DIY 12V Air Cooler! very cold air! 20w (AC or DC) - Radiator w/Stand + Hi-Speed.Fan! modular design!
Vložit
- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
- How to Make a Powerful Desktop Air Cooler at Home. this DIY AC Air Cooler combines my recent Hi-Speed Fan Project with a Cooling Radiator and DIY Radiator Stand. Very easy to set up! Unit runs on AC or DC power! 2 speed operation. produces cold air for hours at a time. very low power draw, *15w on low speed, *20w on high speed. maximum amp draw is only 1.6 amp/hrs. per hour (1.3a for the fan and 0.3a for the pump). runs on AC power using a 12v 2a (24w) transformer (only $5 from amazon) ...or on DC Power using an autos 12v power socket, a 12v solar panel or a 12v battery. compact and very durable. good for use around the house or 'on the go'. note that the fan and radiator are not attached in any way (they just slide together) so you can always use the fan as a stand-alone desk fan if and when you want to. note also that the radiator just slides out of the stand (so the unit can be stored easily). output air temp on high speed 55F/13c (with 80F/27c room temp). that drops down another 10F when you run unit on low speed. ice jugs last 3 to 4 hours (just rotate in and out of as needed). for extended cooling times use larger ice chest and load it up. using multiple ice jugs/ice blocks/blue ice packs could easy get you 8 10 or even 12 hours at a time. if you have condensation on the radiator, I'd recommend laying a 'hand towel' or paper towel underneath the unit. parts list is included in the video. feel free to comment and to ask any questions in the comments section below.
Links the major components:
link to the AC power adapter tinyurl.com/4y...
link to the radiator (model 403) tinyurl.com/n6...
link to the road pro 12v fan tinyurl.com/mr...
link to a similar pump (2 pack) tinyurl.com/4w...
and here's the link to the video I made on the High-Speed Fan w/DIY stand.
• 12v High-Speed Desk Fa...
Love the old school CZcams vibe, pls never change your style.
I built one of you cooling inventions and it works so well. Btw, I'm in West Texas (extremely dry and HOT) today it's 112 degrees outside and inside we're at 76 degrees plus we get the added benefit of adding humidity.
sweet! i'm glad you made it! that's what it's all about. sounds like you made one of my evap cooler projects. those are awesome in the dry areas!
So glad you list out the components. I might try to build a smaller one since I have a small fan and radiator around, just need a pump.
you're welcome, i say 'go for it' 👍 it's very easy to do
I really appreciate you sharing your innovative ideas .
It looks like you could cool your house with multiple fans and air coolers that you have built over the years . Thank you again and much respect.
That's what I was thinking as well. How much of this could cool an entire house? The only problem I wondered was how often you would have to replace the ice blocks? It seems like it would be labor intensive.
Another great "dry" cooling system, thanx.
hi. yes, these radiator cooling systems are great because they actually remove (water/humidity) from the air. it would probably work great in the southern states. won't remove as much water as an actual AC (but might be the next best thing) *other than using a 'store bought' dehumidifier or window AC unit.
@@desertsun02 tnaks for the idea.... but, for how long the ice takes to keep it cooling? 2h? 4h?
A twelve volt fridge freezer that works from a solar panel would be an Ideal companion for your set up. 👍
Or a twelve volt ice maker would compliment your set up. 👍
Could be possible not long ago experimenting with peltier modules need a different fluid water frozen up in the aluminum cooling using RV antifreeze. Next experiment using 100 proof vodka. Alcohol has a low freezing point go into negative Farenheight temps, RV antifreeze didn't work. Makes one wonder a swamp cooler peltier could do?
I’ve watched your videos for some years now. One of my absolute favorites. Thanks for the informative and entertaining videos. Love the creativity 👍 Been thinking about building a greenhouse in a valley by our spring to keep cool during high heat for greens.. Perfect timing 🙂 Thanks again 👍.
