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Home Made Manly Air Conditioner(can also heat)

by hleon on April 3, 2009

Table of Contents

License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Intro: Home Made Manly Air Conditioner(can also heat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 1: Step One: Supplys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

step 2: Step Two: Build It. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

step 3: Step Three: Enjoy It. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

step 4: Specs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

step 5: Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

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License: Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa)

Intro: Home Made Manly Air Conditioner(can also heat)

I was wanting an air conditioning unit for my tree house. So I thought, why buy a $250 A/C unit, when I could build my own?
It is very low cost to operate, compared to a central a/c, and provides spot cooling/heating, only cooling/heating the areas you want to cool/heat, heatly.

It is also eco friendly, because it uses water as refrigerant, and it can multi-task, cooling/heating the room, while cooling/heating your beverages (or whatever) in the
cooler.

For more cool stuff, go to http://www.worldofhollis.webs.com/

Image Notes
1. Thermomiter
2. Pretty kink(a hack saw will get that out nicely)
3. I normally keep it on 3, because it puts the most cold air out on it. Two is for keeping a temp, and one does barely anything.

step 1: Step One: Supplys

Supplys needed:

Salvage from the house(or Walmart):

1 Box Fan
Screw Driver
Scissors
Utility Knife
Est. cost $0-$25

Buy at Lowes:

1 Smartpond 155 gal/hr fountain pump

1 20' box of 1/4"(ID) copper tubing
1 20' coil of 3/8"(ID) vinyl tubing
2 hose clamps
1 pack of zip ties
1 Cooler-32qt(8 gallons)
Est. Cost $50.00
Congrats. You just got through step one.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Hollis-homemade-AC/
step 2: Step Two: Build It.
take the fan. turn it to where it sits front-up. Start coiling the copper around the fan.
place a zip tie every 6" of copper. Once finished coiling, attach vinyl tube to feed end of copper.
Then, lead the tube to the pump. Connect it. then, cut the tube in half. Clamp the remaining half of tube to the return line, and lead it back into the cooler. Use the hose
clamps to clamp down the connection between the copper and the vinyl tubing.

Image Notes
1. Used the block cut out to clog the hole to minimize the loss of coolant.
2. I learned a lesson the hard way. I bought a styrofoam coller, only after I buy it

http://www.instructables.com/id/Hollis-homemade-AC/
 my dad tells me styrofoam is porus, which means it does not retain water.

step 3: Step Three: Enjoy It.

Fill the cooler up with water, and plug in the pump. Let it run for 3 minutes, to get the coil cold, and then turn on the fan. Enjoy your new cold stream of air! I have made
mods in the updates step.

Image Notes Image Notes

1. Thermomiter 1. Ice packs add efficenty
2. Pretty kink(a hack saw will get that out nicely)
3. I normally keep it on 3, because it puts the most cold air out on it. Two is for
keeping a temp, and one does barely anything.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Hollis-homemade-AC/
 Image Notes Image Notes
1. Hose clamp 1. I made a pretty kink!! It still works, thogh. It reduces the flow rate, making the
system less efficent.

step 4: Specs
Ok, this unit puts out aprox. 3200 BTU/hr on high.. It uses aprox. 200 surge/120 running watts(if not higher-these are only estimates), and it is better if you use it for spot
cooling(ex. blowing on you at night, chilling an area, etc.). See Updates (next step) for my idea for a possible modifacation(3).

Image Notes
1. Pretty Logos/Warnings!

step 5: Updates
Ok, I have made some updates to it since I posted this instructible.

1. I cut the kink out, making the flow faster and it cools better.

2. I got another cooler that is bigger, more insulated, and doesn't leak(FINALLY! No more moldy carpets!)

3. I have obtained a wonderful radiator from the junk yard, in mint condition, and only for 15 bucks :) It's next summer's project, as it is freezing cold now!

4. I also added some safety labels, pic 3.

5. I added an internal coil of copper to the cooler. The returning water runs through the copper, transferring more heat. This method works a lot better than my original
method.

