A cheap a/c!
Ok, this is not an original idea by any means or stretch of the imagination. I saw this idea on either Facebook or Youtube. It was such an interesting (and easy) project, that I decided to try it.
This is what happened. I was planning to do a simple 5 gallon bucket with a fan and pvc pipe. Well I went to Lowe’s to get my supplies. I picked up the first item on my list… a 5 gallon bucket. Easy pee-zee. Then I move on to my next item… a styro-foam bucket to go inside. This was supposed to provide insulation. Ugh! No luck!
(By the way, if you want to do the 5 gallon bucket cheap a/c, go to HomeDepot.com. You can order most everything there…including the styrofoam bucket.)
Then, I decided that I would try to improvise. I looked at all kinds of foam insulation to fit inside my 5 gallon buck. Nothing seemed to be flexible enough. Plus, I had to remember that I needed to cut holes in the side of the bucket and whatever insulation that I chose. As I pondered and wandered the aisles, nothing was going to work.
I thought to myself… Wally-world will have it! They have everything! So, I put back my bucket and headed to Wal-mart. When I got to Wal-mart, I started walking the aisles. And, to no avail, they didn’t have what I needed. What am I going to do. I thought to myself, I am going to make this thing tonight.
I then picked up my phone and started watching Youtube. After I watched the video on how to make my home made a/c unit, other variations started popping up. OK, change in plans. I am going to just by a cheap plastic cooler, a fan and a 3″ 90° pvc elbow.
Staci text (or texted, I guess) me, and asked what I was doing. I let her know that I was on my way home. I was out of the house and looking for parts for about 2 hours. But, now, I have everything I need.
Troy, my co-worker, let me borrow a really cool tool for cutting holes. In addition to that, I had my Dremel.
As soon as I got home, I started my project. I put the pvc pipe on the top of the cooler and traced around it. Then, I did the same thing with my fan. I grabbed the tool that Troy let me borrow, and I attached it to my drill and started cutting. I cut as much as I could with this handy hole cutter, and then I broke out my Dremel tool for the final cuts.
I put the pvc pipe in the smaller hole… perfect fit! I put the fan in the second hole… perfect (or, at least, close enough). I went to the freezer and broke out some ice packs and threw them into the cooler. I plugged in the fan, and turned it on.
Holy cow! It worked! So, for about $50, I now have a portable, a/c unit.
I am going to freeze gallon jugs of water to put inside my cooler. Instant a/c, and a fun little project.
UPDATE
A couple of days ago, I brought this in and showed everyone what I made. Troy, decided to take it with him and make some improvements. (That being said, this will work fine in a home environment with a regular fan. We are planning to use it in an attic with temperatures around 120°-140°F.)
So, Troy added this mac-daddy fan to it that he had at his house. He also reinforced the top with a little sheet metal. This cooler (1/3 full of ice) is putting out 55°F air! It is sooooo cool! Here is what the Island Breeze looks like now.
If you have any a/c problems, feel free to give us a call at 843-821-0937.
