How to Build an Eco Air Conditioner
It is not difficult to make a simple, eco-friendly air conditioner that uses a plastic tube to circulate cold water through a copper tube coiled in front of a fan. The fan blows room-temperature air through the cold tubing to create a refreshing flow of cool air. The cost of both construction and energy savings are roughly one-60th that of a standard air conditioner. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 20 feet of 1/4-inch copper tubing
- Small underwater fountain pump
- 3/8-inch clear nylon or plastic fish tank tube
- Styrofoam cooler
- Zip ties
- Adhesive plumbers putty
- Ice
- Box fan
Instructions
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Assembling Air Conditioner
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1
Wind a copper tube into a coil and attach it to the face of a box fan with zip ties. To produce colder air, use as much copper tubing as possible, but leave some space between the coils so air can flow through.
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2
Run a plastic tube from the exit port of the underwater pump to one end of the copper coil on the face of the box fan. The pump will suck cold water from the cooler and push it through the coil. Use waterproof plumber’s putty to secure the connection.
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3
Attach a plastic tube to the opposite end of the copper coil. Secure the connection with plumber’s putty. This tube will return the water to the ice bath to be cooled again.
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4
Wait an hour for the adhesive to dry on the connections. Fill the cooler with ice water. Run the return plastic tube to the cooler. Submerge the fountain pump and plug it in. Turn on the fan.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Use old cooling water for your plants.
Water will condense on the copper coil and drip. Put a towel or pan under the fan to collect the water. The ice in the cooler will eventually melt and the temperature of the air blowing through the coils will drop, so you need to replace the ice at least once every eight hours.
References
- Photo Credit Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