6. I insulated the water lines

7. I added more copper on the back of the fan for more heat exchange.

8. I made another version. http://www.instructables.com/id/home-made-air-conditioner-version-two/#

http://www.instructables.com/id/Hollis-homemade-AC/
 Image Notes Image Notes
1. cooler before modifacation... 1. Now with out the kink! water flows much faster, improving performance.

Image Notes Image Notes

1. Pretty Logos/Warnings! 1. I added more copper on the back to increase surface area.

Image Notes
1. insulated water lines

http://www.instructables.com/id/Hollis-homemade-AC/
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 73 comments

McBlaise says: Feb 21, 2010. 12:07 AM REPLY

do you think its fine if I connect the clear tube into a bowl of water and then put it inside the refrigerator?

hleon says: Mar 25, 2010. 9:53 AM REPLY

yes, just dont kink the hoses in the door, and remember you have to keep the pump in there. the fridge just dumps the heat back into the room, so there
is no point in doing that if the fridge is insIDE

Pretty Idiot Productions says: Feb 4, 2010. 7:12 PM REPLY

How about bending the copper into the shape of a refrigerator condenser coil (more copper less space than a spiral and easier to work with) or actually
ripping the condenser coil off the back of an old fridge, and running the water through that?

www.busytrade.com/common/image.php

gHjM3W5T20YCS4e30 says: Jan 31, 2010. 3:01 AM REPLY

steam radiator + box fan = heater ?

hleon says: Dec 23, 2009. 7:27 AM REPLY

DO NOT USE FOAM ICE CHESTS!!!!! Foam is very porous, and leaks water very well.

gHjM3W5T20YCS4e30 says: Jan 31, 2010. 2:59 AM REPLY

plastic bag liner

hleon says: Dec 23, 2009. 7:28 AM REPLY

The kink i have fixed by re-routing the pipe through the fan.

bwpatton1 says: Jul 12, 2009. 5:51 PM REPLY

How well does this work? b/c I am thinking about building a larger version.

hleon says: Dec 23, 2009. 7:25 AM REPLY

I got my radiator, so next summer im going to re-build this, and maybe have a peltier to cool the water.

hleon says: Jul 14, 2009. 1:29 PM REPLY

it works fairly well.

jaded32 says: Jul 8, 2009. 9:49 PM REPLY

i did this and it burned up 10lb block of ice in 10 hours

http://www.instructables.com/id/Hollis-homemade-AC/
 hleon says: Dec 23, 2009. 7:24 AM REPLY
Well, that is a very good rate. Mine burned up a 10 lb block of ice in 15 min. Hot, hot texas heat!

va123 says: Sep 8, 2009. 4:30 AM REPLY

Cool. I'm gonna go make one ut with a smaller fan like this one

fan.pdf(612x792) 80 KB

hleon says: Sep 8, 2009. 4:01 PM REPLY

This is a really small fan, even thogh it says high velocity, it puts out little air. It does spin fast, but barely any air. I would reccomend a slightly larger fan. I
prefer lasko. They make all kinds of fans, and they are really good in terms of quality. I prefer the weathershield series for this project, as they include a
water-resistant motor, and gfci in the cord

lksmith says: Aug 8, 2009. 7:32 PM REPLY

I wonder if aluminum tubing would cool better than copper since it is used in heatsinks and has a higher heat transfer rate?

Protoknowledge says: Aug 5, 2009. 2:45 PM REPLY

How about using the toilet tank? In the US all accept the most expensive low water toilets have a large enough tank. This would eliminate the cooler, the
water would circulate avoiding unwanted mold/bacteria, each flush would bring in cool water, and the pump and cold packs would reduce water usage.

