Where is the list? Thanks ! Wont be able to make myself But I can pay someone 50.00 to make it, I think. If it takes an hour then 50.00 is a good price isn't it? Just need the list. Again thanks so much
Just came back from a week of camping in the keys. I saw this video before I left and made it just like yours. You saved my life dude! thanks for sharing!
Hey man we are going to Ft Jefferson next summer. Had the same idea however, I don't want it making a ton of noise and disturbing others. How noisy is this thing?
I ended up making one of these but used a 3" 130CFM blower instead of the 4" 250CFM in the description. The 3" is a lot quieter, running tests on it now. Input air is 95 degrees and output air is 74 degrees. Everything else for the most part is as Jason designed. Oddly, because it is so cheap to make, I am considering daisy chaining a couple of these together to see what happens. With the 3" tubing fitting right onto the blower, I can just re-direct the output into a second ice chest. Running using a 12V 17AH battery pack with the intent to run using a solar panel + 12V 17AH rechargeable battery + a Beater Volkswagen Beetle. :D Thanks Jason, this was an awesome little DIY project that I did with my son.
the only thing that is important is the length of your serpentine and choice of material, the volume of the 2 boxes will make for longer use tough without adding extra ice
I am going to build one of these for my daughter. She is competitive golfer, going to take power from electric push cart, Two things I will need to do is a custom cooler that fits under golf bag and quiet fans. you said fans were quieter. How much quieter? so much so it wouldn't distrurb other players?
i did one almost exactly like it after watching this video. it works good. the climate here though is very humid but i ran a tube right up next to my face and it was great.
These couch quarter backs that criticize your efforts are almost unbelievable." Add Dry ice", Create a huge cloud of smoke. "Add more loops of tubing", Create Less space for ice and why? it already is blowing forty degrees. "Drain the water." There by reducing the mass of cold so it can't cool as well. Until all the ice melts teh water will be less than forty degrees. Let them make their own and then tell you how poorly it works after they have made their own modification. They will probably then blame you. You did a great job making this. Kudo's! I would like to know how long the cooling lasts when the cooler is in the sun. Perhaps painting it all silver will help. Not enough space in the cab for it to be inside. I may have to make my own to find out.
I'm going to make this! I'm a refrigeration technician and this is genius. Only changes I'm going to make is making both the inlet and outlets at the top and then run the pipes across the top section before dropping down and looping across the bottom to try to utilize some of the top section, and I'm also going to run the power to the fan through a 12 volt thermostat to hopefully preserve more ice and increase how long a full cooler will last. Thank you so much sir for sharing this!
Hi. I built one just like you instructed. The issue I had was the flexible pipe isn’t water tight so it would fill up with water resulting in no airflow. If the ice doesn’t melt or you can keep it drained out, the flexible tubing is a great idea. Thanks for the video.
I am making this this weekend. I agree with the way you looped the vent piping inside. I was thinking of something similar, but I couldn't think of the right material. This is it. Thanks!!!!
This is such a great idea. By not blowing the air over the ice, it'll last as long as the rating on the cooler states. The cooler above is rated to keep ice for up to 3 days...that's plenty of time for a road trip even with multiple legs. Dry ice would be even better to use. Either way, since the air is circulating within a closed system efficiency goes through the roof. I night even take this camping for when I go with tent camping with our Scout Troop. For my application this will go in to the back of my pickup with the topper so that my dogs will stay cool n' comfy. Since I have a 12V adapter back there one of my sons can reach back and turn it on and off at will via the pass-thru from cab to topper. As a side note, I highly recommended tinting the windows of the topper as dark as possible to deflect the sun's rays. I also recommend insulating the inner walls a ceiling of the topper. This project also took me an hour to assemble. I highly recommend caulking as you go rather than waiting til the end. Once everything was assembled it was a little difficult getting caulk around the underneath side of the two inner ports leading out. With the caulk in place I can't to try this tomorrow. I plan on testing it in my laundry room (8'x5') with a portable battery that has a 12V plug on it.
dry ice puts out carbon monoxide (dioxide?) which shouldn't be used in a tent or closed space. You could die. Someone else mentioned a product that FREEZES down to dry ice temperatures that truckers use, and it does not put off any gases. So... that would be safe.
I'm impressed! I'm buying an old camper to live in with my 2 dogs while I am having a home built on 4 acres. It will be in the middle of summer in southern Arizona where highs can be over 105 . I need a cheap and reliable method of keeping the camper cool while I am working during the day. This will be better that the 5 gallon bucket cooler. You did a very nice job with this video. Thank you!
Great video and thanks for sharing your parts list too. I've been toying with this idea too for a while. The comments are helpful, some are funny too! Here's my suggestions, some are already being discussed: Mount the fan to the lid on the inside the cooler, this will greatly muffle the sound and give it a cleaner look. One good fan with a 3 or 4" opening should be able to pull the outside (warm) air in, circulate through the metal pipe and push the (cool) air out. Make the air out hole also on top; so all holes go into the lid, no chance of any leaks. Lastly connect the out pipe to a long flexible plastic tube, so you can direct the air exactly where you need it. In extreme heat, consider putting the tube under your shirt, or even consider making/using a cooling vest, like military pilots use.
I m so glad I came across your video. My hubby transports luxury cars and his dodge ram is a diesel truck and for him to sleep with ac would cost a fortune. But now I can build him this type of ac and I don’t have to worry that he will have a heat stroke. Thanks a lot. Your video literary will save a life ❤🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
In case you're wondering, the reason the air is cooler after some of the ice has melted is because there's more conductive heat transfer occurring between the air flowing and the pipe/ice. The air gaps (convective heat transfer) between the ice and pipe is less effective. If you were able to somehow pour water into the cooler and let the whole thing turn into a block of ice, you would a very effective cooler.
So use a portable electric cooler/ freezer and set it to the freezer setting after filling with ice and water. Like the one I have from Costco Massimo CX50 12V Portable E-Kooler. A bit more expensive for the build, but these still run off of solar, portable power supplies, household electric, cigarette lighter outlets, and generators. And they come with both the 12v and 110v cords.
My ac compressor went out in vehicle and I do gig delivery. Phone keeps overheating in my car, rendering my ability to make money very difficult. Can’t afford to fix the ac so this hack is going to be a life saver! Can’t thank you enough for posting and can’t wait to get this system put together. THANK YOU!
Thanks for taking the time to make this. You rule. Awesome design and I’d say it’s definitely my favorite & makes the most sense for effectiveness & efficiency. Excited to make one of my own.
I have successfully made a miniature version. I used a paint can, plastic tubing under the ice and a small (air mattress) air pump. It cools down my tiny 2 seater car. 😁
I would love to know how well this actually worked. I have a small car it's a Chevy Cruze and my AC does not work at all and it's going to cost me a lot to fix so trying to find something cheaper. Thanks :)
Thanks for sharing a great video. I believe this would be a fantastic project for the kids to make that are in boys scouts and once they have made their own portable A/C unit, they can use it in their tents while camping during the hot months. Also; this portable A/C unit would be good to use in you vehicle if you can't afford the expensive bill to get your A/C unit replaced.
I started the morning out with the intention of building the more common variations on TH-cam. Was just about to make my 1st cut into the cooler when I decided to look for some more ideas/reviews. I’m glad I came across this video. I went to Home Depot and picked everything up you suggested and ordered everything else on Amazon, plus an adapter for household current. Not including the cooler, which I already had , I’m at $94 all together. Little more than I thought it would be but it definitely seems like it’s gonna be a fun little project. Thanks for the detailed video and especially the parts list!
Very effective and smart. I had built one using the computer fans for my dogs' house and then tried to use it to cool me while working in the garage, but you have to know that failed in that larger space; thank you for saving me. Your video caught my eye because I had used the same cooler with a solar panel and rechargeable battery, but thanks to you, Amazon has that blower for less than $35 with free shipping (12V 270 cfm's). I'm not cooling the entire space, but it's tolerable until I can build me a small shop to work in, Thanks again, Johnny in TX.
