Off Grid Air Conditioner: DIY Bucket Air Cooler for Camping and Other Uses

Greetings,

  Off Grid Air Conditioner: DIY Bucket Air Cooler for Camping and Other Uses

When I was much younger I didn’t need a sleeping bag, mat, or even a tent when camping. We would take off for the wilderness with only an Indian blanket, a canteen of water, a Zippo lighter, or box of matches and have a great time. Since I’ve grown older I’ve learned to appreciate the things I didn’t need back then.
Temperatures in northwest Louisiana routinely reach the upper 90°’s and low 100°’s during the sunny days of summer. I’ve long been a fan of using solar energy to cook and power some of our phones and radios so I decided to research and build a small evaporation cooler for camping, work, and around the house that will also run off solar power.
There are a lot of great articles and videos on the Internet showing several different styles of “bucket coolers.” After reading many articles and watching numerous videos on “Swamp Coolers” or “Bucket Coolers,” I settled on a design and began developing a parts list. It should be noted that I took advantage of the works others have done previously by using the same fan and pump observed because they have been proven effective in some of the videos and articles.
My parts list:
5 gallon plastic bucket with lid
4” 90° PVC
12 VDC water pump (Model 66039, from Harbor Freight)
Computer fan (Model # AFB121SHE, from www.frozencpu.com)
Switches (SPST – I purchased two from Radio Shack – your choice on which type you want to use)
Project Box, small (Radio Shack)
1” L Brackets
#6 screws, #6 flat washers, #6 lock washers, #6 nuts
Filter material (minimum 24” X 36”)
Window screen, black plastic (minimum 24” X 76”)
Tubing (diameter to fit pump)
T- fitting (diameter to fit tubing)
Goop glue
4” dryer vent hose
Cigarette lighter plug (male end)
Tools I used:
Drill motor
2 – 2 1/8” hole saw
Yardstick
Razor knife
Phillips head screwdrive
Marker
5/32,” 3/16,” 15/32,” and ½,” drill bits
Wire cutters
Soldering iron
Rosin Core solder
Tape Measure
Electrical Tape
Drilling Holes in the Plastic BucketI began with a white 5 gallon bucket and lid from Home Depot. Two rows of 12 – 2 1/8” holes were drilled in the bucket and the plastic burrs around each hole were removed. The holes are drilled around the top, leaving the bottom free for holding water…..MORE HERE