Foam cooler A/C: improvements?

[Ad Astra]

Saw one of these "Styrofoam cooler A/Cs" at an outdoor event. Must have one now!

There are many, many ways to do this, but this version is sleek:

All variations on a foam cooler, a 12V (if camping) fan, blocks of ice, and nozzles.

I am building one, and asking you guys, how you would make one of these budget A/Cs even better?

For example, someone pointed out you can freeze salt into your ice blocks, and the temp goes even lower - I didn't know that.

And though many use a simple dryer vent/hose, I am thinking the smaller openings (such as above) will preserve the cold a little better. Going to make mine have a fully insulated fan/removal hole, for transporting ice with less ice loss. Think a flat power-supply fan, but a big one. Not a giant fan ... just want to cool a SUV, not an RV, and preserve ice for 48 hrs if possible. In an enclosed space, this has to work.

Seems to be all about the fan. Power drain doesn't even matter, since I camp with separate 12V source and PV panel charging. I did see one of these with no battery at all! Just a panel. That person's going to have a warm night.

I want to camp, but the heat's brutal. Help me make one of these mo'bettah!


AA


Link to above, but googling "foam cooler air conditioner" is best:

Simple Cheap Ice Box Air Conditioner

 

[Hoka Hey]

May cool air temp, but won’t remove humidity. Dry ice might up the performance.

 

[Ad Astra]

... Dry ice might up the performance.

This! Easily obtained, too.

Thinking it is all about balancing the airflow ... why not a variable number of those 1.5" PVC outflows, and plugs in the cooler for how many and where you want them at the time?

Trying to figure optimal fan location ... one corner for diagonal flow across ice? Outputs in opposite corner?


AA

 

[Cphobes]

Google swamp cooler and you'll get more ideas than you could ever build. Simple system easy to build and keeps you cool.

 

[Ad Astra]

Ah, swamp cooler = evaporation cooler. Even older trick, known by Egyptians.

Ok, got this done. Crazy can't wait, you know. Pix up in a minute ...


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[Ad Astra]

Decided I wanted perfectly flat, so went with flush 12V motor - small but powerful - and dryer vent.

And it's filling the SUV with cool air right now …

AA

 

[kelbro]

What is the dryer vent for? Is the little fan the intake and the dryer vent the exhaust?

 

[Hoka Hey]

Ad Astra, Man of Action!

I like it!

 

[Ad Astra]

What is the dryer vent for? Is the little fan the intake and the dryer vent the exhaust?

Yup. The box is air-tight; air gets blown down to ice, and out through the vents - which do blow open from the pressure.


AA

 

[Ad Astra]

Ad Astra, Man of Action!

I like it!

Foolish or rash action, usually.

The fan *looks* small, but is pretty strong - yet I have another, and might add it.

It's just too hot out there!


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[jkingrph]

Down here in the deep south you don't want anything to add humidity to the air, and it's generally so humid that "swamp" coolers are not very effective. I have seen very large evaporative coolers in hot houses, and the will cause a bid drop in temp, but must have a lot of air moving, hence a lot of noise from big fans, and again the humidity really shoots up, a good thing in a hot house for growing plants.. I don't think using one of those inside or in a closed tent with dry ice would be a good idea either.

 

[Ad Astra]

All right. Added a second fan, same size in upper left-corner, on seperate circuit. Slams the vents open when both motors run!

Closing the book. Improvements over original were:

1. High and low speed. Possibly can cool off vehicle on high, then switch to low speed to sleep.
2. Flat top, can stack with other gear.

Now to camp ... In August.


AA

 

[Sir Lurkalot]

Pretty nifty idea

 

[Hoka Hey]

If it wasn’t for the McGyver methods, this would qualify as Glamping.

 

[Ad Astra]

Done, and done-done.

The power cords are actually part of a proprietary 12v system.

Might add a few glued brass tacks, to keep that Gorilla tape in place.

Sticker, because 'Murica.


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[thematthatter]

I wouldn’t use dry ice in one of them. You might sleep way to well and not wake up.

 

[Ad Astra]

I wouldn’t use dry ice in one of them. You might sleep way to well and not wake up.

Thought about that ... damp vs. CO2 coma.

Got the idea to use a silicone bread-baking-"pan/mold" to freeze my own ice blocks, with salt. Like a giant ice-cube mold!

Let's see how solid ice works.


AA

 

[Mike H]

Freezing point of salt water is 0 degrees Fahrenheit. We keep ours at 15 so the ice cream is easier to scoop. You may need to adjust your freezer temp to below zero. It also means that the melting point of your ice will be 0. I would be interested in hearing about your experiments.

 

[Ad Astra]

Freezing point of salt water is 0 degrees Fahrenheit. We keep ours at 15 so the ice cream is easier to scoop. You may need to adjust your freezer temp to below zero. It also means that the melting point of your ice will be 0. I would be interested in hearing about your experiments.

Mike; thanks. I'm curious myself! These hillbilly A/Cs are known to work; I'm concerned with humidity in a vehicle and a few other things ... Is there a danger from dry ice, as noted above ... could I mix dry ice with regular ice? Unsure.

Didn't look this morning to see if my giant silicone ice-cube tray worked; salt was just a few tbs into maybe 48 oz. of water.

Cannot camp this weekend, was supposed to be hottest weekend of the year locally. August will provide many more scorching chances, though. Likely will put a thermometer in the car and try running it in the garage.

"Running the 12volt A/C in the garage", that is - not the car!


AA

 

[Mike H]

Unless you have an oxygen meter, I would not use dry ice at all if you are putting it in a tent or vehicle. One pound of dry ice produces over 8 cubic feet of CO2. There are only about 120 cubic feet in a standard SUV. Oxygen displacement is a serious concern.

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