Drill small holes in the lid and fill with great stuff.. Plenty of videos... Even go further and put more insulation on the cooler or both.. Plenty of videos out there
I am going to the store to get the materials today! Thank you for this! I am hoping it will cool my garage, or at least help with the Florida heat. I have a car without a/c, so it should at least help with that. Thank you for the inspiration!
I built mine very similar but both holes are in the lid to avoid any possibility of leaks, the exhaust hole is a 3" elbow that can be rotated in any direction. The biggest problem is that those bilge blowers are too noisy so I switched to a Broan bathroom exhaust fan, 2.2 sones and more than enough air movement, I also went with 2 layers of coil and some vinyl tubing to drain the water, ice lasts twice as long if it's not floating in water.
The water from ice melt should be just above freezing. If you drain it, warm air is drawn into the cooler increasing the internal temperature, which actually makes the ice melt faster. This is why all cooler duration tests start out with a cooler full of ice don't drain any water during the test.
BumpinTheRoad I thought the same thing at first but testing both ways I found the ice lasts longer when the water drains away. A better way is to have the ice surrounding the coil but suspended above the water, you get the advantage of the water absorbing the heat and the ice not sitting in water.
I built this cooler using the same stuff that he used in the video. It really does work better than the first cooler because of the high powered fan. The only thing I did different was I mounted my blower on the top of the chest. The only issue I have with that is when I reload with more ice the metal tube rises up from me opening the lid. The objective is to cover the tube with ice but once I add some water it melts around it to cool it. I tried using mine in the day and it did not cool at all! The air was cold but my truck did not cool. Once the sun was completely down it worked pretty good but I added another 12v fan to help circulate the cool air faster and it worked well. I use mine in a 1 TON DUALLY TRUCK. Over all in my opinion... This is a pretty good set up. I dont recommend using it in the day time. Its just way to hot and it didnt cool for me at all. At night I was comfortable. If you make one I think you should find a way to make the ice last as long as possible and you should be happy.
Michael McGee I'm gonna be in a hot connex. After 3 different methods I thought this was the one, are you saying it didn't cool you even facing you directly?
Joshua Garza It did a good job once the SUN was COMPLETELY DOWN. I also had 2 other fans that helped circulate the air faster. After trying 2 different cooler type air conditioners, I just went out and bought a generator and a small A/C unit. THAT REALLY WORKS.
This looks to be the best idea I've seen so far of ALL the diy coolers. I always wondered about how long the ice lasted. Your idea and feedback proves to be the best I've seen. Great thinking. This is what I want to build for my work truck.
If you add rock salt to your water/ice bath it will make it colder and actually make the ice last longer... (little trick I learned working in food and beverage industry)
The salt allows for cooler liquid rather than ice. The sub 32 liquid cools pop cans better due to more surface contact. It will not change the rate of heat exchange, so it would do absolutely nothing for this application.
I live in my truck part time and this....this is amazing. You can put a goal zero 150 or something similar on top/side of it and power it right there. Love it. Well done, sir.
There're many of video show their version and said how "awesome" they build, but I rarely to see a video even test with it and show how big of the room size that they can really get cool with. But you did it and proved with the room size matter. Thanks for your video!
What that cooling effect is called is Venturi. Its due to the change in air pressure due to speed. The slower a fluid moves the greater external pressure it exerts (higher pressure). The faster a fluid moves the less external pressure it exerts (lower pressure). This same Venturi effect is found in carburetors and can cause carburetor icing. The same Venturi effect happens at the inlet of jet engines which is why the engine cowl has electrical deicing capabilities
Your theory is some what correct but the jet engine part is not. The jet airliners fly at 25,000 to 40,000 feet where the air is -25F to -40F. If they fly through rain or mist without the inlet leading edge heated with hot bleed air ice will form on the leading edge of the inlets and wings. If the ice breaks free and goes into the engine it can damage the fan blades. If you heat the leading edges of the wings and inlets while you are passing through the altitudes that it starts getting below freezing and moisture is present it will melt any ice and and keep it from forming. The venturi effect has little to do with the reason for leading edge heat on engine inlets of jet engines. You can run jet engines on the ground all day long and it wont freeze the inlets.
@@keith6234 I was a FAA licensed pilot, working in FAR 121 operations for a very long time with different airlines, I have several FAA ratings and licenses, including examiners license, dispatchers license, flight engineer's license. I know what you're saying, but I am not wrong about the venturi effect happening at the inlet of jet engines where air speeds up as it enters not only due to RAM air, but the air is being sucking in as well (FOD is real issue on the ground, even though in warm temps, cowl icing may not be), so that increase in velocity of air near the intake of a jet engine, by both ram and the jet sucking air in does cause an increase in velocity, therefore a loss of pressure which results in a cooling effect, regardless of the ambient air conditions, and if there are freezing temps and moisture, icing can occur, even on the ground, which is why even after ground de-icing is complete and all anti-ice measure are deployed there is still a very short window of opportunity to safely take off according to FAA rules.
@@libertyfarmsiowa I am an A&P Mechanic for over 35 years so I do have some knowledge of the subject. Can you tell me how many degrees of temperature drop the venturi effect will cause ? While the venturi effect does have some effect it is not the main reason for Inlet Icing. Temp and moisture are the main factors not a few degrees of temp drop due to venturi effects. You get Icing on leading edges and radomes where there is no great venturi effect.
@@keith6234 Ah, a licensed mechanic. I get it now, but just so you know, I agreed with you're analysis, didn't you read that in my response to you or are you just one of those insecure nuts that have to have the last word?. You're the one that said the venturi effect meant nothing, and I say it does. You say tomahtoh, I say tomaytoe, so piss off.
Just left a friend house and he used the very same design , after making a few different types myself, this cools better than anything I’ve tried. Ice seemed to last longer. Think I’ll tweet it a bit , but , great design bro!
Awesome, i brought a digital thermometer into my room yesterday and checked it today and apparently it got to 96 degrees. It is 89 right now as I am typing this and I spend all day in front of my computer programming lol so this Sunday i am going to start building this. Though I might try making a thin floor over the piping, adding water under this floor so the pipes are submerged and then use frozen 1 gallon jugs so they will be easier to change out than actual bags of ice. Great video BTW
if that becomes an issue, i could see using PVC througout the entire cooler to combat that. would cost more but no way the PVC is going to break down due to being in cold water a lot.
Since I travel in a Kia minivan and can only drive during daylight hours...I sleep in the van. It gets warm going to Florida...this will easily cool my van! And it will run for hours off of my 500 watt 346 What lithium battery....Till they come out with a 3000 BTU AC using less wattage. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks! The temperature in the Netherlands is extreme, most coolers won't work anymore because they are to weak in airflow. I'm going to make one for myself and 1 for my job. Tanks again m8!
@@patriciathies2449 wrong. It circulates the same air inside the tent cooling it all. If it draws in outside warmer air that's a loss of the cooler air you want. So basically I think a modest fan would suffice for a tent, this unit is probably better for a larger space.
I don't want to try and say that I came up with this exact idea first or anything but I did wonder about using a tube but the use of that kind of dryer vent tube is genius in my head I kept thinking about like fixing metal pipes or some sort of piping of what you've done there is brilliant.
Great design! I ordered the 3" Seaflo Blower from Amazon for $20 today with standard 1 day shipping so it will be here tomorrow. I'll pick up the rest of what I need at Menards and am considering adding a potentiometer to it so I can adjust the fan speed. I plan on using this for my converted camper minivan for cooling it down while sleeping and also the tent for extended camping. Almost ready to add a dual battery isolator for auxillary power. This has to have the other designs beat by a mile. Thanks for posting and I subscribed to your channel so I can tap into more of your genius.
So no condensation would be dispersed? I love the idea...better than traditional evap coolers, but how would this do in a humid environment🤔 Thanks in advance.
Thanks for that! I have a 97 f150 and the a/C just whet out Total cost to fix it is over 1200$ I have a lawncare business down here in Austin. Texas and there is nothing worse than servicing a yard and then getting into a hot truck afterwards. I work by mysef so i will make one just like your setuo and have it in the seat next to me. It is supposed to be 102 degrees today!!! I will make one this weekend. Thanks again!!!!!!
