Build A Better Personal Cooler
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- UA-cam.com/StaticCamp...
This hot weather got me thinking that I could make my own mini personal air cooler. I have a small “mini A/C” that I bought a few months ago. But it doesn’t work as well as expected.
Going through my bag of parts, I had most everything on hand to build a small swamp cooler or evaporative cooler. Today I put all the pieces together and compared my diy version to the store bought model. I am happy to report that my homemade cooler works much better than the more expensive store bought one. And my version is a more simple design.
Update: using my swamp cooler for the last week or so, I have not needed the water pump. I’d recommend not bothering to add a water pump as the humidifier wick works great all by itself.
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My name is Scott and in 2015, I bought a Ram ProMaster City to live in. Even though I didn’t know much about RV’s and campervans, I set about building the van out as a minivan camper. And in April of 2016, I moved into my minivan full time.
Over the years, I’ve learned you don’t need to have a big skill set to build your own campervan. And that living as a minimalist and utilizing solar power can be a less expensive way to live. I’ve also learned that a minivan can be a very comfortable home.
Please follow along as I document my journey.
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My second channel: / @staticasmr
MacGyver of vanlife. 🤣. I live in Tacoma and spent some time in Silverdale after watching...Love your channel.
The more I watch these van videos, the more I realize that I need to be handy around a vehicle. Well, I need to learn how to change a tire, do oil changes, and make ac units. Thanks Scott!🤓👩🏾🏭
You can do it Chippi!
If you put ice in the water it will get colder
@sjeffreyw as I explained, ice melts very quickly when hot air is blown on it.
🤔
maybe BuiLd a Lower Perimeter 2" Wood Box Around Tub, & During Hotest Times Add OnLy Ice From a Medium Size Icemaker, That's a 😊GENiOUS DESiGN THANKS !!!!.... 4 IDEAL IDEAS, Bye
That's a great cooler you made Scott you are very clever keep safe ❤
Somehow you have more spare parts and tools in your van than my entire garage! 😄😲
Haha
Scott your so clever! 💕thanks for sharing! Time for coffee..🙏🏻🕊🧂😇💙
Cool! 😂
Must say, Good to hear you consider
That Water & Electricty don't mix.
Take Care
🌅
Blessings
I’ve been zapped a few times in the past
Oh my
I miss the cooler weather and some rain occasionally...❤
Yes! Bring back the rain and cool
Hi Scott! It's always interesting to see how you have everything you need to live your life on the road! See you next week😊
Nice work Scott! Use what you have is the best mantra.
The one big problem is that I didn’t get to browse around Home Depot. Very sad
Love your videos Scott, very relaxing and therapeutical. May God bless you and keep you safe.
Always impressed with seeing how you get by with your van. I feel like needy king for wanting a 24v Minisplit for my E-transit in progress.
Hey if you got the room and the power to run it, why not?
@@StaticCamperVan I like the way you think! I've got a 200A BMS on my 24V system for a reason. These Louisiana summers are brutal. Stay cool out there.
❤ Good Evening Scott 🌠🎆👍Great idea& saving alot of money 🤑 making your own Air-conditioning 👍✨🙌🙏🇺🇸🌠🎆🤩🌟🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🥶
That is really creative Scott. Well done. We had swamp coolers here when we moved in but when we got the new roof, they disconnected them and frankly for our space, they were rather ineffective. In your space it makes good sense. The quiet fan has t be better too. I'd donate the used one to a charity shop and let someone else sit right next to it.
Put ice in your water and that will make a tremendous difference. Cool video Scott.
As I mentioned in this video, ice melts very quickly when hot air is being blown on it. Swamp coolers work without the need for any ice which is why this design works so much better than the other one.
Excellent contraption, Love it
Thanks
Hey Scott, I built one today using an ice chest, and older 12 volt fan and a piece of flexible dryer vent..lol. I froze several jugs off water that fit in the ice chest without a mess. Works fine but really made it humid in my area. Get some aloe vera gel and put that on all over your face etc. Its cooling and healing...stay cool...😊
You’re just so cool Scott, and this right here proves it!
Great job! Thanks for this info, stay cool!
Absolutely brilliant Idea Scott, its very cold ❄️🥶 over in the UK atm so if it gets hotter i will build one of these.. great video 😊 hope you are well and happy 🙏
Doing well, thanks
Hi Scott, I do recommend wetting the filter (In the old swamp cooler) then putting it in the freezer as this has worked wonders for me! Granted it doesn't replace an actual A/C but it does help. The air that blows out comes out cold when it passes through the icy filters.
Freezing a real swamp cooler, like those I made here, won’t work as the ice will block the flow of air. Also, as I explained in the video, blowing hot air on ice isn’t an effective way to provide cooling. Ice is going to melt very quickly when hot air is blown on it.
@@StaticCamperVanthat's a good point Scott 🙂 thank you for your awesome videos!!!🌄🌄🌄♥️♥️♥️♥️
That was amazing. Is there some way you could use left over filter from your DIY project to improve the old cooler? I’d love to see you improve it! Thanks for sharing. Take care!
The only improvement that I would make is to omit the water pump. It’s entirely unnecessary
I did find it helpful! Thanks for sharing. I think I'd like to try building one to keep on hand in my own van. Very useful in this unusually hot weather.
It’s been much too hot lately!
Drinking my Humboldt Bay Coffee made in my aero press.
It gonna be 61° in Icky ol Eureka today (house/cat sitting). Scott, your videos are very informative and you are a very busy van lifer. Always very interesting to watch what you are up to.
impressed with how much stuff you successfully have along with you. made it all work-it’s so “mechanical” in your van. Not all glitzy look at my glam van. utility is more important in real life. 👍🏼☮️
I love your content Scott, you are truly independent and innovative.
Thanks for the video Scott! Now I'm inspired to make one.
It's so "cool" how inventive you are and you use parts you already had to create a cooling system for your van. I was thinking about attachments that come with hair driers used to diffuse long hair. I wonder if you could attach something like that to spread out the cool air. I enjoyed this video.
Interesting!
Yes its too hot at 80, however Im doing it , battery fan and shade, I also just bought a light foldable solar to charge my battery pack , small Sz to run my small fan at night , inside my small van , after 14 yr full time , it works for me , ( fire season here) I must say I really admire how you do what you do to stay cool ❤ Hope the sunburn feels better Scott, maybe a hat would be helpful 🌞 Thank you for sharing ❤
lol I bought that article chill one with the freezer packs for $29 … left it at a car wash after using it once poc ! I kept the usc cord that was 6 ft long it works great with my old fan! So that cord cost me $29 haha I should have seen your video last week!
Eek, that’s an expensive cord! I said the same thing about these coolers a few months back when I bought the first one
👍🤩💝🤔Interesting
Scott you always put yourself down , lol , you’re like Mr Wizard! Only in a van!
Necessity is the mother of invention. Is that right? I don’t know
Wizard genius definitivamente
I would wire the pump to the same variable voltage switch you use for the fan
More fan equals more water at the same time
Great job
The pump is totally unnecessary. The wick works great all by itself
Nice video scott you are pretty handy in your vsn which is a plus living in a van.stay cool
Truly a man of all trades. Awesomeness
You’re too kind
I recently upgraded my cooler ac or swamp cooler. I added a coil and a water pump to mine. Now it pumps water through the coil and the fan blows air across the coil. Puts less humidity out and can actually dehumidify a little bit. But I live in Florida so swamp coolers do very little down here. It is better than nothing especially if your ac does not work in the car. As long as the water is cold I will get 20 to 30 degree colder air through it.
Good job!
Anderson plugs look nice and sturdy, I have yet to try one, though. 😊
Anderson connectors never rattle loose. They are so good for van projects
That happens with my Milwaukee drill as well 😅
Haha, good to know
Scott if you put small crushed ice in top & get freezer flat paks ,put them inside where the Filtr goes,youll get cool air for a couple hours& no water & mist from moister will be in air! 👍✌️🤞👌🇺🇲🤩🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏🙌✨
Ten minutes, like I said in the video
Those aren't very useful in humid places like here in Texas, but I'm glad it does the job for you.
