DIY Hillbilly Air Conditioner - How to Make an Air Conditioner
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- This is my first attempt at a DIY Hillbilly Air Conditioner. I came across the Redneck Air Conditioner on TH-cam and decided to make one for my son's bedroom, while trying to improve the design slightly.
If you are looking to cool a bedroom, a DIY Swamp Cooler or Hillbilly AC is a great way to bring that temperature down at an affordable price. You could use a styrofoam cooler and cheaper fan but I wanted to make something that will last. If you buy the cooler and fan used it won’t cost you much at all, you could possibly even find it for free.
Here is what I used for this Homemade Hillbilly Air Conditioner
Cooler (used) - Inside Dimensions (22” x 11-1/2”) - $10
7" Fan (used), kid-friendly so they don’t lose a finger) - $10
Mesh Plastic from Home Depot - $15 (for full sheet, cut into two pieces)
Assorted ABS Fittings - $10
x2 - 2” ABS Pipe x 2-½” Long (any plastic pipe will work)
x2 - 2” ABS Pipe x 4” Long (any plastic pipe will work)
x2 - 3” ABS Pipe x 5-1/2” Long (any plastic pipe will work)
x5 - 1-1/2” ABS Pipe x 5-1/2” Long (any plastic pipe will work)
x2 - 2” ABS 90 degree elbow (any compatible plastic elbow will work)
x2 - 2” ABS coupling (any compatible plastic coupling will work)
Silicone (indoor/outdoor - waterproof)
Super glue - Gorilla Glue from Home Depot works great
Tools you will need for your Homemade Hillbilly AC
Pen / Sharpie
Diagonal Cut Pliers (wire snips)
A Saw to cut the plastic pipe. I used a miter saw, not recommended. Any chop saw would work or you can use a tool designed for cutting plastic pipe (PVC cutter).
Drill
Drill bit (thicker than jigsaw blade)
Jigsaw
File
Building a DIY Hillbilly Air Conditioner is actually really easy. Very similar to a Redneck AC but I added a plastic mesh to create an upper and lower chamber to improve the cooling efficiency. The only plastic mesh I could find had ½” opening. If I decide to use only Ice cubes I don't want them to fall through the holes early in the cooling process so I decided to glue two staggered pieces together making the holes a quarter of the size.
I first measured the internal dimensions of the cooler and cut one piece of mesh to fit snugly. Then I cut a second piece a bit smaller to allow it to be staggered but still fit within the outside dimensions of the first piece of mesh. I then used Gorilla Super Glue to adhere the two pieces together.
I then cut 5 pieces of 1-½” plastic pipe at 5” long for the plastic mesh to rest on. Once I confirmed this was the correct height and verified the location for the DIY Hillbilly AC.
Use super glue to attach mesh to the pipe. Find something heavy to place on top while the glue sets.
Fit internals in cooler and verify hole locations.
Mark out fan and exhaust pipes on the ice chest air conditioner’s lid. I found using a black sharpie worked great.
Once everything is marked, get your jigsaw, drill and drill bit. Drill a pilot hole ‘inside’ the marked holes to give the jigsaw blade a starting point.
Use a file to clean up your edges before you start installing fittings.
Using the 2” pipe, cut two lengths of 4-½”
Use super glue to adhere the 2” pipe below the holes in the cover.
Once dry, cut away the mesh below the inside diameter of the 2” pipe.
Using the 1-½” pipe, cut 2 lengths of 4-½”
Attach the 1-½” couplings to the 1-½” pipe. Place in cooler holes. Seal with Silicone.
Use tape to set and hold the fan in place. Use silicone to seal.
Lessons Learned and Hillbilly Hack I should have cut on the inside of the sharpie markings. I cut on the outside and all the holes were a bit too big. I made it work but had to use empty wire casing to fix the gap under the hillbilly Cooling fan.
Once the silicone is dry. Attached plastic elbows to the 1-½ couplings. Do not glue the fittings to keep the vents adjustable on your Homemade Hillbilly Ice Chest.
Fill the lower and top section of the DIY Hillbilly Air Cooler with Ice.
That is how to make an air conditioner.
If you are looking to make yourself an air conditioner, this Homemade Hillbilly AC Cooler is a decent design and actually very efficient.
For more of our hillbilly DIY hacks and parent hacks follow our channel - / parentsandprojects
What would you change or add to make this Hillbilly Air Conditioner more efficient?
Cool project Brad. Not bad for under $50. Hmmm. Changes? I guess adding a solar panel to power it would make hot summer tent camping nice.
