Sure, staying cool usually falls under the heading of a luxury, rather than a survival necessity, but in the some situations, managing a comfortable temperature in your dwelling can be a huge morale-booster. It also helps promote better, more restful sleep and, heck, building a unit like this is also a lot of fun. Don't expect miracles, though. This type of cooling works best on hot, dry air, so if you are in a high-humidity situation, you'll need a different alternative. Obviously you'll also need a power source, but this versatile method will work with an A/C fan or one that runs on direct current, so you can use battery power stored from wind, water, solar, or whatever you have available.
As mentioned, this evaporative cooler works best in drier air. That's because the warm dry air is better at evaporating the moisture flowing through the cooler. That evaporation process uses up lots of the air's heat energy, leaving some nice, cool, moist air.
STEP 1: GATHER THE PARTS
To get started, you'll need to gather these commonly available, inexpensive parts. You don't need anything fancy or expensive and chances are you have some of these tools and materials already. If not, you'll find what you need at a hardware store locally or on Amazon.
Here's a list of the parts and tools you will need:
- 5-gallon plastic bucket with a lid; you can find one at a Home Depot or a similar hardware or building supply store
- Drill with a ‘hole saw’ type bit. Any common electric drill should work just fine. You can get an inexpensive hole saw set at any hardware store or Home Depot. Since you'll only be cutting plastic you don’t need anything fancy. Both 1.5 inch and 2 inch drills are good sizes to have for this.
- Evaporative cooler pad that is at least 14×31 inches. Dura Cool makes some that are available from Amazon. You can also find them at Home Depot or another hardware store.
- Utility scissors or shears that will be used to cut the pad to size
- Long straight-edge ruler that'll help you cut accurately
- Permanent marker or tape to indicate the maximum water level
- Fiberglass screen as used for windows or screen doors or a garden cloth will also work
- Sturdy utility knife
- Small DC powered fan
- Submersible aquarium or fountain pump (look for a 12 V DC submersible water pump on Amazon)
- About 4.5 feet of aquarium tubing to fit your pump (usually 1/4 inch or 5/16 inch clear vinyl is fine)
- Small clamp that'll be used to pinch the hose
- Have a thumbtack ready
Once you have the parts and tools gathered, the rest is easy. We'll get into the step-by-step specifics after the break and there's even a video to show you exactly how it all goes together, along with a demonstration of the finished cooler.
they dont make an AC small enough to be equivalent, but if you divide a regular window AC power usage and cooling capability by 100, you get pretty close to your answer lol
I like your choice if profile picture! Haha
Who has that much ice?
The added cost to make ice wil be $0 unless you happen to be one of those “special” people that unplugs their freezer daily to save energy. Lol
Not trying to be a smartass bud but all ya need to do is fill a couple empty soda bottles with water and freeze them, then refreeze after they thaw. Your freezer is running all day anyway so its not like it will cost any extra to refreeze your bottles 🙂
Rod Bingaman do you understand how freezers work? Like with any other motor the more it has to cool the more the motor has to work commonly referred to as “under load” hence cooling more stuff uses more energy
You wouldn’t happen to be a fellow stoner genius would you? Thats a fucking BRILLIANT idea bud!!
Danielle Fox-Bingaman im gonna make a few of these to use at the farm tomorrow!
Mimi Amy Rhea Harrison!
Right!
Glen Warren
I think it’s pretty apparent no one here understands any refrigeration theory or how to calculate total cost of any process.
Andrew reed actually the fuller your freezer is the more efficient it is. Smh
I filled plastic milk jugs about3/4 full and usedthem
Made one last week for my daughters car. Wrapped the foam in headliner material to take the ugly out for her.
Something most forget to say…
Make foam sliders to cover the fan holes when not in use.
She drives to work, covers it n the ice jugs are still frozen when she gets out. In Southern Fl summer inside a car, I’d say that’s a good option to include. She keeps 2 bags of water bottles in the deep freeze, so ones always completely frozen.
So far, so good…
I tried this when my air went out and I live in south Texas. It helps for sure
Waste of time. Wont change temp of room
Clickbait alert. You have to sign up to read the whole article or watch the video. Lame!
Erika
Wouldn’t it be easier to put hole in top with fan pointed down glued to lid an hole at top side put plastic blue ice an water an few frozen water bottles? ??? Right fan can be hooked to car battery if needed.
Oooh baby, swamp cooler time
Greg Mitri
What is the arc for? Or line? Didn’t get the memo lol.
Christopher McCracken you can try making one of these for your room. Erika McCracken & Ralph McCracken III maybe you all can make one of these if a.c. is not fixed soon at work
I know shop vac is loud & the motors get warm as they running which would throw off heat as well. But work a try
Clarence Lionel Jr Wallace
Damien Heitzer to show solidarity for the tragedy know as baldness.
Kathryn Brown Stockdale
Haha thanks! It says a crew is working on it now so hopefully we won’t need this!
No. They are too far in debt and they are a$#%&!@*blue state.
I have seen one that used a cooler. They took a piece of Styrofoam cut to fit tight in the top of the cooler cut a hole for the fan and one for the exhaust port. He would take baking pans fill with water and freeze. Thing worked great and then you don’t cut up a cooler to make it.
Chris Rice
John Sukljian
Scott Ford Erik Ford Elda Ford
Eli Rojas
Waste of time and money.
It’s call air conditioning because it conditions the air which mean it extracts the heat and humidity
I made one last year to go camping. It did ok. Buy the pump from west marine they have a battery powered on for like 25 bucks.
Clif Janicek does not work that good. I tried it in the company truck. Too much glass for the sun to heat up
Not for the humid south lol. You guys do know you can buy cheap a/c units for 60 bucks online. Decent btus also. Its all about the insulation too. I even used old bed sheets to divide rooms.
They busted this. The difference in the car is like 1°. If you sit in front of it and just let it blow on you I’m sure it would help you feel better
Could you use dry ice?
Aviva Eckert
Ashley Coganwe are going to home depot
Sounds like a plan to me
Jennifer Fishel
Wouldn’t it only work with ice… if you don’t have an ice machine that $20 might go up…
try dry ice
Yes it would melt slower but it also could kill me. U cant breathe in dry ice fumes.
The Best part about mine is that I dont have to open the top. The frozen bottles fit through the side hole.