Did you experiment with a reducing fixture that would fit on the front of the fan so the intake would be getting the benefit of the venturi effect cooling the intake air? Also, could there be an advantage to mounting the fan in the opposite direction of the exhaust so you are no sucking in the cooled air which, since it is heavier, sinks to lower levels? Bought the parts for your earlier design and have new design parts on order. Great idea! BTW: Found excellent $5 coolers at local Goodwill store.
I did not experiment with the venturi effect. As far as mounting the blower at the opposite end, I would be worried about one thing. If for some reason, you got a hole in the metal ducting and water got inside, you would be sucking moisture past the electric motor which could damage it. If it's only blowing like in the video and you get a hole in the ducting, it will not damage the motor.
qdroman could you please describe what a reducing fixture would look like or provide a link? I’m unfamiliar with the Venturi effect and how you would apply to the front of the fan. Would a 4” to 2” coupler do what you are describing? Thank you
@@suttergorilla Basically, when a gas passes through a restriction it must "speed up" and a pressure drop develops across the restriction. With a venturi the inlet and outlet are gradually reducing and allowing expanding of the flow. In other words, if the venturi is circular in shape you just have a cone for both the inlet and outlet. I see no advantage of a venturi here. The air flow might suffer a tiny bit because an extra small pressure drop has just been introduced.
I don’t see the benefit of adding a venturi because you are not mixing substances. A venturi is used when using the pressure drop as a way to suck in another mixture through means of having a bifurcated pipe. All you would be doing here is slowing down/choking the flow without benefit. You would be losing potential energy and reducing your net heat transfer rate
I got all the parts today and I’ll be building it this weekend, hoping this will be a good temporary until I can get my ac fixed in my car. Also was thinking of getting a second tube of the aluminum duct stuff to put another layer on top of the first layer to give a longer path for the air to go through the ice
@@kalinkanev2373 yea I built it. It works decently. Instead of buying ice all the time because on a hot day it’ll all melt within 4-5 hours, I just freeze a bunch of water bottles and put them in the freezer once I get home. It’ll blow at about 60-65 degrees right at the vent but when it’s really hot outside and inside my car after about 6 inches from the vent it’s not too cold anymore and a foot away from the vent it just feels like warm air. If I had like one of those tubes you could bend around like a vacuum tube and put it in my shirt I bet it would feel good but honestly this thing wasn’t really worth making. Would it better than nothing? Yes but is it really worth it? No
wow, very nice design. Currently a heat wave in the UK, so I rigged up a pc fan to the mains (12v adapter), fixed it to the top of an ice cream tub filled with ice. Lasts for about 1.5 - 2 hours and only effective if right in front of me. A little bit of googling, a few peltier videos later I am here thinking, this is 'The Design' for me... cheers.
Thanks dude, I think your diy cooler ac is the best so far... I'm building one just like yours, same fan, n stuff, but mine has 2 flexible aluminum tubes instead of 1! What do u think? I'll send u a pic when im done! Thanks for ur great ideas!
Did you read some of the other comments; one said pour rock salt over your ice, makes ice colder and last longer. Other comment was...if you mount your thing (idk what he called it 😅) inside the cooler, it would not be so loud.
Thank you so much for this and for explaining why the other ones don’t work as well. Because I made it the other way with the fan blowing directly into the once and it sucked
Ok full disclosure I have worked as a HVAC consulting engineer for over 20 years and in the field over 35. This is by far my favorite design concept for one of these DIY cooler units. First off and best off as I live in Philly (summers are REALLY humid) this design actually will remove water vapor from air stream as water will condense on the inside surface of the air ducts. Second it is able to both cool and dehumidify with out a freaking water pump and chilled water and a coil in side the cooler, frankly for me at that point I would call Trane or Carrier and get a coil selection lol honestly at that point the build time your time is worth has to be getting close to at least a 5k window unit so wtf is the point? My only question that jumped off for me has to do with mu first comment - where does the condensate from the inside of the ductwork go?
Ipressive !!! If you add salt to your ice it will cool it into the minus numbers because ice in itself will stay at 0 but if you add salt it will go into minus, 👌😎
Friggin awesome. So simple and cheap. I like to freeze 'fiji' brand water bottles because they are square and stack nice. Just throwing that out there.
I made one like this but I put the blower on top and used pipe down to the bottom I also added a 12 volt remote control relay so I can turn it on and off easily and a thermostat. Works great. I use mine in the bedroom because I love a cold room to sleep.
Do you think using a narrower, longer semi rigid metal tube and narrower outlet pipe would increase efficiency of system (more surface area being exposed to ice water, and narrower tubes aiding cooling effect in general)?
I could be wrong, but it almost makes sense that a lower velocity fan would be better, because it would take longer for air to flow (thus giving it more time in the conduit to cool).
I think if the air comes out cooler you will spend more ice in less time. Depending on the size of the room you want to cool, it might be better to have less heat exchanged for a longer cooling period. The efficiency is I think mostly in how good the container is insulated. But as the box is in the same area you are cooling that would not matter much. Basically you not want to cool your room to much to quick. Adjusting airflow is a good way to control that. Faster airflow will blow out air of slightly higher temperature but overall it will cool down a room quicker. When you start calculating though non of these coolers should work as the BTU would be around 50-100 while normal airconditioners are 7000 or higher. The amount of ice needed compared to an airconditioner is huge. Ice would only be economical if it can be had for almost free (and no ice from your freezer is certainly not free. I live in Thailand and ice is a very common product for a very low price. That is the reason why I am interested in it. In western countries it works when you need it only for a low amount of days per year as the cost of ice will get too high when compared to a real air-conditioning electrical bill.
Coming from an a/c guy you need at least a 9 or 10 inch duct for a 270 cfm fan. That fan is going to burn up after a few uses without a doubt. But man that was a great idea you had I respect the effort.
i made one, with a 240cfm..but i used pvc for the whole shebang and i ran it all through the top of the cooler...didnt wanna wake up to a surprise due to potential leaks....i did use some dry tube for a duct of sorts to keep intake and exhaust away from each other...thanks for the sharing you did here
I noticed you have a 2" outlet, is that to keep the air in the duct work longer? Also looking at the same blower at 130 cfm , is that enough volume? Will only be used in a pickup truck. And would you change anything using the 130 cfm
The 2" outlet is because the hose inside the cooler moves back and forth so much that it reduces the air flow so the smaller outlet makes up for what the other pipe lacks
I can only see one improvement on this. Boil your ice and then freeze it. This will keep it from melting even longer. Hope this helps and adds to the great design you have Cheers 😀
make & do would you say this could be ideal in an ideal vehicle? My plan is to build this for my parked car at work, more often than not i have to park in direct sunlight and my car is scorching hot i live in texas this heat is no joke... by the by this is awesome thanks for sharing...
I have an 85 vanagon myself, girlfriend, and her sister are planning on camping in it at Bonnaroo this coming year. I'm hoping this can cook our van off at night time so we can sleep plus I have a full solar set up!! The inside of the van isn't much bigger than an SUV.
DO NOT USE DRY ICE!!! When it dissipates, it will fill the room or vehicle with CO2 which will displace the oxygen causing you to suffocate, pass out and possibly DIE!!!
Your air supply is separate from the ice itself. As long as your coolers lid seals and your holes are well sealed, dry ice would be fine to use and probably yield much colder results
@@miketaylor8427 Naw, the the volume of CO2 produced by the dry ice would rupture the cooler if it was completely sealed. Two ounces of dry ice is enough to fill a 5-gallon bucket with CO2 gas.
make & do OMG!..I’m SO glad your comment was the first one I saw...I was considering dry ice but I was only wondering if a cooler would be strong enough to keep it being it was so much colder than regular ice....but I didn’t imagine it could kill me thank you so much❤️ Thank God ....
bigbopete it lowers the freezing point of water. Which means the ice will revert back to a liquid while still remaining at or below the freezing point of unsalted water. This will allow for faster and more uniform cooling across the piping and also helps prolong the lifespan of the ice.