@@FridayWorkshop, Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! Ya not bad for under $50 for sure. Solar panel would be a great addition. Maybe Hillbilly 2.0 in 2022 😀.
Yesssss! Comfort camping.
Blowing hot air into the source of cold is a bad idea. I can’t imagine the ice lasts too long with your setup. All you need is an open vent with a pull fan pointed outward working as an exhaust. The fan will naturally pull warm air into the vent. And of course….mini radiators on each in and outlet. I’ve had best luck with this setup
@@HEYVIET, I agree it's not the most efficient setup. I'll remember yiur tips for Hillybilly 2.0..
We are very impressed. I did not think it would be able to cool a room as much as it did. Very nicely done, sir!
Thanks Poor Mans's DIY!
I hear ya, I was surprised too. Not the most efferent AC but good for dropping the temp in a small room. I have some ideas for Hillbilly AC 2.0 LOL. Maybe next year.
AWESOME idea! I know lots of people that will build their own. Specially if it's "multipurpose".
Cheers,
Absolutely! Need those beverages cold LOL. Thanks for watching Joe!
Wow cousin you way smart than I thought that’s pretty nice!!
Hahaha! Thanks Bruno. I expect you send me the video of yours when it's done!
I definitely think your spot on it working. I do wonder when this was produced, the prices for the supplies seem to be a few decades back 😂
Hahhaha. Maybe a few years.. but I also am pricing it out based on usage.. I think anyway.. damn inflation!!! Let me know if you have any questions :)
My ex girlfriends heart in there u would never need another block of ice.
🤣🥶 - and the comment for the win..
@@ParentsandProjects thank you.
Feel that brother!! Lol
Oh wow! These is really economical with dual purpose.
Thanks for watching Mr. Nelson. It was a pretty cool project. Glad I did it.
Looks very cool and beautiful diy air conditioner thanks for the tips awesome sharing friend 👍
Thanks guys!
Sweet vid , I can’t have window units I’m definitely gonna make one 👍🏻
Thanks! Do it up!!
Wow, multi purpose. So cool diy air conditioner. Thanks
Thanks! This little portable AC actually works well.
Wow 🙀 you're so talented.. keep sharing
Thanks LC! Much appreciated 🙏
Great video. Cheaper to run and maybe would be good for camping.
Thank VR! Definitely need to add a solar panel to Hillbilly 2.0..
Awesome that you can make your own air conditioner! I will remember this for when summer starts again 🌞
Not a bad little set up to bring the temp down in a small room. Thanks for watching!
Amazing job .Love it . Keep it up
Thank you!
Wow lovely 🥰 thanks for sharing with us new friend stay connect always 💞 waiting
😊 Thanks for watching Destiny!
I’m definitely going to make. I need for car.
Awesome.. let me know if you have any questions
Very cool! You should consider selling these.
LOL thanks..
Nice design!
That's a great idea 💡
Thanks for watching Jerry!
Wow, you did pretty great job.......Thank you for sharing, Subscribed to your channel. You have a wonderful day and stay safe.....
Thanks Tommy! You take care as well!
Wow ! Awesome
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed.
Muito top seu vídeo parabéns gostei bastante já deixei o meu like 🇧🇷👊👊👊👊🇧🇷💯
Obrigado! muito apreciado. Minha esposa brasileira ficará feliz por você ter feito este comentário 😊
Very cool video...literally lol loved the ac!
Thanks Steve WB! On to the next one 😀.
Love it!
Thanks!!
I have a 6 speed swamp cooler pure Okie.
Awesome!
#Okies and #Hillbillies are the smartest people
You can use your regular ice but you need to put a block or two busted up of dry ice at the bottom so when your ice melts you still got the dry ice it'll keep longer and still give you this bad ass fogging effect try it you'll love it great video I love being a hillbilly from the swamps to call me cowboy
Thanks for watching and the comment Jesse. I thought about dry ice but from my understanding it gives off vapors that would not be good in a confined space.
@@ParentsandProjects yes it gives off of vapor but the vapor doesn't hang around long enough to do any kind of damage to the lungs or to the respiratory system so you're playing you're you're 100% safe cuz that's what I use and you don't need a lot of dry ice you can use one block and bust it up into large pieces and put it in with your your regular ice it works great and it's safe
@@ParentsandProjects absolutely do NOT use dry ice at all. It gives off carbon dioxide gas and can kill you. Don't even use just a little bit either. It can have effects on a person without them even knowing it.