Honestly man, probably the best eco friendly invention channel on CZcams.
hi and thank you. eco-friendly is a good way to describe the channel. i like to focus on projects that are simple, useful, and practical with off-grid options and an emphasis on being eco-friendly (having solar power options etc.).
simply put a cloth into a dish and blow air thru it....capillary action will keep it wet and air will cause evaporation
I can't believe I hadn't thought about using a 12V solar source to run my energy generating machine like you did here. I had thought about using a small 12V battery and worried that the energy pulled from the battery would be more than the energy produced by the machine. But using a 12V solar source the energy requirements would be zero and any energy produced by the machine would be free.
Awesome to see, thank you for your continued innovations! Saturday night I caved and bought the parts to build the Deluxe Air Cooler that you posted 9 months ago. I live in N.C. where it's not super hot nor dry, though this system should work beautifully regardless. I cannot wait to use it when we lose power, and when camping to show friends. Hopefully it can also save me money in the long run by supplementing my HVAC load.
sounds great! i'm glad you're building the project.
Awesome! Thank you!
Excellent! Thanks!
hi. you bet! thanks for the comment 🙂👍
Is condensation an issue?
hi there. i don't have that issue where i live because the dew points here are so low (like in the 20's) mainly because it's so dry here. if you have that issue I'd recommend just laying a 'hand towel' or even just a paper towel under the unit.
Thanks
you're welcome 🙂👍
Another great job. Well done!!! Glad I subscribed years ago.
hi and thank you! and thanks for being a long-time subscriber! i just checked and it says subscribed for 9 years. awesome!
But......the heat generated by the fridge compressor is greater than the cooling. You are just moving air of different temps around. Solutuon 1. Move the fridge into the garage.
But TY!
hi, this is true but various factors usually negate that issue. factors like freezing the ice at night, and the fact that it would only be the kitchen that would possibly gain a degree or two of air temp during the freezing process. for 'partial home' or 'room cooling' it works out very well 🙂.(it's also a great for general space cooling)
@@desertsun02 True, thank you. Using night and day to offset each other is very smart!
Nice video :) the options for cooling are … 1 use ac, need much constant power, cost a lot, result never ending cool. 2 evaporative cooler (swamp cooler) much less power, and uses water, cost much lower, adds moisture to air, wont work in humid wheather, in good conditions will cool. 3 use direect or indirect cold source (ice) low power,uses ice (need some way of making or buying), mostly for shorter times. Simpelest evaporative that i have used sometimes, need fan and wet towel (somithing to drape towel over and drip tray under. Fan blow across the wet hanging towel, towel gets colder from loosinig moisture and air blowing across colder towel cools air. Works maybe 30 minutes to 1 h before towel dry.
Good video, thanks for sharing YAH bless !
Thank you too
Great job.
I would keep the water from touching the ice block by keeping water in a container within ice chest and keep the lid closed by routing the water lines through a bulk head in the ice chest . I think it will keep the ice block from melting so quickly and make it cool the air longer . I am not a thermal dynamic expert so please correct me if I am wrong . Thank you for sharing your knowledge
Thank you for posting! Im going to build a couple of them and use my box fans. I was just putting frozen 2 2liter bottles in front of a fan but this is much better.
yes, these radiator-based units work super good. I've got a couple of box fan version already posted to the channel. if you haven't seen them, they would be worth a look 🙂 (i used 2 model 405's on those)
really cool solution, thanks! Incidentally, which one works better, according to you? Or which on works more efficient?
( this one or the box 📦 one )
In any case, love your channel!
i think the pump on the box fan ones use about the same amount of power but the box fan pulls a lot more power than the 12v metal fan that i used in this build. (plus the box fans are AC only) *unless of course you use attached the model 405's (the radiators) to my DIY 12v box fan project. the 12v high speed metal fan moves a lot of air (it's close to 1000 cfm on high, about 959). that rivals a box fan for total air moved.
thanks for your answer! It’s fun learning to use parts you buy online and putting them together to make real energy solutions. Yours are really comprehensible. One day I want to learn how to make my own pcb projects, to make a really good and save affordable small solar power system (now one square one). Next project is a smokeless rocket stove pizza oven combination (finished a pilot version). Many thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you brother keep em coming..
you bet.