The salt allows for cooler liquid rather than ice. The sub 32 liquid cools pop cans better due to more surface contact. It will not change the rate of heat exchange, so it would do absolutely nothing for this application.
Just a little ingenuity and this man cones up with the best design for a diy cooler ac yet. This has always intrigued me i have tried several designs the most recent being the cooler oof ice water with a pump that pumps the ice water thrw a coil of cooper thats is zip tied to the front of the isolating fan wich works it will drop the temp of a 13x16 3 degrees in 2 hrs but melts the ice very quickly . this is a much more efficient design. I will be trying this grat for that car with broken ac or for camping with it plugged into your jumper box or truck . good job too bad you cant drop down to 1.5 inch sooner so you can get more pipe in the ice so u have more surface area cooling the pipe anyway great job bubba
How about filling the whole thing with water and then putting the entire box in a chest freezer (with a bit of room for expansion as it freezes). I'd be interested to hear how long that lasted.
Dude! I can’t believe i didn’t think of running the air through an aluminum tubing instead of bowing air across ice cubes or frozen 2 liter bottles. I got annoyed after 3-5 hours replacing the ice cubes. My roommates complaining i’m hogging up all the freezer space with 2 liter bottles . May the DIY god bless you.
Very nice design. The problem I am seeing here is overtime condensation will start to happen inside the metal tubes and when the unit is off might cause mold to accumulates. Adding like a small drain from the tube out from the cooler will possibly prevent that. Just need to be cleverly incorporated. Just my 2c.
Any idea what the ambiant air temp was during your test. I built one using a heater core and 12v water pump. It worked great but blows through ice.... Love your idea and can't wait to try.
I have two concerns, one is eventually you'll get a leak through the side of the ice chest as the sealant ages, and the semi rigid duct is not watertight, expect water to get on the inside of the duct. Other than that, this is a simpler and possibly better design than the hydronic cooling systems I've built using pumped water through heat exchangers, which needs a pump, water tubing, heat exchanger (copper coil water loop or radiator), additional wiring for pump in addition to the fan.
I agree with your concerns. The first one could be addressed by bringing the tube in at the top rather than the bottom like I did. To address the second concern, you could do so by connecting a tube to the cooler drain and running it outside. That way, if any water leaked inside the air duct, it would only get about an inch deep and air could still flow through freely. In hindsight, I should have mentioned those things in the video. Thanks for pointing it out.
Great Job on this project & thanks for sharing! I see a lot of good comments and questions here. My humble opinions; since warm air rises, more tubing can only add more cooling if the ice/water are up to top of tubing. However, more tubing length will increase friction losses and reduce flow; there is a trade off. Adding salt will reduce temperature of water and increase cooling effectiveness but would be corrosive to a metal tube. Adding tubing to inlet will reduce noise but will also reduce flow; another trade off. I like the 270 CFM fan and as large as possible diameter flex tubing.. The larger diameter tubing has less frictional losses resulting in more flow. This design appears to have good heat transfer and flow but you can only know if it is optimized by varying output flow. As flow is reduced, the outlet temperature will be colder but with less flow; another trade off. There is optimum flow for maximum cooling and would take some experimentation to determine the BTUs produced under different flows to determine MAX BTU Output. This design is on of the best I have seen. Again, Great Job!
Instead of using ice, take the inner piping out and let the air flow freely. Take bottles and fill them up with water, freeze them and then put them in your tank. Just make sure you have replacements when the ones in the tank start to warm up. I made one similar they gave me 32 degrees
I love this, gonna make this and cool my room down. My car doesn't have ac either. Love that its a better version. So grateful you shared this and the parts. I made one before but the ice melted to quick and it was the old style cooler. Amazing vid. again thanks so much.
The salt allows for cooler liquid rather than ice. The sub 32 liquid cools pop cans better due to more surface contact. It will not change the rate of heat exchange, so it would do absolutely nothing for this application. Salt doesnt change the temp, it changes the melting point.
All of your questions are answered here: th-cam.com/video/H4LutVTqsUU/w-d-xo.html
Can I run the fan with a power bank?? and which one how many mah??
make & do r
Where is the list?
Thanks !
Wont be able to make myself
But I can pay someone 50.00 to make it, I think.
If it takes an hour then 50.00 is a good price isn't it?
Just need the list.
Again thanks so much
@@dovecry2 list is in the video description.
@@angelap6788 where is video the descriptions?
As a heating and air technician, this is actually one of the best ideas I've seen
My husband's an HVAC tech he loves this
Don't work for cars... need a fresh air intake tube... did this and was going thru 3 bags of ice in 2 hours. . Too much humidity also...
Nat Pabon buy a new car and hush. This idea is phenomenal.
@@aceventura1980 Must be a poor insulating cooler.
Insulating cooler helps a lot
Just came back from a week of camping in the keys. I saw this video before I left and made it just like yours. You saved my life dude! thanks for sharing!
Hey man we are going to Ft Jefferson next summer. Had the same idea however, I don't want it making a ton of noise and disturbing others. How noisy is this thing?
@@bunkman64 the dry Tortugas are awesome!!! How did this work out?
I ended up making one of these but used a 3" 130CFM blower instead of the 4" 250CFM in the description. The 3" is a lot quieter, running tests on it now. Input air is 95 degrees and output air is 74 degrees. Everything else for the most part is as Jason designed. Oddly, because it is so cheap to make, I am considering daisy chaining a couple of these together to see what happens. With the 3" tubing fitting right onto the blower, I can just re-direct the output into a second ice chest. Running using a 12V 17AH battery pack with the intent to run using a solar panel + 12V 17AH rechargeable battery + a Beater Volkswagen Beetle. :D Thanks Jason, this was an awesome little DIY project that I did with my son.
the only thing that is important is the length of your serpentine and choice of material, the volume of the 2 boxes will make for longer use tough without adding extra ice
I am going to build one of these for my daughter. She is competitive golfer, going to take power from electric push cart, Two things I will need to do is a custom cooler that fits under golf bag and quiet fans. you said fans were quieter. How much quieter? so much so it wouldn't distrurb other players?
Thanks!
i did one almost exactly like it after watching this video. it works good. the climate here though is very humid but i ran a tube right up next to my face and it was great.
These couch quarter backs that criticize your efforts are almost unbelievable." Add Dry ice", Create a huge cloud of smoke. "Add more loops of tubing", Create Less space for ice and why? it already is blowing forty degrees. "Drain the water." There by reducing the mass of cold so it can't cool as well. Until all the ice melts teh water will be less than forty degrees. Let them make their own and then tell you how poorly it works after they have made their own modification. They will probably then blame you. You did a great job making this. Kudo's! I would like to know how long the cooling lasts when the cooler is in the sun. Perhaps painting it all silver will help. Not enough space in the cab for it to be inside. I may have to make my own to find out.
This deserves so many more views. Making a solar build this summer. Thanks for the info
I'm going to make this! I'm a refrigeration technician and this is genius. Only changes I'm going to make is making both the inlet and outlets at the top and then run the pipes across the top section before dropping down and looping across the bottom to try to utilize some of the top section, and I'm also going to run the power to the fan through a 12 volt thermostat to hopefully preserve more ice and increase how long a full cooler will last. Thank you so much sir for sharing this!
Hi. I built one just like you instructed. The issue I had was the flexible pipe isn’t water tight so it would fill up with water resulting in no airflow. If the ice doesn’t melt or you can keep it drained out, the flexible tubing is a great idea. Thanks for the video.
I've watched a few videos on the cooler/ac concept and had the idea of using the hose like you did here. Love seeing how well it worked for you.
Thanks a lot brother
I am making this this weekend. I agree with the way you looped the vent piping inside. I was thinking of something similar, but I couldn't think of the right material. This is it. Thanks!!!!