Awesome
Glad you enjoyed!
Amazing job! Very great idea!! Big Like + fully watched. Have a nice day!
Thanks so much. Appreciate the support. If you ever need to build a portable Air Conditioner for one of your amazing trips you know where to find some instructions 😀
I discover your channel…. Very nice channel
Thanks and welcome
wow very nice .It works . keep going 👍✅🙏
Thank you so much 👍
it was really interesting......Perfect.....👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌
Thank you so much 😀
Hi thank you for sharing your video.sending love and support from your new subscriber ❤️🙏
Thank you! Appreciate the support!
So the 1.5” pvc slides through the cooler holes and INSIDE the 2inch PVC that’s attached to the mesh?
Ya, that's how I designed it.. I think it will be a bit better than the original design. But also a fair bit more work.. lots of room for improvement. Have an awesome day
Very cool.... 😉
Thank you! Cheers!
Thats a pretty cool idea 🧡👍 Greetings from a new friend 💐
Thank you ABC! 😊
🙏✝⛪ God bless you thank you for sharing your video 🙏
Thanks Brian!
👏 awesome
Thanks 🤗
There’s a comment you left that I can’t reply to about sketch up. I’m not sure if you removed it or if there’s a glitch. I can read only some of it. You were asking if I recommend it. I’m probably not the best resource for an answer but I learned how to use the program, didn’t use it for several months. Then came back to it and forgot everything I learned. I think it’s a cool program but never learned it well enough to be proficient.
Hey Dude Sawdust! Ya, that was me 😀. Probably a YT glitch if the comment isn't there anymore. Thanks for getting back to me. I think I'll test it out on my next project as I'm sure its useful. That's if it doesn't take me too long to learn, otherwise pencil and paper it is LOL. Thanks Dude!
It would be even colder if you used alliminiun rack instead of plastic as l found plastic don't get as cold & line the inner wall of Esky as well & it makes a very big difference👍
Ya. I agree it could be better. Have an awesome day
Awesome video, how long does it cool the room for?
Hey Michael! Thanks for watching. With it full of bigger blocks we are getting over 4 hours. Not as good as a real AC but good once in a while to cool down a small room quick
How big is the room you tested? Thanks!
I think it was just over 150 sqft.. so not big. A smaller kids room
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Cảm ơn bạn
Could have been doing with one of these a month or so ago!
Not the most efficient air conditioner, but it works 😆
How many hours can it go cold air?
I think it got about 5 hours when it was completely full of ice
Hillbillies know how to cool a room
You bet! Thanks for watching..
Would dry ice be more effective than just regular ice? Just curious
@@southerncatlady6680 Confirmed. Not a good idea. Dry ice can be a serious hazard in areas such as a small room
NEVER use dry ice! It gives off carbon dioxide has, which can kill you!
i just made one, but using a 7211 Styrofoam cooler, the air coming out is around 39 degrees the bad thing is the fan doesn't blow hard enough to be useful in the back of a golf cart. do you know of any 6 inch fans that are run by usb that blow harder? thx.
Hey! Awesome.. unfortunately I am not sure I know of any USB fans.. if you find one let me know. I'm also interested
@@ParentsandProjects well i just ordered a li ion battery pack fan, most of the reviews said it blows harder than a cord version, will see. if it works i will let you know which one i got.
@@ParentsandProjects i struck out again lol. at least it was only 30 bucks. i will find one that will work. xd
would love to see you make one out of a 7 2 11 styro foam cooler? i would love one for the basket on a golf cart? xd
I like this idea!! 👌
@@ParentsandProjects well i made one.(i couldn't wait-) the air coming out is 39 degrees... HUGE problem is i can't find a fan that is strong enough on a usb to flow the air out. lol i have a little 6 inch one and your head has to be right next to the outlet to feel it.
i'm trying to make one of these, but the plastic mesh i found are floppy that can be rolled and they fold under weight. what section of home depot did you find these flat, rigid ones strong enough to hold up the ice?
you asked what can be improved, i'd use frozen water bottles gathered into a circle directly under the fan both levels down, maybe enclosed in a flexible plastic sheet to direct all that warm air thru an ice tunnel.
Hey! thanks for the comment. I cant remember exactly what section. I will be there later this week and ill see if I can track it down. might be worth taking a screen shot and asking an employee. Hopefully its not discontinued.
did you do a temp output measure on with a shelf and without one?
