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It seems so obvious. If you live in an area with a decent winter, you can create a fridge on the outside wall of your kitchen that opens to the elements to create an “ambient air fridge” (AAF). If you’re wondering what you do on an unseasonably warm day, the builder keeps a few jugs of water in a snowbank as an emergency ice source. Living in Vermont, he’s able to use his AAF from mid-November to early-April. Obviously, YMMV in different locales.
DIY Super Energy Efficient Refrigerator – Link
Someone needs better insulation! Cool hack, nonetheless.
Don’t think this will work that well in Dallas. Maybe I could contrive an oven out of it?
You’d think that with some endless tinkering and a lot of phase change material,you could recreate the ice house paradigm: Keep your goodies cold in the winter while “storing cold” for the summer months. Maybe a hatful of blue ice slabs and vents/insulation to extend the usefulness of this as the weather warms up (as it eventually does in Vermont).
I recently saw an antique built in “Economy Refrigerator” that you could crank down into the basement into a bricked off space. Works year round!
Wow! I have a huge ambient air fridge at my house. We call it the garage!
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Make: School’s Out! Summer Fun Guide
This Summer Fun Guide is brimming with over 50 projects for kids of all ages. You’ll also find inspiring young maker profiles, as well as tool reviews written for and by kids! Plus, it’s our 3D issue, complete with 3D glasses and tons of super-cool 3D photos!
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