Okay... It's time for you to design an air conditioned vest. I sweat like the Dickens..... I haven't found a great vest that cools well enough in the summer. Start designing my friend
hi there. i've looked into that but never actually made one. now that i know people like the idea i'll see what i can do 👍🙂
@@desertsun02 It will be a complicated design. But my first thoughts are like the heated jackets by Milwaukee or DeWalt or whatever. A 12v battery runs a computer fan and there will be disposable refrigerant cartridges.
do you have any ideas on how to overcome the condensation issue that might occur on the pipes in the vest? those would be sewn in and i could envision water condensing and getting peoples' shirts wet?
@@desertsun02 Maybe the pipes are inserted into a wool sleeve and then sewn into the material. The wool will act as a repellent therefore causing the pipes to cool down even more
Your awesome🎉 as my PGE bill skyrockets yearly u off er me hope. Thx
Hello, thank you for sharing. Can you please tell us for how many hours the cold air lasts? It could used in indoor grow tents but i would like to know if a block of ice will last for an entire day, or if you have to change it at the middle of the day. How much was the temp of your room before and after starting the cooler? Thank you
Very cool. Would be nice to set the radiator on a night stand while sleeping.
Definitely!
Nice. How many hours does it stay cold in the cooler vs a regular 5 gallon bucket? My pump is slightly bigger as well
i'm getting 3 to 4 hours of cooling per gallon jug. but that will vary depending on how hot the air in the room is and whether you run it on low or on high. i'm literally sitting in front of it right now (on low speed) because high speed was actually too cold at the moment. you can get much longer run time with bigger ice chest and multiple ice jugs or ice blocks. i think 8 10 and even 12 hours would be possible. i once got 11 hours of cooing on one 25 lb block of ice. that would be equivalent to about 2.5 frozen gallon jugs. i was running that air cooler on a solar panel that particular time.
I need this in the Philippines!
Comparing the radiator and the finned transmission, which do you like better for what uses?
How well you think the radiator performs in comparison with the foam evaporation pad for the same dimensions? I would rather use the pad if it means that is more efficient.
hi there. it's hard to compare the two because they are different types of air coolers. the air coolers that use pads are evaporative air cooler (also known as a swamp coolers). those use evaporation to cool the air, so how well they work depends on how humid the air is. they work the best when the air is dry or semi-dry. the air cooler in this video (with the radiator) is ice-based so it's a 'phase change' air cooler. this one doesn't generate any humidity and isn't dependent on how humid the room air is. it will cool the air down even if the air is 90% rh (relative humidity). if you're using the unit in a drier climate then an evap unit (swamp cooler) might be the way to go because they don't use any ice. all they need is room temperature water.
I wonder if a used mini-split indoor unit, instead of the trans-cooler, will be more effective?
Instead of cooler with ice, what about using a used chest box freezer connected to solar panels?
i've been thinking about getting a small chest freezer for a long time. you can get a 3.5 or 5.0 one for pretty cheap. those things would probably super chill the air
Hi Desertsun, you have delivered another great piece of work. But am I right that you made something similar a few years ago, this is of course in a more modern guise. I still have a question, I personally find that hassle with ice difficult, you have to keep adding new ice and remove the melted water. As I wrote to you before, this may be possible to compensate for this with 1 or more PELTIERS, you must of course have a drain to the outside.... Just a question. Greetings from Rotterdam.😉
hi there. yes, i've made a few ice/radiator air coolers over the years. this one has advantages including having the removable desk fan and removable radiator (as well as having the fan behind the radiator). the ice chest is also sized so it's just big enough to hold full gallon ice jug without being too heavy to lift or move around. also is portable and very durable with AC and DC power options. i have a peltier air cooler or two on the channel but those have certain limitations. they require a LOT of power if you want one that is bigger than just a personal space cooler. i'll keep working on it 👍🙂
Very Cool man. . . !!! No pun intended.
I think this is great. What size SOLAR PANEL were you using in this video? Running direct?, no controller?
Thank you in advance for your response.
OH OH OH . . . BTW, I am going to build your design using the BILGE BLOWER FAN. I will contain the coil inside the cooler for recovering condensate.