This is such a great idea. By not blowing the air over the ice, it'll last as long as the rating on the cooler states. The cooler above is rated to keep ice for up to 3 days...that's plenty of time for a road trip even with multiple legs. Dry ice would be even better to use. Either way, since the air is circulating within a closed system efficiency goes through the roof. I night even take this camping for when I go with tent camping with our Scout Troop.
For my application this will go in to the back of my pickup with the topper so that my dogs will stay cool n' comfy. Since I have a 12V adapter back there one of my sons can reach back and turn it on and off at will via the pass-thru from cab to topper. As a side note, I highly recommended tinting the windows of the topper as dark as possible to deflect the sun's rays. I also recommend insulating the inner walls a ceiling of the topper.
This project also took me an hour to assemble. I highly recommend caulking as you go rather than waiting til the end. Once everything was assembled it was a little difficult getting caulk around the underneath side of the two inner ports leading out.
With the caulk in place I can't to try this tomorrow. I plan on testing it in my laundry room (8'x5') with a portable battery that has a 12V plug on it.
dry ice puts out carbon monoxide (dioxide?) which shouldn't be used in a tent or closed space. You could die. Someone else mentioned a product that FREEZES down to dry ice temperatures that truckers use, and it does not put off any gases. So... that would be safe.
Be careful with the dry ice. You could die if it fills your tent up with carbon dioxide
idont think a tent would be a problem enough air circulating, but a closed in area yes
how long does the ice last?
I'm impressed! I'm buying an old camper to live in with my 2 dogs while I am having a home built on 4 acres. It will be in the middle of summer in southern Arizona where highs can be over 105 . I need a cheap and reliable method of keeping the camper cool while I am working during the day. This will be better that the 5 gallon bucket cooler. You did a very nice job with this video. Thank you!
Thank you.
Great video and thanks for sharing your parts list too. I've been toying with this idea too for a while. The comments are helpful, some are funny too! Here's my suggestions, some are already being discussed: Mount the fan to the lid on the inside the cooler, this will greatly muffle the sound and give it a cleaner look. One good fan with a 3 or 4" opening should be able to pull the outside (warm) air in, circulate through the metal pipe and push the (cool) air out. Make the air out hole also on top; so all holes go into the lid, no chance of any leaks. Lastly connect the out pipe to a long flexible plastic tube, so you can direct the air exactly where you need it. In extreme heat, consider putting the tube under your shirt, or even consider making/using a cooling vest, like military pilots use.
my thoughts exactly
but then the engine of the fan will get the temp. up INSIDE the cooler...
I m so glad I came across your video. My hubby transports luxury cars and his dodge ram is a diesel truck and for him to sleep with ac would cost a fortune. But now I can build him this type of ac and I don’t have to worry that he will have a heat stroke. Thanks a lot. Your video literary will save a life ❤🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
In case you're wondering, the reason the air is cooler after some of the ice has melted is because there's more conductive heat transfer occurring between the air flowing and the pipe/ice. The air gaps (convective heat transfer) between the ice and pipe is less effective. If you were able to somehow pour water into the cooler and let the whole thing turn into a block of ice, you would a very effective cooler.
So use a portable electric cooler/ freezer and set it to the freezer setting after filling with ice and water. Like the one I have from Costco Massimo CX50 12V Portable E-Kooler. A bit more expensive for the build, but these still run off of solar, portable power supplies, household electric, cigarette lighter outlets, and generators. And they come with both the 12v and 110v cords.
My ac compressor went out in vehicle and I do gig delivery. Phone keeps overheating in my car, rendering my ability to make money very difficult. Can’t afford to fix the ac so this hack is going to be a life saver! Can’t thank you enough for posting and can’t wait to get this system put together. THANK YOU!
Thanks for taking the time to make this. You rule. Awesome design and I’d say it’s definitely my favorite & makes the most sense for effectiveness & efficiency. Excited to make one of my own.
By far the best, easiest design. A little more money maybe but way worth it. Thanks for the idea, I will be building one soon.
I have successfully made a miniature version. I used a paint can, plastic tubing under the ice and a small (air mattress) air pump. It cools down my tiny 2 seater car. 😁
I would love to know how well this actually worked. I have a small car it's a Chevy Cruze and my AC does not work at all and it's going to cost me a lot to fix so trying to find something cheaper. Thanks :)
Great great design and video. Side note if you add salt to the ice/water the temperature drops considerably.
Good tip. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing a great video. I believe this would be a fantastic project for the kids to make that are in boys scouts and once they have made their own portable A/C unit, they can use it in their tents while camping during the hot months. Also; this portable A/C unit would be good to use in you vehicle if you can't afford the expensive bill to get your A/C unit replaced.
I started the morning out with the intention of building the more common variations on TH-cam. Was just about to make my 1st cut into the cooler when I decided to look for some more ideas/reviews. I’m glad I came across this video. I went to Home Depot and picked everything up you suggested and ordered everything else on Amazon, plus an adapter for household current. Not including the cooler, which I already had , I’m at $94 all together. Little more than I thought it would be but it definitely seems like it’s gonna be a fun little project. Thanks for the detailed video and especially the parts list!
I am going to use this in my little vintage camper. Can't wait to try it. thanks
Very effective and smart. I had built one using the computer fans for my dogs' house and then tried to use it to cool me while working in the garage, but you have to know that failed in that larger space; thank you for saving me. Your video caught my eye because I had used the same cooler with a solar panel and rechargeable battery, but thanks to you, Amazon has that blower for less than $35 with free shipping (12V 270 cfm's). I'm not cooling the entire space, but it's tolerable until I can build me a small shop to work in, Thanks again, Johnny in TX.
Drill small holes in the lid and fill with great stuff.. Plenty of videos... Even go further and put more insulation on the cooler or both.. Plenty of videos out there
Aloha! Would you happen to have a new link for the household AC adapter for the motor?? Thank you!
Genius craftsmanship!
I am going to the store to get the materials today! Thank you for this! I am hoping it will cool my garage, or at least help with the Florida heat. I have a car without a/c, so it should at least help with that. Thank you for the inspiration!
I built mine very similar but both holes are in the lid to avoid any possibility of leaks, the exhaust hole is a 3" elbow that can be rotated in any direction. The biggest problem is that those bilge blowers are too noisy so I switched to a Broan bathroom exhaust fan, 2.2 sones and more than enough air movement, I also went with 2 layers of coil and some vinyl tubing to drain the water, ice lasts twice as long if it's not floating in water.
Awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Can you how a video of your version?
But wouldn’t water work better for heat transfer?
The water from ice melt should be just above freezing. If you drain it, warm air is drawn into the cooler increasing the internal temperature, which actually makes the ice melt faster. This is why all cooler duration tests start out with a cooler full of ice don't drain any water during the test.
BumpinTheRoad I thought the same thing at first but testing both ways I found the ice lasts longer when the water drains away. A better way is to have the ice surrounding the coil but suspended above the water, you get the advantage of the water absorbing the heat and the ice not sitting in water.
I built this cooler using the same stuff that he used in the video. It really does work better than the first cooler because of the high powered fan. The only thing I did different was I mounted my blower on the top of the chest. The only issue I have with that is when I reload with more ice the metal tube rises up from me opening the lid. The objective is to cover the tube with ice but once I add some water it melts around it to cool it. I tried using mine in the day and it did not cool at all! The air was cold but my truck did not cool. Once the sun was completely down it worked pretty good but I added another 12v fan to help circulate the cool air faster and it worked well. I use mine in a 1 TON DUALLY TRUCK. Over all in my opinion... This is a pretty good set up. I dont recommend using it in the day time. Its just way to hot and it didnt cool for me at all. At night I was comfortable. If you make one I think you should find a way to make the ice last as long as possible and you should be happy.
Michael McGee I'm gonna be in a hot connex. After 3 different methods I thought this was the one, are you saying it didn't cool you even facing you directly?
Joshua Garza It did a good job once the SUN was COMPLETELY DOWN. I also had 2 other fans that helped circulate the air faster. After trying 2 different cooler type air conditioners, I just went out and bought a generator and a small A/C unit. THAT REALLY WORKS.
