Written by:
Our posts contain affiliate links. Sometimes, not always, we may make $$ when you make a purchase through these links. No Ads. Ever. Learn More
Table of Contents_
If you are new to the world of DIY cooling, you may wonder how to make an air conditioner out of a bucket. You can make a bucket air conditioner with a 5-gallon bucket, PVC pipe, a fan, and ice. Cut holes for the pipe and fan, put ice in the bucket, and turn on the fan. The air will be cooler when it comes out. But, it only cools a small space and is not as strong as a real air conditioner.
Some of the best air conditioners, after all, use a similar method of operation. Even the leading portable air conditioners for RVs have to be designed for on-the-go use. Keep reading for the step-by-step instructions.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
The main reason is to have fun and to learn the basic methodologies behind air conditioning, and the same can be said about learning how to make a portable air conditioner. But, it’s a little different than installing a portable air conditioner in a sliding door, which can be hard. Also, these contraptions do work, allowing for a bit of extra cool air during the summer months.
This is a relatively easy process that shouldn’t take you hours, in line with learning how to maintain a central air conditioner. Here are the steps.
Insider Tip
This basic design is limited only by the objects at hand. Any bucket can work, like a bait bucket, but if you have a larger bucket, more ice, and a bigger fan, try that.
F.A.Q.S
How does a bucket A/C work?
You fill the 5-gallon bucket with a lid with frozen bottles of ice during the hot summer months and let the fan blow over the ice to save you from the summer heat.
Can a homemade air conditioner keep you cool?
These contraptions create a cool breeze, but air conditioner buckets do not work as well as traditional AC units on a hot summer day.
Do DIY air coolers actually work?
A bucket air conditioner does actually work, as will a bucket cooler, assuming you follow the aforementioned steps and used a five-gallon bucket.
STAT: In 1558, Giambattista Della Porta described a method of chilling ice to temperatures far below its freezing point by mixing it with potassium nitrate (then called “nitre”) in his popular science book Natural Magic. (source)
REFERENCES: