DIY Ice Cooler Air Conditioner (FAIL)

[@MrFredsDIY]

Testing of this air conditioner has resumed! The video will be ready in a couple of weeks! 🟣Follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/mrfredsdiy/

[@rsmolkin]

I'm still curious about possibly adding a radiator with a water pump somehow on the intake to cool the air more efficiently, thanks for the link to this follow-up video.

[@smzman2013]

I’m going to be building one of these myself this summer. Can’t wait for your testing video!

[@zazuir]

Just found your channel today, great content! I'm looking into getting the harbor freight folding trailer and your video about how you modified yours is awesome, thank you for sharing the knowledge!!

[@MrFredsDIY]

Thanks for checking out the channel!

[@thehuguenot5615]

Mine is way more simple. Instead of in the inlet/outlet on top, i have them on the lower sides. And I use frozen water bottles. That way air flows over the water bottles directly. And I dont have water to drain. I can just put the bottles back in the freezer. And the fan is a computer case fan, which is 12 volts DC. But its powered by a USB-C battery, which can be recharged via solar. USB-C only puts out 3 volts, but that seems to be plenty in order to keep a bedroom cool. If I need more, I might wire in a holder for a few 9 volt batteries connected in parallel, which should give me good run time. Its also nice not to have anything on the lid, so that opening/closing is easier.

[@MrFredsDIY]

Sounds awesome!

[@samsin102]

I literally am doing the same thing with re-usable Ice packs but was still going to add the water pump.and radiator. I was wondering though if the step with the plexiglass was absolutely necessary? Or if I could just foam insulation board instead to separate the water and radiator. I was also able to find a water pump with usb adapter that I can power with a small battery bank that has a solar panel on it. The fan I use has a battery and charges with its own solar panel.

[@MrFredsDIY]

@samsin102 the foam insulation board should work. The important thing is to keep the air off of the ice so that it does not melt as fast. Good luck with your build!

[@dennispattarozzi5099]

This is awesome! Just wondering, if you were to connect a longer duct to run over a seating area on your patio outside with the end venting to the seating area would it provide cool air to guests

[@Alpha-ms9nj]

So you basically shortened the air intake compartment. Was it because the original piece was getting sucked up by the fan/blower? I'm building one similar to yours but using a 7 1/2" x 7 1/2" radiator under the lid like yours but also thinking of adding coiled copper tubing submerged in the water/ice below using a 240 L/H (63 G/H) pump connected to both in a closed loop system. I plan on using it to cool my Jeep Cherokee until I repair the AC system.

[@MrFredsDIY]

I put the plexiglass under the lid instead of the foam piece to better keep moisture out of the air. Reducing the voltage of the pump worked great as well. At 12v it pumping unnecessarily fast.

[@Alpha-ms9nj]

@@MrFredsDIY - Oh I see, yes if you're in a humid part of the country that may be best. I'm in the Mohave where swamp coolers are used alot so that mod may not have to be done on mine. Thanks for the response and sharing your progress.

[@warrenflowers4326]

I tried making one but she says it’s too big for her smaller vehicle, with all of that mail “that has to get delivered”. Lol I don’t think she. Thanks for asking me though. We’re planning on moving out of the area soon, so…

[@sharks1117]

I'm wondering what part of the country you're in and was it not humid during testing With the top being sealed don't you get condensation build up in the air chamber?

[@MrFredsDIY]

I am in the desert Southwest. Here in Las Vegas our humidity is pretty low, and Nevada is the driest state in the nation. Occasionally, there is some humidity that builds up, but it’s never really a problem.

[@sharks1117]

@MrFredsDIY thanks for the response I live in South Florida where our humidity is very high I work in the HVAC industry and decided to make my own build pulling ideas from you and other DIYers plus using my years of air conditioning experience I am going to probably add a very small thin drain pan just below the coil and drill a hole to have the condensation drip down into the ice water

[@MrFredsDIY]

I have not had very much condensation but again it is very dry here. Some kind of drain system sounds like it would be a good idea.

[@MrDozer120]

Does having a smaller space under the coolers lid, where warm air enters and gets pulled through the radiator, get less condensation on the radiator? I made one like you first did but using a 200 cfm inline fan (had one on hand). After a few minutes of running almost no air was being moved by the fan. The radiator was so covered in condensation the fan couldn't pull air through the fins. I would lift the lid and water would pour off of the radiator. Then it would start working again but after a few minutes the same thing would happen. I don't see that the installation of plexiglass would help in any way with my problem and just would cause more problems since the condensation would just be caught between the plexiglass and the cooler lid with no way to drain out. I have a larger 6 inch 440 cfm inline fan that I was thinking of trying out to see if it would pull air through the soaking wet radiator. I was also thinking of removing the radiator from the lid and just have it straight up and down mounted to the inlet of the fan so condensation could run off. Any ideas or thoughts?