This looks to be the best idea I've seen so far of ALL the diy coolers. I always wondered about how long the ice lasted. Your idea and feedback proves to be the best I've seen. Great thinking. This is what I want to build for my work truck.
I built this same exact model, it took me an hour, and even without ice the air was cool! Testing with the ice tonight and tomorrow!
If you add rock salt to your water/ice bath it will make it colder and actually make the ice last longer... (little trick I learned working in food and beverage industry)
chris scott. Good point. It is true. That's also why rock salt is used when making home made ice cream
I thought about this to having watched videos where people did this to quickly super cool drinks in aluminum cans.
The salt allows for cooler liquid rather than ice. The sub 32 liquid cools pop cans better due to more surface contact. It will not change the rate of heat exchange, so it would do absolutely nothing for this application.
You can also make warm soda cold faster by putting them in a bowl of ice water with rock salt
actually it would allow better contact with the internal pipe as the ice cubes do not touch 100% but the liquid would
I live in my truck part time and this....this is amazing.
You can put a goal zero 150 or something similar on top/side of it and power it right there. Love it. Well done, sir.
Awesome design! Best video on DIY AC unit I’ve seen. Thanks for posting.
Thank you
There're many of video show their version and said how "awesome" they build, but I rarely to see a video even test with it and show how big of the room size that they can really get cool with.
But you did it and proved with the room size matter.
Thanks for your video!
What that cooling effect is called is Venturi. Its due to the change in air pressure due to speed. The slower a fluid moves the greater external pressure it exerts (higher pressure). The faster a fluid moves the less external pressure it exerts (lower pressure). This same Venturi effect is found in carburetors and can cause carburetor icing. The same Venturi effect happens at the inlet of jet engines which is why the engine cowl has electrical deicing capabilities
My speakers are BIC venturi's...lol
Your theory is some what correct but the jet engine part is not. The jet airliners fly at 25,000 to 40,000 feet where the air is -25F to -40F. If they fly through rain or mist without the inlet leading edge heated with hot bleed air ice will form on the leading edge of the inlets and wings. If the ice breaks free and goes into the engine it can damage the fan blades. If you heat the leading edges of the wings and inlets while you are passing through the altitudes that it starts getting below freezing and moisture is present it will melt any ice and and keep it from forming. The venturi effect has little to do with the reason for leading edge heat on engine inlets of jet engines. You can run jet engines on the ground all day long and it wont freeze the inlets.
@@keith6234 I was a FAA licensed pilot, working in FAR 121 operations for a very long time with different airlines, I have several FAA ratings and licenses, including examiners license, dispatchers license, flight engineer's license. I know what you're saying, but I am not wrong about the venturi effect happening at the inlet of jet engines where air speeds up as it enters not only due to RAM air, but the air is being sucking in as well (FOD is real issue on the ground, even though in warm temps, cowl icing may not be), so that increase in velocity of air near the intake of a jet engine, by both ram and the jet sucking air in does cause an increase in velocity, therefore a loss of pressure which results in a cooling effect, regardless of the ambient air conditions, and if there are freezing temps and moisture, icing can occur, even on the ground, which is why even after ground de-icing is complete and all anti-ice measure are deployed there is still a very short window of opportunity to safely take off according to FAA rules.
@@libertyfarmsiowa I am an A&P Mechanic for over 35 years so I do have some knowledge of the subject. Can you tell me how many degrees of temperature drop the venturi effect will cause ? While the venturi effect does have some effect it is not the main reason for Inlet Icing. Temp and moisture are the main factors not a few degrees of temp drop due to venturi effects. You get Icing on leading edges and radomes where there is no great venturi effect.
@@keith6234 Ah, a licensed mechanic. I get it now, but just so you know, I agreed with you're analysis, didn't you read that in my response to you or are you just one of those insecure nuts that have to have the last word?. You're the one that said the venturi effect meant nothing, and I say it does. You say tomahtoh, I say tomaytoe, so piss off.
Just left a friend house and he used the very same design , after making a few different types myself, this cools better than anything I’ve tried. Ice seemed to last longer. Think I’ll tweet it a bit , but , great design bro!
Try making it with one of the coolers that has wheels that way it could be moved easier!
Awesome, i brought a digital thermometer into my room yesterday and checked it today and apparently it got to 96 degrees. It is 89 right now as I am typing this and I spend all day in front of my computer programming lol so this Sunday i am going to start building this. Though I might try making a thin floor over the piping, adding water under this floor so the pipes are submerged and then use frozen 1 gallon jugs so they will be easier to change out than actual bags of ice.
Great video BTW
How are you combating condensation inside your air duct? Has it not been an issue?
if that becomes an issue, i could see using PVC througout the entire cooler to combat that. would cost more but no way the PVC is going to break down due to being in cold water a lot.
All of your questions are answered here: th-cam.com/video/H4LutVTqsUU/w-d-xo.html
Since I travel in a Kia minivan and can only drive during daylight hours...I sleep in the van. It gets warm going to Florida...this will easily cool my van! And it will run for hours off of my 500 watt 346 What lithium battery....Till they come out with a 3000 BTU AC using less wattage. Thank you for sharing!
WOW, that’s very innovative! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you
Thanks! The temperature in the Netherlands is extreme, most coolers won't work anymore because they are to weak in airflow. I'm going to make one for myself and 1 for my job. Tanks again m8!
Be cool to use for summer camping. Sleeping at night with a cool tent
As long as you have access to ice daily
You can just sit an open cooler of ice in your tent and cool it without using electricity. It works, just refill daily.
Adam Mcgrath That was the first thing on my mind.
That may work, but this A/C unit moves the air, rather than having stale air in the tent.
@@patriciathies2449 wrong. It circulates the same air inside the tent cooling it all. If it draws in outside warmer air that's a loss of the cooler air you want. So basically I think a modest fan would suffice for a tent, this unit is probably better for a larger space.
I don't want to try and say that I came up with this exact idea first or anything but I did wonder about using a tube but the use of that kind of dryer vent tube is genius in my head I kept thinking about like fixing metal pipes or some sort of piping of what you've done there is brilliant.
Great design! I ordered the 3" Seaflo Blower from Amazon for $20 today with standard 1 day shipping so it will be here tomorrow. I'll pick up the rest of what I need at Menards and am considering adding a potentiometer to it so I can adjust the fan speed. I plan on using this for my converted camper minivan for cooling it down while sleeping and also the tent for extended camping. Almost ready to add a dual battery isolator for auxillary power. This has to have the other designs beat by a mile. Thanks for posting and I subscribed to your channel so I can tap into more of your genius.
Let me know how the 130 cfm works. I'm thinking of the same for less current draw and less noise
Yeah that is hands-down the best design I’ve seen
Sleeper of peterbilt? Seems a few bags of ice is cheaper than idling all day/night. Thoughts?
Great solution sir. There is a guy who came up with a very expensive design (frankencooler) but yours is wayyy better IMO...cheers men!
The advantage of this over others is this one does not fill your room with water!! evaporative coolers do!!!
So no condensation would be dispersed? I love the idea...better than traditional evap coolers, but how would this do in a humid environment🤔 Thanks in advance.
Thanks for that! I have a 97 f150 and the a/C just whet out Total cost to fix it is over 1200$ I have a lawncare business down here in Austin. Texas and there is nothing worse than servicing a yard and then getting into a hot truck afterwards. I work by mysef so i will make one just like your setuo and have it in the seat next to me. It is supposed to be 102 degrees today!!! I will make one this weekend. Thanks again!!!!!!
Did you experiment with a reducing fixture that would fit on the front of the fan so the intake would be getting the benefit of the venturi effect cooling the intake air? Also, could there be an advantage to mounting the fan in the opposite direction of the exhaust so you are no sucking in the cooled air which, since it is heavier, sinks to lower levels? Bought the parts for your earlier design and have new design parts on order. Great idea! BTW: Found excellent $5 coolers at local Goodwill store.