I did not Jason. A buddy of mine made one without the shelf and it didn't bring the temp down as low. Not bad though. To be honest the second layer could be overkill considering the ice is only going to last a few hours. As I mentioned, not the greatest for long term use. I recommend this to drop the temp of a small room if your in a bind.. Would also be good to run off a power source camping.
what is the CFM of the fan? I'm thinking of building this for my small Roadster. It's a two-seater so not a lot of cubic feet of cabin space, but not an insulated space, and black convertible top, it needs great cooling capacity. Wondering what CFM would be good for that application. Variable speed would be even better I suspect.
Hey @lonestar4764. Sounds awesome. I think this little fan is around 185 CFM. Probably be good for a small Roadster.. its a Honeywell TurboForce Fan. Let me know if you make it happen or have any other questions about my DIY air conditioner.
Have you tried frozen water bottles?
I have, they last longer but not as cold. If you are going to use the air conditioner for a longer duration I think frozen water bottles are good option
how many times a day do you have to add ice to keep an efficient temperature?
I wouldn't recommend using for long periods of time. Mostly because it does create a large amount of humidity. We only use it for about 90 minutes in our kids bedroom before they go to sleep. This brings the temperature down enough so its comfortable to sleep. If you decide to make one let me know how it works out.
@@ParentsandProjects thank you and I deff will thanks!
All the pipes will get wet and airflow will stop when the water level increase cz of ice melting . adding so much pipes is a bad idea .
add just a one elbow that's it . cost you less then $1
add just a fan and tight with cliptie . cost you arround $10-$15 .
cooler cost you about $10 .
Total cost less then $25 .
but to you it cost you more and its nto the best idea
$10 dollar cooler
$10 fan
$10 pipe fitting
$15 plastic mesh
$35 . ( replace $10 with adding a reflectix inside so it will help it reducing melting temperature ) that's it
Thanks for your thoughts.. but when the ice melted it still worked fine.. when the ice is fully melted.its time to replace the ice
@@ParentsandProjects when the water level increase above the pipe hole does air flow still goes on ? how's that possible .
its impossible air can't flow in water .
How long does ice last in it?
Was about 5 hours. The bigger the ice blocks the better. Small ice cubes won't last long
Why use the term "Hillbilly A/C"?
Why use the term "Red Neck A/C"?
19 ❤️, very nice 👍
Add water and some salt..makes it colder longer.
Thanks! I heard of this but have never tried..
How could I do this in my car??
Renee! Thanks for watching. Easy, just stick the Hillybilly AC in your back seat, get yourself an inverter to plug it in. Safety first so don't forget to buckle it up 😆
Greetings from xpertarts 🙂💐❤️.......new friend ☺️
Thank you XPERARTS! 😉
I can’t seem to find that plastic mesh? Where did you get that at?
Hey Daniel, thanks for the comment. I am sure I found this at Home Depot. I will be there later this week and ill see if I can track it down. Might be worth taking a screen shot and asking an employee. Or maybe try Lowes. Hopefully its not discontinued.
Yes the ice is on the keep it cool and stuff ice is on the melt here's a suggestion I've already built a swamp cooler and the first time I built it I used ice works great but I also found out if you order 5 lb blocks solid blocks of dry ice the dry ice will not evaporate it will stay in the cooler a lot longer than the regular ice and it will also make your air coming out three times is cooler and plus give you a beautiful foggy and effect believe me it's cool as s*** when you're sitting on the river and you got this cooler behind you blowing a fog machine with ice cold air and you got this vapor around your feet it gives you the coolest effect keeps you cool plus keeps your food drinks candy beer whatever you like to put in there keeps everything cool you could use solar panels and daytime night time with a car battery and you could also do a splitter on your solar panel that with a portable charger that would charge the battery through the daytime while you're waiting for night time to come love your video I was born and raised in the swamps matter of fact I have the same one on my buddies boat it's a Jon boat with AC you show me whoever by anybody else out there got the 14 foot John boat with a fog machine AC cooler
Thanks for the information Jesse and thanks for watching.
Very nice video. I like it. Hello my New friend. Thank you for visit me. I support you also. Greetings
Thank you!
Can you make me one and sell it to me?
😂 where do you live? Maybe I'll send you this one.
@@ParentsandProjects canby oregon
It's not Air con, it's air cooler.
Okie
that's cool...too much work
Ya a bit for what ya get.. but if you already have the materials......
"total: $45!!"
*uses $5k machine to cut things*
Come on Megan.. These tools are all stolen and only costed $300 - JK of course 😬