Keep up the great posts!!
hi and thank you. i'm glad you're building the project. that's awesome! i was using a 50 watt renogy panel (compact version). that is a great panel. it can put out over 3 amps and often does. technically a 30 watt panel would be sufficient to run the unit. i say 30w because that would give you the amps you need. a 50 watt one (like i used) would run the unit full blast all day (even if the panel was not directly facing the sun). all you need is a solid 1.6 amps to run the unit at high speed. (fan pulls 1.3 and the pump pulls 0.3). you don't need any type of controller. you can just hook it up directly to a 12v solar panel or 12v battery. you could run it all week on a good size deep cycle battery or lithium battery before needed to recharge the battery.
The real energy draw is the ice?
How much is the ice, and how long does it last?
I liked your last contraption like a swamp heater to cool water and then pipe it to this as a second stage.
hi. since i'm using the fridge for the ice - it costs just a few extra cents a day (in electricity) to freeze. i think you're referring to the evap (swamp) "water chiller" units i've made. those do indeed cool the water down. (for those not familiar, those units cool down water (and air) by using 'water soaked' pads). you could certainly use that chilled water with this. those units just need dry air to work well. natural sources of cold water may also be 'well water' or lake/stream water if you had it close enough.
@@desertsun02 just keep the bucket of water inside the refridgerator or freezer full-time and it will never heat up
How long does the ice jug stay in general? If you went to sleep would it last most of the night? This is great for a power station in a lights out situation. Insanely clever!!!
hi and thank you! it can vary quite a bit but in generally get 3 to 4 hours (so for overnight use i'd use a larger ice chest and put in 2 or 3 frozen gallon jugs). you can also add blue ice paks and ice cubes if you like. the more ice the better. the bigger blocks last the longest
Material list length of tubing. What the diameter?
hi. tubing is about 5 feet (x2). 5/16" id is best
I we'll just get some clamps and clamp the radiator fan and one on each side should hold it up
I want to use antifeee in the closed loop system and use the cooling system to remove heat from a small sleep Just big enough to handle your tablet mouse and a little tv.
it's a good idea. i've always stayed away from using antifreeze mainly because i'm not sure it would cool the water down much more than it already is (but it might be worth me trying it). might need a special pump for that (i'm not sure).
@@desertsun02 I want to drill in a freezer use the freezer and eliminate the AC. I believe this would save energy and focus on the small zone vs removing heat from too much area. You need a reservoir inside the freezer and pump antifreeze through the radiator. After setup add bottles of water to the freezer you can save ice like batteries. Store charge you store lower temperature.
love to see this for heat
Which ones cools down a room better? This one or the cooler one u posted 9 months ago with the sea foam blower? Thank u
hi. it's hard to say. i may have to do side by side tests. that sea foam blower one is definitely one of the strongest ones i've ever made.
Do you think you could run this in a vehicle like a VW Bus? Do you think it would provide enough cooling to overcome the radiant effect of the sun heating up the car? Thanks Steve
hi. yep, i think it would work good in vw bus (most vehicles really)
I would love to see you figure out how to put a very small A/C system inside an inline duct fan. It doesn't have to be anything like 8000 btu, but it does need to be able to cool a small space like a dog house. That would be awesome!
hi there. i thought of those tent sized AC units when i read this comment. those are very compact and are usually 1000 btu's to 4000 btu's. i just wish they didn't cost so much. (600 to 800 or more).
@@desertsun02 Exactly! I was looking at them myself and man are those expensive. I then looked at doing some sort of thermoelectric peltier cooling inside an inline duct fan but I just dont have the expertise to pull it off. I'm no electrical engineer. I am considering a cheap $200 8000btu portable A/C, but would love something built directly inside an existing inline duct fan.
So out of all you ice chest air conditioner builds, do you have an absolute favorite?
hi. they all have their individual benefits so i can't say that i have a favorite.
Very cool. It would be dripping with condensation in no time were I live. But I’m sure I could resolve that issue. I’m wondering if the condensation could be handled in a way that it would create another water source.
most of it will drip down so you might be able to put a small catch basin underneath the radiator (i was thinking just a 'hand towel' or paper towel) but a tray of some sort might allow you to catch the water and then use it to water a small plant or something?
@@desertsun02, Absolutely. If it’s not potable, it’s still worth collecting. Great content as always!
Maybe catch in a sort of gutter like dish with drain and have tubing run down into empty jug which you can freeze later to use to cool the air again?