Aeoleous says: Jul 27, 2009. 9:00 PM REPLY

Okay I just built one of these things and the water flowed through for a minute or so, then stopped. My best guess for why is because the pump I got was
only 60gal/hr and couldn't force that much pressure through the system. But I saw this other guy's plan that didn't even require a pump and worked off of a
siphon alone. The specs on my pump say it will only force enough pressure to go 1 ft. but that doesn't seem to make much sense to me. Any help?

the crowing says: Aug 2, 2009. 11:56 AM REPLY

60gal/hr is only a gallon per min (pretty slow, most bathroom sinks produce more power) your pump is most likely underpowered. When a pump says
that it is rated for 1 foot that means that it is only powerful enough to push water through an appropriately sized pipe 1ft vertically. This is know as head
pressure. Also take into consideration that the tube itself creates friction as the water flows through it and every bend and turn that the water has to travel
through causes resistance for the pump. That being said, your pump can only push water 1ft vertically before its power is overcome by gravity. If you
have any bends in the tube you will be able to push water less. I hope that clears up you concern.

hleon says: Aug 2, 2009. 8:18 AM REPLY

suck on the tube to give it a boost to start. Mine gives me the same problem every once in a while. suck on it untill you taste water. It should flow fine
from then on as long as it is plugged in. If it stops flowing when you stop sucking, then your pump is underpowered.

Bomb Guy says: Jul 31, 2009. 11:35 AM REPLY

Use a bilge pump!

needsnumbers says: Jul 28, 2009. 8:06 PM REPLY

Instead of the copper tube. Try going to a junkyard and picking up some small car radiators. They are more efficient so you can use a smaller fan and
smaller water pump. Also, if you have well water and a solar powered water pump, this could all be free if done right. There are laws preventing the return of
water into a well so consider that before jumping in and hacking away.

spydyr says: Jul 25, 2009. 10:52 AM REPLY

I modified the position of the pip coil into more like a zig zag pattern. Got double the pipe coverage, then ran it through the corner so i wouldnt have to risk
getting a kink going over the top. Blades miss it by an inch. i get 1-2 degree difference than with a spiral.

nealfoster says: Jul 6, 2009. 10:03 PM REPLY

i have all these parts lying around my workshop, i'll give it go when time allows, nice idea !

hleon says: Jul 14, 2009. 1:30 PM REPLY

Dude, You Go!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Hollis-homemade-AC/
 Jason Bourne says: Jun 15, 2009. 3:40 PM REPLY
thanks, i gonna bulid this and put it in my dad's shed( we work up their a lot and it gets REALLY HOT up their in the summer) i got the fan and cooler all
ready

spngebob111 says: Jun 2, 2009. 4:39 AM REPLY

Very nice, So one end of the copper pipe connects to the pump through the viyl tube but what happens to the other end ?

hleon says: Jun 3, 2009. 3:57 PM REPLY

it goes back to the cooler to get re-chilled via ice/ice packs.

asanaya says: May 28, 2009. 9:19 PM REPLY

Hey thanks probably use this in a garage or my shed and put it on a cart but great Instructable!!! :-)

hooty102 says: May 17, 2009. 11:31 AM REPLY

Hey, just to let you know, I threw this together in a couple hours yesterday afternoon during the heat and oh man! It RULES for being a quick and cheap
alternative to buying a portable AC unit for my apartment. I've got pictures if you ever want to see how I did it.

hleon says: May 17, 2009. 1:01 PM REPLY

thanks. I would like to see the pics. please post them ASAP

hooty102 says: May 17, 2009. 4:58 PM REPLY

Attached are the images, I did things a bit differently, but it seems to work just fine.

hleon says: May 18, 2009. 3:52 PM REPLY

what size is your copper tubing, and how much did u use? Did you test it with another a/c on, or by itself in a hot room?

hleon says: May 17, 2009. 1:07 PM REPLY

PLEASE VOTE IF YOU WANT I ADDED TO EFFICIENCY CONTEST VOTE AT TOP THANKS H

lemonie says: May 14, 2009. 3:27 PM REPLY

Using water as a refrigerant does not make this eco-friendly in it's self. You're using un-eco energy to chill the ice packs, and copper, and un-eco energy to
drive the fan / heat for a start. ? L

