment that leads to a drain which directs any overflow or condensation into the sink. Unlike the old cover it also has vent holes in the top with an eye towards preventing condensation build up in the first place. I used some 0.1mm silicone sheeting to make some custom gaskets to help the press fit actual seal.
I haven’t watched the full dishwasher cycle with the new cover yet (that doesn’t sound like a fun way to spend 175 minutes) but the secondary indications of a leaky cover are gone. No more rusty water pooling on the counter!
Even more importantly, I learned a LOT about working with FreeCad and I’m confident that my next model will be better constructed.