In the heat, sitting at your desk or lying-in bed is excruciating. There’s no indication of relief because you don’t have air conditioning or your unit isn’t working properly. And the window fan you’ve installed simply adds to the heat.
You may create your own DIY air conditioner using one of two methods rather than wilting away. Both approaches make use of items that may be bought at a home center or hardware shop. You’ll be cool and comfy in no time as your homemade air conditioner sends cooled air your way.
What Characterizes a Do-It-Yourself Air Conditioner?
The technology of a DIY air conditioner is a mix of that of a refrigerant-based air conditioner and a fan.
By passing a refrigerant through a condenser coil and an evaporator coil, window and central air conditioners transport the heat and humidity from a room to the outside. It’s a sophisticated technology that’s not suitable for do-it-yourself projects. It also wastes a lot of energy and money.
A DIY air conditioner, on the other hand, employs a fan to pump air through either an ice-filled duct or copper tubing dangling from the front of the fan.
Using the Ice Fan Method
A fan pumps air through an ice-encrusted duct in this simpler method. The DIY air conditioner’s body is made of a styrofoam cooler. Aluminum ducting can be found at your local home improvement store.
Method Using a Copper Coil and a Fan
A different option requires a little more effort to set up, but it is a more durable and long-term answer.
A little water pump at the bottom of an ice cooler pumps ice water into a copper tube in this DIY air conditioner. This tube is tightly coiled around a fan’s face. The water is then sent back into the ice cooler, where it is cycled through the coil once more.
Considerations for Safety
When working with water and electricity, exercise caution. Separate the two. All electrical gadgets should be plugged into GFCI outlets. Wait until you’re ready to use the pump before plugging it in. See below What You’ll Require to create your DIY AC.
Equipment / Tools
- Screwdriver
- Hack saw or tin snips
- Tape measure
Materials: Fan Over Ice Method
- Styrofoam cooler, 30 quarts
- Fan, 4-inch
- Rigid aluminum duct, 4-inch diameter
- Silicone caulk
- Ice
- Copper Coil and Fan Method
- Box fan
- Ice cooler
- Aquarium or fountain pump, 40 to 90 GPH
- 20 feet copper tubing, 1/4-inch
- 10 feet plastic tubing, 3/8-inch
- 50 zip ties
- Metal hose clamps
- Ice
Instructions: Method of Using a Fan Over Ice
- Cut the Duct
Measure the coolers inside longitudinal dimension with the tape measure. Cut the duct with the hacksaw or tin snips using this measurement.
- Cooler should be cut
One at either end of the cooler, cut two holes. Each hole should be 4 inches in diameter and straight across from one another, around 4 inches above the cooler’s bottom.
- Duct insertion
Push the duct through the two openings into the cooler. To prevent water leaks, apply silicone caulk to the inside of the cooler.
- Connect the Fan
Connect the fan to the cooler’s outside, with the exhaust side towards the duct. To secure it to the cooler, use silicone caulk around the borders. Allow the caulk to cure completely.
- Ice should be added.
Fill the cooler to the brim with ice. When putting the ice in the duct, take careful not to bend or deform it. Place the cooler’s lid back on top.
- Turn on the Homemade Air Conditioner
Switch on the fan. The opposite end of the duct should start blowing cool air right away.
Instructions: Method Using a Copper Coil and a Fan
- Fan with Copper Tube
Coil the copper tubing and secure it to the protecting grid of the fan. Swirl the tubing in a swirl pattern, starting with a big circle and gradually tightening it until it reaches the middle. Using zip ties, secure the tube to the grid. At least 1 to 2 feet of excess tube should be left on each end.
- Connect the Plastic Tube
Connect the two loose ends of the copper tube with the plastic tubing. Using the hose clamps, secure the hose. You have a continuous loop at this moment, but it will be cut into later.
- Place the pump in the cooler.
Place the pump in the cooler’s bottom. It ought to be facing up. With an intake hose extending into the cooler, some pumps will stay outside the cooler: For your specific pump, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. The electrical cord’s end should protrude from the cooler. For the time being, leave it unplugged.
- Connect the tube to the pump.
Using scissors, cut the plastic tube in half. Connect one side of the tube to the pump’s exit port. Place the opposite half of the tube in the cooler’s bottom.
- Mix in some ice and cold water.
Fill the cooler with enough cold water to cover the pump. Fill the cooler with ice.
- Turn on the Homemade Air Conditioner
Start by turning on the pump. Allow the water to cycle through the tubing completely. Touch the tube to see if it’s working. It’s working if the tube is cold. Turn on the fan after that. The fan should start blowing colder air after approximately a minute.
I hope you found this information interesting. Which one would you like to try? Please share your thoughts on whether you might use a fan over ice or a copper coil and a fan in the comments section below.