How to Build a Swamp Cooler

Green is in. Doing things that decrease our carbon foot print is in the news. The energy we use to cool our homes increases our carbon footprint. Building a swamp cooler is an interesting and useful science experiment to teach children how use less energy to cool a room. Swamp coolers work by evaporation. When moisture is added to the air and then quickly evaporated, the room feels cooler. Swamp coolers work best in dry, hot climates such as deserts or mountain regions.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Sand paper
• 4 pieces of 1-foot by 3-foot lumber boards.
• Hammer
• One roll of screen door mesh or of chicken wire
• Wire cutters (if using chicken wire)
• Scissors (if using screen door mesh)
• Staple gun
• One bale of hay
• Water source
• Fan (box fans work well)

1. After sanding the boards, nail the four 1-foot by 3-foot boards together to form a four-sided open frame.

2. Cut two pieces of mesh wire or chicken wire to cover the frame openings. Using the staple gun, attach one piece of the mesh wire or chicken wire to one side of the frame.

3. Staple the mesh wire or chicken wire to half the second side of the frame. Fill the space with hay and finish attaching the mesh wire or chicken wire.

4. Wet the hay until it is very damp. Set the swamp cooler in front of the fan and turn the fan on high.

Tips & Warnings

• To use the swamp cooler as a science fair project, record the room temperature before and after using the cooler. Record the temperature after using the cooler each hour. Use the cooler in different sized rooms and record how long it takes to cool a room based on size.

• The swamp cooler can be used for several days but eventually the hay will get moldy, so replace it.

References

• Science Buddies