I did not experiment with the venturi effect. As far as mounting the blower at the opposite end, I would be worried about one thing. If for some reason, you got a hole in the metal ducting and water got inside, you would be sucking moisture past the electric motor which could damage it. If it's only blowing like in the video and you get a hole in the ducting, it will not damage the motor.
qdroman could you please describe what a reducing fixture would look like or provide a link? I’m unfamiliar with the Venturi effect and how you would apply to the front of the fan. Would a 4” to 2” coupler do what you are describing? Thank you
@@suttergorilla Basically, when a gas passes through a restriction it must "speed up" and a pressure drop develops across the restriction. With a venturi the inlet and outlet are gradually reducing and allowing expanding of the flow. In other words, if the venturi is circular in shape you just have a cone for both the inlet and outlet. I see no advantage of a venturi here. The air flow might suffer a tiny bit because an extra small pressure drop has just been introduced.
All of your questions are answered here: th-cam.com/video/H4LutVTqsUU/w-d-xo.html
I don’t see the benefit of adding a venturi because you are not mixing substances. A venturi is used when using the pressure drop as a way to suck in another mixture through means of having a bifurcated pipe. All you would be doing here is slowing down/choking the flow without benefit. You would be losing potential energy and reducing your net heat transfer rate
I got all the parts today and I’ll be building it this weekend, hoping this will be a good temporary until I can get my ac fixed in my car. Also was thinking of getting a second tube of the aluminum duct stuff to put another layer on top of the first layer to give a longer path for the air to go through the ice
Did you build it?
@@kalinkanev2373 yea I built it. It works decently. Instead of buying ice all the time because on a hot day it’ll all melt within 4-5 hours, I just freeze a bunch of water bottles and put them in the freezer once I get home. It’ll blow at about 60-65 degrees right at the vent but when it’s really hot outside and inside my car after about 6 inches from the vent it’s not too cold anymore and a foot away from the vent it just feels like warm air. If I had like one of those tubes you could bend around like a vacuum tube and put it in my shirt I bet it would feel good but honestly this thing wasn’t really worth making. Would it better than nothing? Yes but is it really worth it? No
2018 Best design so far. DIY A.C. fans we have a winner!
Thanks.
wow, very nice design. Currently a heat wave in the UK, so I rigged up a pc fan to the mains (12v adapter), fixed it to the top of an ice cream tub filled with ice. Lasts for about 1.5 - 2 hours and only effective if right in front of me. A little bit of googling, a few peltier videos later I am here thinking, this is 'The Design' for me... cheers.
Thanks dude, I think your diy cooler ac is the best so far... I'm building one just like yours, same fan, n stuff, but mine has 2 flexible aluminum tubes instead of 1! What do u think? I'll send u a pic when im done! Thanks for ur great ideas!
Did you read some of the other comments; one said pour rock salt over your ice, makes ice colder and last longer. Other comment was...if you mount your thing (idk what he called it 😅) inside the cooler, it would not be so loud.
5conMe0 DuMinhTu did the tubes fill up with water
I like the idea of running air through the tube and not directly on the ice. Plus the cooler is still functional while cooling
I would change one thing on this thing. I would use pvc pipe on both ends and keep metal pipe exclusively inside
Thank you so much for this and for explaining why the other ones don’t work as well. Because I made it the other way with the fan blowing directly into the once and it sucked
Love it thanks for sharing
I live in my van and was gonna build one with the popular design
But going this design now
Is your van down by the river?
Mike not yet
How has it worked out for you? Thinking of doing the Same thing
Gonna do it too for my 71 Westfalia. It’s hot as blazes here in California right now. Got all the parts. Just need to find a jigsaw to borrow.
Ok full disclosure I have worked as a HVAC consulting engineer for over 20 years and in the field over 35. This is by far my favorite design concept for one of these DIY cooler units. First off and best off as I live in Philly (summers are REALLY humid) this design actually will remove water vapor from air stream as water will condense on the inside surface of the air ducts. Second it is able to both cool and dehumidify with out a freaking water pump and chilled water and a coil in side the cooler, frankly for me at that point I would call Trane or Carrier and get a coil selection lol honestly at that point the build time your time is worth has to be getting close to at least a 5k window unit so wtf is the point? My only question that jumped off for me has to do with mu first comment - where does the condensate from the inside of the ductwork go?
Incredible man! You’re so generous and thoughtful to share this. Saved to my you tube & Pinterest so hopefully more people will see it 👍👍
Dude, my suv has air conditioning. Just messin with you. Great design. The metal tubing is genius.
Ipressive !!! If you add salt to your ice it will cool it into the minus numbers because ice in itself will stay at 0 but if you add salt it will go into minus, 👌😎
Deon Joubert I was just about to say the same thing.
Only us people that used to make homemade ice cream, lol.
I have a small van that I am going to start camping out of. This would solve the one problem I have. Thank you!
Friggin awesome. So simple and cheap. I like to freeze 'fiji' brand water bottles because they are square and stack nice. Just throwing that out there.
I made one like this but I put the blower on top and used pipe down to the bottom I also added a 12 volt remote control relay so I can turn it on and off easily and a thermostat. Works great. I use mine in the bedroom because I love a cold room to sleep.
try adding some salt to the ice , i use that to freeze fish in my fish box. It gets way bellow 32*
Super cool. I live off grid in the southwest. Would be very nice to cool off a room👍
Do you think using a narrower, longer semi rigid metal tube and narrower outlet pipe would increase efficiency of system (more surface area being exposed to ice water, and narrower tubes aiding cooling effect in general)?
Yes. I agree. More surface area exposed would make it cooler.
would you need a higher velocity fan?
I don't think so.
I could be wrong, but it almost makes sense that a lower velocity fan would be better, because it would take longer for air to flow (thus giving it more time in the conduit to cool).
I think if the air comes out cooler you will spend more ice in less time. Depending on the size of the room you want to cool, it might be better to have less heat exchanged for a longer cooling period. The efficiency is I think mostly in how good the container is insulated. But as the box is in the same area you are cooling that would not matter much. Basically you not want to cool your room to much to quick. Adjusting airflow is a good way to control that. Faster airflow will blow out air of slightly higher temperature but overall it will cool down a room quicker. When you start calculating though non of these coolers should work as the BTU would be around 50-100 while normal airconditioners are 7000 or higher. The amount of ice needed compared to an airconditioner is huge. Ice would only be economical if it can be had for almost free (and no ice from your freezer is certainly not free. I live in Thailand and ice is a very common product for a very low price. That is the reason why I am interested in it. In western countries it works when you need it only for a low amount of days per year as the cost of ice will get too high when compared to a real air-conditioning electrical bill.
I really like your idea, ty very much for sharing. I will build one soon. I'm guessing about 175-200 in parts total?
Coming from an a/c guy you need at least a 9 or 10 inch duct for a 270 cfm fan. That fan is going to burn up after a few uses without a doubt. But man that was a great idea you had I respect the effort.
Been running mine for more than 10 hours a day for almost a month no problems
my 1200cfm cooktop fan requires a 10" pipe...I doubt this little thing needs that!
Hey Josh, this fan is in a 4 or 5” round housing because it’s designed to be used in that sized duct.
It’s made for marine and RV applications.
i made one, with a 240cfm..but i used pvc for the whole shebang and i ran it all through the top of the cooler...didnt wanna wake up to a surprise due to potential leaks....i did use some dry tube for a duct of sorts to keep intake and exhaust away from each other...thanks for the sharing you did here
Could you post a picture of your set up? I was considering PVC as well.
@@old-school-ez6715 i will be making a delta style recumbent trike build video soon...my heat exchanger will be in that.
couldn't you put the input towards the top and run the pipe down towards the bottom? This would help avoid any leaks.... Thanks for sharing.
Yes. This would actually be a better option. I thought about doing that too late.
Dan- - - Cool air sinks, maybe it's better to recirculate cooler air than taking in Hotter air.
Besides, if it isn't leaking- - where's the problem ?
Do you think if the metal tube was doubled in length and ran twice it would make the air even cooler?
Sounds reasonable. That would give the air more time to get cold before exiting the cooler.
