DIY cheapest air conditioner in the world

Aer007 The principles of its operation are simple: The fan creates an air flow which is cooled by contact with the 4 bottles full of ice. In this way, the temperature of the air flow is reduced to a more tolerable level. The more bottles the better… You must closely watch it unless you want a swimming pool on your carpet or floors. [via] Link.

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Posted by: Unomi on August 9, 2005 at 1:51 AM

How do airconditioners work actually? Do they use peltier cooling with a thermostat or does it use some more complex tech?

I think it should be possible to do it with peltier and a thermostat, but am not sufficient experienced in electric technology.

Somebody else got a hint on that?

- Unomi -


Posted by: qet1337 on August 9, 2005 at 7:42 AM

I don't know that I would call it the cheapest. The energy needed to freeze water into ice is not free. You're just using that energy ahead of time is all.

Here's an explanation of how AC works: http://home.howstuffworks.com/ac2.htm. The article mentions freon, but the same principle applies to any refrigerant gas, such as R-134a.

BTW Unomi, Peltier cooling is much, much less efficient than refrigerant cooling.


Posted by: Johnsrude on August 9, 2005 at 10:08 AM

The cheapest AC is a swamp cooler. Swamp Cooler FAQ.

The cheapest swamp cooler you can make is with a towel, a hanger, a square cake pan full of water and a fan. Hang the towel so that it's in contact with the water in the pan. Blow the fan through the towel. Voila, evaporative cooling.


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