Comments on: Anonymous’ Homemade Air Conditioner

By: Geoff

Geoff — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:28:20 +0000

Yep – try a pick-a-part style auto parts place, a heater core is the ideal size (a full radiator might be a bit big).

By: Jonny

Jonny — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:08:32 +0000

Thanks! By heat exchanger, do you mean like a small radiator? Do you know where, or from what I can get a heat exchanger?

thanks

By: Geoff

Geoff — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:25:24 +0000

Hi Johnny –

Like you said, there’s heat exchange – the issue is that the rate of heat exchange is too low relative to the volume of your room. You can’t beat themodynamics. I’d strongly suggest using a heat exchanger instead of copper coils, as the performance is far better. Closed circuit versions need lots and lots of ice too.

The best performing design will use a heat exchanger and an open water supply – a closed circuit design with copper coils is not the highest performance option.

By: Jonny

Jonny — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:00:42 +0000

I made a closed circuit version of this with a pump, and the coils go around the front. It does not work, it blows air only 3 degrees F cooler that the room. It is a small room. The inlet temperature is 42 F and the outlet temp is 55 F. So there is heat exchange I just don’t know where. Room temperature is about 80F. It is extremely humid here, and the unit seems to be working as a dehumidifier if anything. I get about a cup of condensation every 2-3 hours. Please advise.
Thanks. Any help is appreciated

By: Red Bug

Red Bug — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:36:40 +0000

How about this:
A garment made of fishnet material with flexible plastic tubing through which cold water is pumped. Cooling the air in a room is wasteful. Cooling the person is more efficient.

By: Seven7

Seven7 — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 05:55:12 +0000

Could I use AntiFreeze instead of Water? And Fill A 50 gal Drum/Trash can with 90% Dry ice or ICE with Salt water added. And put a Copper Coil about 50ft long down in that and then run copper over to the Fan with insulation leading up to the fan. And have the Copper Coil on the fan like yours. Then run It outside into the Ground about 5 Ft deep and run it back into the 50Gal Drum. Using a Fish Tank pump or something large enough to pump that slowly?

By: Geoff

Geoff — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:18:59 +0000

Hi John –

It really depends on your loading, and if any new heat is entering the system. If you had a bedroom that was retaining heat in the evening, and sun was no longer shining inside, you could probably make a distinct and comfortable difference in the temperature for the night.

That same bedroom with windows open and sun shining in full force – you might be lucky to get an hour of cooling out of it.

You can’t beat thermodynamics, no matter how much you try!

By: John

John — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:36:22 +0000

If I used a cooler ( say a normal size 1 case of beer cooler) of ice on a closed system how long would you think the ice would last? The water in the tube would circulate and return back to the cooler or simply would circulate closed in the ice and return to the fan etc.

By: Geoff

Geoff — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:16:02 +0000

Hi dilantha – I’m a bit confused as to what you’re looking for. These air conditioners do not use evaporation to cool the air, they exchange heat between the hot air and cold water.

All the plans I have are on this website – if you have any specific questions about construction feel free to ask.

By: dilantha

dilantha — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:17:35 +0000

Dear friend,

could you please tell me a good method of constructiong a home made
air conditioner by using a table fan as the evaporator and other system components whih gives minimum power consumption when operating the equipment. I want to do this as a project.