[@MrFredsDIY]

Condensation seems to be an issue with this type of cooler. The radiator is cold and when warm moist air passes through it water will condense. This process can’t be stopped but I am always thinking of ways to mitigate and deal with the condensation. Thank you for taking the time to comment!

[@MrDozer120]

@@MrFredsDIY Condensation is not only an issue it totally stops this cooler from working. I am totally changing the design of mine. 1 the radiator is totally wrong for being in this orientation. The fins are too closely spaced together. Close fins make a radiator more efficient but cost you in air flow. There is always a cost, in some way, for efficiency. In this case it was that the condensation was so extreme it totally blocks air flow through the radiator. Like every other radiator you see, they should be mounted vertically not horizontally so the condensation will run off just by gravity. I am ditching this radiator and my size fan totally. I am instead going to use a 6 inch inline fan (480 cfm I think) and a transmission cooler. The tranny cooler has fins spaced farther apart for more air flow and I am going to mount it vertically by attaching it directly to the air exit side of the fan. Exit side so it won't suck condensation drops into the fan motor. I don't know, maybe a smaller (then I am using) tranny cooler mounted horizontally inside the cooler like where it is in your video would also work because of the greater spacing between the fins. I am also going to be using longer hoses and not mounting the fan to the cooler lid. This way I can place the fan to blow where I want it to blow. Pipe insulation might end up being used. Wish me luck!

[@MrFredsDIY]

All great ideas! I wish I had time this month to R&D another version of this unit. I am actually building a different unit right now and filming tomorrow. The unit I’m making is a more traditional design with a few key modifications that make it different than most. Here in Las Vegas our humidity levels are typically single digits or in the teens so condensation is not a huge factor. Good luck with your project!

[@unkhammunankh7252]

Could this cool off a small room, say about 150sq ft? Im thinking of one of these for emergencies. We live in Florida and have solar panels+battery. During a blackout scenario (say during/after hurricane) panels during the day would run the whole house including our 5ton ac, but at night battery would only run smaller loads. Would like to have something small to at least provide comfort to our toddlers at night.

[@MrFredsDIY]

I have found that this cools people better than it cools a space. If you hang out in front of this or in a small area around it that is when this thing shines!

[@unkhammunankh7252]

@@MrFredsDIY that works, I could put on of these facing them in bed so that along with the ceiling fan they could make it through the night more comfortable. I will get to it, this definitely looks fun! By the way, as an avid dyi’er and all around the home fixer, I am glad to have found and subscribed to your channel; plenty of good project ideas!

[@mauriciogonzalez6302]

You listed a flexform hose that is different from the one in the video. 🤔

[@MrFredsDIY]

Thanks for watching the video! The link for the Flexform hose is accurate.

[@c.b.hamm3rd]

Your 1st mod is a automatic fail. Air cools off as it passes through the fins of a radiator.if you seal the system where it's not getting any outside air your defeating the use of a radiator

[@chiefheath4935]

Do you not see his vent on the lid?

[@mariomejia3608]

Hello really like this mods. CAN YOU PLEASE MAKE THIS WORK DAY AND NIGHT TIME. 100% OFF GRID USE. I AM THINKING HAVE A SOLAR PANEL AND A DEEP CYCLE BATTERY SYSTEM. SOLAR PANEL TO POWER UP AND CHARGE BATTERY DURING THE DAY AND BATTERY TO POWER UP DURING NIGHT TIME. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: CAMPING, VAN LIFE COOLING BOOST, KEEP PETS AND FRIENDS COOL IN TENT OR CAR. THIS CAN BE VERY EFFICIENT AND PRACTICAL IF IT CAN OPERARTE 100% OFF GRID AND EFFICIENTLY. PLEASE MAKE THIS MODIFICATION AND I WILL BUY ALL PART AND CONSTRUCT A UNIT TO KEEP MY DOG AND HOT GIRLFRIEND COOL DURING HOT FLORIDA DAYS. THANK YOU . THIS IS THE BEST ONE .

[@MrFredsDIY]

Thanks for watching the video. I am working on a “testing” video now to answer some of these questions.