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 hleon says: May 14, 2009. 4:05 PM REPLY
the fan motor itself does not produce much heat, or use much eletricity. 150 watts max, and compared to a 5000 btu ac that uses 568 watts, that is not
bad. Pump uses about 75, for a total of 225 watts. I wonder what is ultemantly more efficent. My energy company produces the majority of its energy by
solar and wind power. Next, I do not blame you about the copper, now that I think about it. At least I didn't use a soldering iron, as that would leach lead
into the water. Ice packs are re-useable, so that doesn't waste water to make new ice. I also can use the condensate to water my garden, or use as a
free sorce of cold refridgerent. I can also charge (aka "fill") the system with refridgerent my self, instead of having to call a service technition to come and
charge it for me. 8 gal. of water-about $3.50 USD I am totally sorry I didn't get this to you faster

lemonie says: May 14, 2009. 4:22 PM REPLY

Interesting feature of the system: I've got another notification of a comment from you that goes: DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE! I did not know that. ...
But I think you deleted that. (I don't know how things work around here sometimes) L

lemonie says: May 14, 2009. 4:16 PM REPLY

Hey, that's still a quick reply. I'm thinking of energy - the idea of "my tree house is too hot, I can use energy to cool it" is fundamentally wrong from a
green perspective: it's in a tree - no electricity should be required. Ideas about using energy where it's not really necessary are part of the general
energy problem.

You could add a link to your power company, that would be useful if they are not generating mostly off e.g.coal.

It's all about shifting heat from one place to another, you are saving energy by moving the ice-pack between the freezer and your AC unit - human
heat-pump!

hleon says: May 16, 2009. 2:34 PM REPLY

I have a 150 foot extention cord running to the treehouse. Some day when I get the money I am going to put solar panels on its roof, a battery
bank below my cot, and a 5000 watt inverter to run things up there.

octopippo says: May 20, 2009. 3:14 PM REPLY

oh how about a wind turbine

lemonie says: May 16, 2009. 2:59 PM REPLY

Sounds good, how much shade does it get from the tree? Today I saw electronic "whoopee cushions" for sale, how mad is that...? L

hleon says: May 17, 2009. 1:04 PM REPLY

OK that is kinda scary. I think we need to put the money to better use, not make electronic "whoopee cushions".

lemonie says: May 17, 2009. 1:31 PM REPLY

Exactly, what happened to good old-fashioned simple fun? Halloween - what happens? Load of cheap junk (e.g. plastic pumpkins,
witches' hats) fills the shops and kids buy it, wasted money, wasted resources, stifled-creativity - unpleasant. L

thetech101 says: May 5, 2009. 5:14 PM REPLY

Did you put a copper coil on the back? This would be more efficient. Two layers of copper coild on each side would allow you to use it on high but medium
would cool better. Of course this would be only for hotter climates (like mine). Great Instructable.

hleon says: May 11, 2009. 1:18 PM REPLY

Yes, I did.

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 hleon says: May 6, 2009. 1:04 PM
(removed by author or community request)

thetech101 says: May 6, 2009. 4:20 PM REPLY

I understand. I am hoping to convince my school to build one of these. Several of the rooms have their own A/C units that are seperate from the main
ones. In my english class, this one went out and by the time my class gets in there, the temperature is 80+ (the current record is 84.5)!

hleon says: May 7, 2009. 4:02 PM REPLY

I am going to pull the coils off of the next air handler my grandpa takes out. Or, if i don't get that whithen 6 months, I am going to use a radiator.

thetech101 says: May 7, 2009. 5:52 PM REPLY

Unless it's a thin radiator, you'll need a very powerful fan. It would be better to find a radiator with the electric fan attached and build a stand to
hold it. That's still a good idea.

Dipankar says: Apr 4, 2009. 5:36 PM REPLY

Wonderful ! Have you thought of using car coolant instead of water? Will it not be more efficient than water? Again I say Excellent.

ANDY! says: May 7, 2009. 6:49 PM REPLY

I heard it sucks too. Waters the best.

view all 73 comments

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