If you added a small block of dry ice it will make the other ice last even longer.
This is one of the smarter ones of these I've seen. Good job, man.
I noticed you have a 2" outlet, is that to keep the air in the duct work longer?
Also looking at the same blower at 130 cfm , is that enough volume? Will only be used in a pickup truck. And would you change anything using the 130 cfm
The 2" outlet is because the hose inside the cooler moves back and forth so much that it reduces the air flow so the smaller outlet makes up for what the other pipe lacks
I can only see one improvement on this. Boil your ice and then freeze it. This will keep it from melting even longer. Hope this helps and adds to the great design you have Cheers 😀
Rodolfo Torres how will boiling the water for the ice make it last longer?
im a delivery truk driver..is this make my truk cool.. ty
The cab...yes. The cargo...it's hard to say. I used it in a midsize suv and it cooled the entire thing.
make & do would you say this could be ideal in an ideal vehicle? My plan is to build this for my parked car at work, more often than not i have to park in direct sunlight and my car is scorching hot i live in texas this heat is no joke... by the by this is awesome thanks for sharing...
EvErMoRe there's a new gadget, a solar powered fan you can put to your car window that removes the heat from your car
Nermain Merl i'll have to look for that 🤔
@@nermainmerl3284 That's been tested. It doesn't work
I have an 85 vanagon myself, girlfriend, and her sister are planning on camping in it at Bonnaroo this coming year. I'm hoping this can cook our van off at night time so we can sleep plus I have a full solar set up!! The inside of the van isn't much bigger than an SUV.
DO NOT USE DRY ICE!!! When it dissipates, it will fill the room or vehicle with CO2 which will displace the oxygen causing you to suffocate, pass out and possibly DIE!!!
Your air supply is separate from the ice itself. As long as your coolers lid seals and your holes are well sealed, dry ice would be fine to use and probably yield much colder results
Thanks
@@miketaylor8427 Naw, the the volume of CO2 produced by the dry ice would rupture the cooler if it was completely sealed. Two ounces of dry ice is enough to fill a 5-gallon bucket with CO2 gas.
Oh SHIT! That's not good! lol
make & do OMG!..I’m SO glad your comment was the first one I saw...I was considering dry ice but I was only wondering if a cooler would be strong enough to keep it being it was so much colder than regular ice....but I didn’t imagine it could kill me thank you so much❤️
Thank God ....
Thanks so much for this video/guide man, making one this afternoon to hopefully keep my van cool in the NC summer heat.
Ever made ice cream? Pour some rock salt in with the ice and water and you will achieve even better cooling!
Thanks for the tip.
That would be interesting to see how that works.
Why is that? What does the rock salt do to the ice that makes it cooler?
bigbopete it lowers the freezing point of water. Which means the ice will revert back to a liquid while still remaining at or below the freezing point of unsalted water. This will allow for faster and more uniform cooling across the piping and also helps prolong the lifespan of the ice.
The salt allows for cooler liquid rather than ice. The sub 32 liquid cools pop cans better due to more surface contact. It will not change the rate of heat exchange, so it would do absolutely nothing for this application.
Just a little ingenuity and this man cones up with the best design for a diy cooler ac yet. This has always intrigued me i have tried several designs the most recent being the cooler oof ice water with a pump that pumps the ice water thrw a coil of cooper thats is zip tied to the front of the isolating fan wich works it will drop the temp of a 13x16 3 degrees in 2 hrs but melts the ice very quickly . this is a much more efficient design. I will be trying this grat for that car with broken ac or for camping with it plugged into your jumper box or truck . good job too bad you cant drop down to 1.5 inch sooner so you can get more pipe in the ice so u have more surface area cooling the pipe anyway great job bubba
How about filling the whole thing with water and then putting the entire box in a chest freezer (with a bit of room for expansion as it freezes). I'd be interested to hear how long that lasted.
Matthew Gallagher how bout going to the north pole and saying the HELL with it?
Dude! I can’t believe i didn’t think of running the air through an aluminum tubing instead of bowing air across ice cubes or frozen 2 liter bottles. I got annoyed after 3-5 hours replacing the ice cubes. My roommates complaining i’m hogging up all the freezer space with 2 liter bottles . May the DIY god bless you.
Great video. The material list was helpful, and the porn music towards the end was a nice bonus!
:)
Bwahahaha
70's porn music
The music is the shit. Need this song 👍
Jason L bowchicawowwow 😉
Very nice design. The problem I am seeing here is overtime condensation will start to happen inside the metal tubes and when the unit is off might cause mold to accumulates. Adding like a small drain from the tube out from the cooler will possibly prevent that. Just need to be cleverly incorporated. Just my 2c.
Any idea what the ambiant air temp was during your test.
I built one using a heater core and 12v water pump. It worked great but blows through ice.... Love your idea and can't wait to try.
I don't remember the exact number, but it was in the mid 80's.
I was thinking the same thing. Heat exchangers and recirc. Pump in a closed loop with blower.
Item could come in handy during a power outage, given you have solar and/or battery power. Great video!
Use a salt/water solution, it'll drop the temp of the water.
Great idea. I saw the link to your channel on another channel. The guy built it for a van.
I have two concerns, one is eventually you'll get a leak through the side of the ice chest as the sealant ages, and the semi rigid duct is not watertight, expect water to get on the inside of the duct.
Other than that, this is a simpler and possibly better design than the hydronic cooling systems I've built using pumped water through heat exchangers, which needs a pump, water tubing, heat exchanger (copper coil water loop or radiator), additional wiring for pump in addition to the fan.
I agree with your concerns. The first one could be addressed by bringing the tube in at the top rather than the bottom like I did. To address the second concern, you could do so by connecting a tube to the cooler drain and running it outside. That way, if any water leaked inside the air duct, it would only get about an inch deep and air could still flow through freely. In hindsight, I should have mentioned those things in the video. Thanks for pointing it out.
Flex Seal to the rescue :D
jendarjen I agree with flex seal
Flex seal would insulate the tube and be less effective. It would have to. The reason it cools is the heat transfer of the aluminum.
Great Job on this project & thanks for sharing! I see a lot of good comments and questions here. My humble opinions; since warm air rises, more tubing can only add more cooling if the ice/water are up to top of tubing. However, more tubing length will increase friction losses and reduce flow; there is a trade off. Adding salt will reduce temperature of water and increase cooling effectiveness but would be corrosive to a metal tube. Adding tubing to inlet will reduce noise but will also reduce flow; another trade off. I like the 270 CFM fan and as large as possible diameter flex tubing.. The larger diameter tubing has less frictional losses resulting in more flow. This design appears to have good heat transfer and flow but you can only know if it is optimized by varying output flow. As flow is reduced, the outlet temperature will be colder but with less flow; another trade off. There is optimum flow for maximum cooling and would take some experimentation to determine the BTUs produced under different flows to determine MAX BTU Output. This design is on of the best I have seen. Again, Great Job!
Instead of using ice, take the inner piping out and let the air flow freely. Take bottles and fill them up with water, freeze them and then put them in your tank. Just make sure you have replacements when the ones in the tank start to warm up. I made one similar they gave me 32 degrees
For how long? How long before you replaced them?
I love this, gonna make this and cool my room down. My car doesn't have ac either. Love that its a better version. So grateful you shared this and the parts. I made one before but the ice melted to quick and it was the old style cooler. Amazing vid. again thanks so much.
Char Sasso did it work?
I wonder if you wrap the cooler in refletix, insulate the top with foam, and add salt to the ice how much cooler it would get?
The salt would make it colder. The extra insulation would make the ice last longer...or you could just buy a more expensive cooler.
REFLECTIX....YES, YOU WIN! I use REFLECTIX in all my coolers anyway.
put some liquid nitrogen , it will definitely cool it down more :D
Salt is very corrosive and it would concern me that the flex could be damaged.
The salt allows for cooler liquid rather than ice. The sub 32 liquid cools pop cans better due to more surface contact. It will not change the rate of heat exchange, so it would do absolutely nothing for this application. Salt doesnt change the temp, it changes the melting point.