Simple Cheap Air Conditioner

 In this instructable i will show you how to make an air conditioner from cheap stuff that you get from any store.

Step 1: Parts needed...

Parts:
-A plastic box
-A 2.5'' pvc 90' elbow
-A small car fan
-A small piece of PVC tube
-Pipe Clamp

Tools:
-A knife
-PVC Glue

Comments

[ferdinandcilot]

nice

[RoeyLeon]

very cool idea !

[arifpulikoor]

woh excellent what a coooool............

[volkermord]

Did this earlier today, took about 45mins-1hr to do, that included the time it took me to scrap a fan from a burnt up video card...
Seems to work well, going to try it with iced 2liters once they freeze.

[dajohn17]

great ideal , thanks. I am going to try and make this!

[Websprinter]

I would switch the fan to draw from the mouth of the pipe then attach a flexible pipe (or more) fed through the bottom of the ice from the opposite side, fixed a bit above the ice but enclosed a bit below the lid. The air source placed nearer the pvc attachment. That way the air would travel over the ice to pre-cool then through it to increase coolness, less evaporation of water + more breeze from the directional fan.

[Hazzard2theworld911]

that is exactly what "Real" A/c units do

[terribug]

Okay, all you tech-savvy people, I have a problem for you to solve! My car's AC is out, and I drive all over the Dallas./Fort Worth area as an in-home tutor. I am usually fried to a crisp by the end of the day, what with the 100+ heat, dryness, etc. Right now, my budget's so stretched, I have several dead presidents screaming in pain in my wallet, so fixing the AC is a no-go at this point. However, I have a huge collection (and have access to more) of junk. You know, old parts from this, little pieces of that; the stuff that dreams are made of! I need a cooler that is safe and secure to put in my mini-van (perhaps between the front seats?) that will bring the ambient temperature down so I am not drenched in sweat when I reach my students' homes. Some of the 'ibiles seem great for a stationary use, but since I am in a moving vehicle, might not be so great. What have you got for me? Thank you in advance!

[Hazzard2theworld911]

if you use a shorter, fatter box, it may be more stable...and seeing as how it uses an "oscillating car fan," It should work great in a car, just put it on the passenger seat, and point the nozzle [why not make it adjustable?!?] at yourself, and seatbelt it in!

let me know if this helps!

Brett
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[MCzone]

using a metal pipe would be better, plus a a heat sink, or thick layers of alluminum foil

[Grimarr]

 This is basically a swamp-cooler, which is a very popular cooling method in places with low humidity.

Where I live though, where the humidity is intensely high most of the time, central air is still the way to go.

[Jim L.]

Not actually. A "swamp cooler" works by evaporation and loss of "heat energy" effectivly cooling the air that passes through it. This system works by passing air across a heat sink (in this case, ice) to lose "heat energy." An air conditioner works in the same way by passing air across a heat sink in the form of coils usually filled with expanding gas (such as freon) to lose it's "heat" energy. Condensation is collected and "blown" across the high pressure side coils to "precool" the gas before the expansion cycle on the low pressure side. Excess condensation is then allowed to drain out of the system. Clear as mud? Jim L.

[Grimarr]

This still works by evaporation of water, which makes it a swamp cooler. It's not the heat sink that makes it an A/C unit, it's the compressor/expansion chamber system used for heat exchange.

[mveteto]

Actually if anything is happening the Ice is melting. But this is not a swamp cooler, If anything its closer to an actual air conditioner albeit in a primitive form

[jay_in_hsv]

Using ice contained in sealed containers, (e.g. 16 oz water bottles, 1 liter bottles, 2 liter bottles, gel ice packs etc., etc... ) eliminates the addition of additional water vapor to the space being treated. Existing humidity will condense on the sealed ice containers and remain inside the plastic box. Smaller ice containers equate to more cooling surface area thus increasing heat transfer rates. Melt rate can be controlled to some extend by adjusting airflow.

[dchall8]

I'm not trying to get you on a technicality but an air conditioner actually does change the condition of the air.  It removes humidity by blowing air past chilled coils.  The moisture in the air condenses on the coils and drips into a collection pan.  That water is directed away from the area that is being cooled so that it cannot be reintroduced into the cooled environment.  Thus in a house the moisture is drained either to the outside or into the building's plumbing drain system.  When that drier air returns to the room it still feels cool from the chilled coils but also because it has less moisture in it. 

What you have is a cooler but not a conditioner.  Have you tested it with thermometers placed in the room and at the cool air outlet? 

[valhallas_end]

Semantically, one could argue the unit conditions the air to a desired temperature...but that would be a ridiculous argument.  I am curious how well this one works, too - there are many "ice chest" style coolers on this site, but this seems the simplest and uses the cheapest stock.