3d printed tray with drain to fit the tubing and under radiator would be great if one has that capability.
Love watching your videos ideas, Thanks for sharing. Watched the old vid also using radiator (double), my question is what will be the temp if you dont use ice coolant / cold water? How much it is going down ?
hi and thank you! i'm not sure i understand the question. but if you mean 'how much will the air temp drop if you blow air through a radiator with no liquid pumping through it.' then i'd say the temp wouldn't drop at all. it would just stay the same. with the liquid in it, i'm getting a 25F temp drop from 80F/27c down to 55F/13c
Does it make the room humid?
hi. nope. it's a 'closed loop' radiator system, so it doesn't produce any humidity at all. it will actually take a little humidity out of the air (in the form of any condensation that may occur on the radiator).
Do you have humidity and condensation issues where you are?
hi. not very often. the dew points here are often in the 20's
Does it work better than the bucket cooler that you made?
hi. i can't say better, but it's one of the strongest air coolers i've made.
Does it also work with fridges?
What is the size of the vinyl tubing?
i think it's 3/8" internal diameter (but let me check)
Ok. Thank you!@@desertsun02
i was close it's 5/16"
I built a similar DIY cold air contraption to yours. In fact, I got the basic concept idea from your videos but I use 2 coolers. A large 48qt cooler that holds the ice/water that has a small aquarium pump whose hoses lead out and attach to a 2nd smaller 12qt cooler with a heater core (Ford Windstar) and a SEAFLO 4" 12V 270 CFM blower inside of it. Water and airflow can be regulated by 2 dimmer controllers attached to the cooler lids. I added some extra styrofoam to further insulate the coolers. A/C parts to repair my old Mustang were too costly at the time so I built the AC/cooler for it and fits in the backseat. A 4" dryer hose attaches to the air pump and is connected to a T splitter that sits in between both bucket seats. It can also be used with a 12V 300W portable solar backup setup I built.Thank you for this channel and the "Cool" videos and ideas.
sounds like you made a great system! 👍
How long does the ice block last?
ice block time varies quite a bit depending on how big it is and how hot the room air is. it can last from a couple of hours up to 10 hours or more. i got 11 hours once with a 25 lb block of ice and a variable speed fan. easy to make 25 lb. blocks too. just freeze the water in one of those 12 quart white plastic 'dish pan' containers. walmart sells those for about 3 dollars.
Were there no condensation from the radiator?
hi. i don't typically have that issue where i live (because the dew points are generally low here). if you do, then maybe just lay a towel or piece of plastic in front of it to catch any drips.
@@desertsun02 my place's humidity is quite high, im concerned this setup is gonna blow more humidity inside my room. Perhaps I'll just have to try it first.
Btw, do you think this would work if you exhange the cooler with a refrigerator. I found a cheap refrigerator. So essentially, you dont need to replace the ice as the fridge will cool it constantly. Will it work?
@johnlegend9553 hi. using a fridge sounds like a good idea. btw, these types of air coolers (the ones that use ice or 'ice and radiators') don't add any humidity to the air. not even a little bit. they actually take a little out (the condensation that may occur is water actually being removed from the air). the ice-based air coolers are 'phase change' air coolers. they just remove warm air because when ice melts it literally absorbs the heat. the only types of air coolers that add humidity are evaporative air coolers (also known as swamp coolers). those use water and wet pads to cool the air (but they don't use ice).
@@desertsun02 hi, thank you so much for the explanation. This definitely helps!
Do you have any builds using peltier?
hi. yes, i have 2 air cooler builds using those. 3 fridge builds too 🙂
You should get and review the new solar air conditioning systems. They don't require a build, only placement. You probably have enough solar already.
I have seen another DIY project of yours of same topic. ( czcams.com/video/1xF5GiwX280/video.html), jut tell me which one is better? This one, or the DIY project as per video in the link.
Sir please make a video on air disk cooling technology which was accidentally discovered by angel palma from Phillipines for which she got awarded by james Dyson award.she claimed that her device consumes only 10 percent of power when compared to conventional heat pumps aka air conditioner.
air disk cooling technology. i'll look into it. 🙂