DIY expert makes a homemade solar-powered air conditioner in just FIVE MINUTES!!

[snagglepuss]

using a bucket and a fan

items needed: bucket, styrofoam liner, pvc pipe, small fan, and ice. (small solar panel is optional). one frozen gallon jug of water lasted 6 hours. temperature in house was 84F. cooled air was in the mid. 40F range.

[RoccoR5955]

1. We call them swamp coolers.

And not so elaborate.

[Brother Buzz]

9. Then there are desert submarines - all the comforts of a swamp cooling without the humidity

Desert submarines were small structures of steel covered with burlap. On the roof either a hose or a pipe would drip water down the sides of the burlap. The evaporation would cool the inside of the structure as much as 40 degrees. The submarines were just large enough for a sleeping cot or two.



http://www.desertsun.com/story/life/2014/05/01/pioneer-godspeed-ranch-empire-polo-club/8585337/

[ThoughtCriminal]

2. I made one of these from a styrofoam cooler

I wanted something to keep me cool if the power went out.

Reality check: it will not significantly cool a room. A few of pounds of ice does not have a lot of BTU and essentially, this is a way to transfer some of the stored cold in the freezer to the house.

However, by cool blowing air directly on yourself, it will feel nice and help make things tolerable until the power comes back on.

[tblue37]

18. Or on overheated pets in a power emergency during the summer. nt

[freshwest]

3. Best in a dry climate. It's an evaporation cooler. Another method is a wet towel behind a fan.

But this could help in an extreme heat emergency with that solar. Just as long as the humidity is low.

[sl8]

4. Well, no. There's no evaporation going on in the video.

Last edited Mon Jul 25, 2016, 11:31 PM - Edit history (2)

The ice placed in the bucket is in a sealed container.

The air is being cooled because its heat is being absorbed by the melting ice. Once the ice is melted, there should be a smaller effect as heat is absorbed by the cold water, until it reaches ambient temperature.

[Motown_Johnny]

6. But if you rotate 2/3 jugs..

from your freezer to the umm...cooling contraption.. you should be able to keep it operating at a fairly high efficiency.


Edit to add... some cold water in there along with the jug might utilize the evaporation effect to boost the efficiency even more. Just a thought.

[freshwest]

11. I was expecting condensation, but the point is it's a bit di

different. Still, the function of a/c is to remove humidity so that the air is cooler. I've lived in 98 degrees at 98% a large part of my life. If the humidity is left in any way, it's harder to cool the body by sweat.

Dry heat can be easier. I've had swamp coolers in dry climates, but they never achieved a drop to 40 degrees. But when it's 110 inside, anything feels better.

I prefer passive systems for heat and cooling, not having to keep working on something. This is good for an emergency if made in advance.

It was 102 degrees in the sun here Friday. The stores had no fans or a/c's available. But it was a 'dry heat' as the joke goes.

In the shade of groves of tall evergreens, with a slight breeze, it was like spring time. The world needs more trees!

And you can get a solar powered freezer too, just in case...

[Motown_Johnny]

14. Makes sense

But living in Michigan I take humidity as a given.

[freshwest]

8. I'm expecting condensation on that jug. But you point works.

[sl8]

12. I shouldn't have said there is no evaporation.

There probably will be some condensation, which will give off heat. If it later evaporates, that will absorb heat. If all the condensation evaporates, it will absorb the same amount of heat as was given off when it condensed.

Any net cooling effect is due to the melting of the ice and the warming of the water.

[Le Taz Hot]

5. We did this last year

with an old cheapo plastic ice chest that we hardly ever use. I'm here to tell you it works great!

[Jamastiene]

7. Thanks.

I don't want to install a window air conditioner in my shed, but it's too hot to work in there. This looks like a good solution. I'm favoriting that video to watch again later.

[betterdemsonly]

10. Swamp coolers don't work in areas that are both hot and humid.

They are ok in desert climates. I do wonder if running a dehumidifier would make them practical in non deserts.

[Jamastiene]

16. Yeah, that's what I was wondering about with it.

We've tried that here where I live when the A/C was on the fritz and it was 104 outside and the humidity was 94%. The ice melted entirely too fast and I felt sticky even directly out of a cold (was using only the cold water spigot, but still felt like warm water though) shower.

I would love to come up with a system to use that and make it work for my shed. I would only be using it when I was out there.

[tammywammy]

19. My grandparents had an air conditioning window unit in their shed

They used to do stained glass, so the shed was fitted with electricity. They had a window unitatv and a radio in there along with lights and plugs. They lived in southeast Texas, do a swamp cooler wouldn't have cut it with the humidity.

[Jamastiene]

20. I have always thought about it, but never actually did it.

I put one in my room growing up because it was so hot in there, but that was different. The windows there were already made and it fit right. Did they have a window there first or cut out 2x4s or something to brace it in place? I would love it if I could make my little shed run on solar and wind, but I need to learn a lot to do it.

[tammywammy]

21. They had the shed for as long as I remember

I think it has the window already. Then it was outfitted with work benches and storage space for all the glass and stuff.

[krispos42]

13. Just don't forget that electricity was used to make the ice.

It's gotta come from someplace, right?

[Jamastiene]

15. True.

Now, if someone will make a solar freezer, this could do wonders for people who cannot afford A/C. Heat waves in a lot of places are a once in a while thing. So, something like this could be very helpful to avoid those deaths that always seem to happen, especially, if they can come up with a cheaper method for freezing water.

I really want to get into learning about solar and wind. I wish I could have gotten more education about it.

[Electric Monk]

22. Many DC freezers can run off a solar panel, but you probably want a battery too

for when the sun isn't shining, like at night. They come in quite a variety of sizes and power loads.

For example... http://www.solartown.com/store/catalog/solar-fridges-and-freezers/

[krispos42]

23. Welcome to the Krispos Kollege of Solar Engineering

Today's lesson: solar panels

The Earth is 92 million miles from the Sun. At this distance, sunlight his Earth with about 1,500 watts per square meter on a clear sunny day.

One horsepower is 746 watts, so it's about 2hp per square meter. That's the energy that's hitting Earth and any solar cells that are placed on it.

Good solar cells are about 20% efficient, so a square meter of solar cells would output about 0.4 horsepower, or about 300 watts.

Now you just do some math. Power needed, divided by 300 watts (or .4hp) gives you the amount of square meterage you need.

This is why solar-powered cars are impossible. Your average sedan needs about 30hp to maintain highway cruising speed. It would need 8 square meters of solar cells, or about 800 square feet!

But, for two or three square meters, you can power a freezer, a fridge, or an air conditioner.

Within reason, of course.

And you'll need more cells on cloudy days.



*ding*

Class dismissed!

[tblue37]

17. He also made a black 11-gallong one:

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