Yup, swamp coolers don’t work in the swamp
Hoarder!😂 A Mini hoarder, perhaps. Love the DIY Swamp cooler. Play safe!👍😎🇨🇦⚡💧
Thankfully I can only hoard away so much
Thanks Scott!
You’re welcome
You look happy and no wonder-DIY nearly free air 👍🤗
I kinda lucked out on this one
You are exactly right about these little fake swamp coolers. I have one right next to my recliner and one right next to my bed. A nice cold wet hand towel around the neck helps as long as you don’t mind getting your shirt wet. It dries in this heat pretty fast.
Excellent! Ice added to the water helps! You can get a free cup of ice from fast food or mini marts, sometimes. 😊
I haven’t found ice to be of any benefit. It is part of the appeal of a cooler like this to be able to cool effectively with nothing more than water
@@StaticCamperVan I used to set a block of ice in front of a fan when I lived in Red Bluff and had only swamp. It is ridiculously hot over there. Red Bluff is south of Redding on I-5. I'm was so glad to move back over to Arcata, where I belong! 😁
WOW! Impressive.
Hello Scott add some ice cubes to it to your new fan have a good weekend coming up here from Ontario Canada ❤️❤️❤️❤️🇨🇦🇨🇦😎
I explained at the end about using ice. Not needed at all
Love it!
Thanks!
You're pretty darn handy Scott!
Gotta stay cool
Wow Scott, did your Mama ever tell you that you're a genius?!
SHE WAS RIGHT ❣️❣️❣️
Im SOOOOOO over summer!!!
I do not do well in the heat either. I never have but now that im OLDER, its even worse!!!
SIGH😮
Sorry that you got sunburned...🫣 that sucks.... Aloe Vera will help soothe and heal you. Big fat hugs sweets❤🤗 enjoy that swamp cooler.🫠
PS;
That was very thoughtful of you to share that genius idea with everyone.. sometimes you really impress me❣️
You're a good guy❣️ thanks for being thoughtful. " A day is made more beautiful when touched by kindness."❤❤❤❤🤔
Thank you very much for sharing!
You’re welcome
thank you brother
Great job 😅
Thanks Linda
It does pay to know how to do these devices!❤
Gotta do what we can to stay cool
Thanks I just learned
how to build and ac.
Cool! 👍✌️🌞
"I could go in and get a switch, but I don't want to" LOL, I like your style. ...and as for me, I will not, under any circumstances, suggest ice water! 😜😏 I do listen
Haha. Actually, it was good that I didn’t buy a switch because I now know that the pump isn’t needed at all
Very cool
Puns!
Thanks!
Thanks Jeffrey. Stay cool
Keep it cool :) maybe the bought swamp cooler could benefit from that pump more than the diy one?
There isn’t any way to add a pump
Would you talk a little bit more about the wiring of that fan speed switch? I really like that you're all about functionality and not so much about looks. I'm the same way. Let's just get it done and working. :D
All those motor control switches have similar wiring. They will have a positive and a negative input. Then a positive and negative output to whatever the switch is powering.
Each motor controller will come with a wiring diagram to follow. DC electric is fairly easy because it is a two wire system.
It's a great idea if you put ice cubes in the baket it will increase the cooling system
It is probably an idea to investigate computer fans more. There are fans that are designed to be much quieter than standard computer fans. These usually cost more, but I think it is worth spending a bit extra to get a quieter fan. Also, it is better to get a larger fan if possible, as they can run slower and hence quieter for the same amount of air moved. Noctua is a computer fan brand well known for making quiet fans, although they are probably double the price of other brands.
Not sure that I want to make any changes to this cooler since it’s working so well
Wet clever! Hope you’re staying comfortable. It’s been a long summer. I was thinking, and I’d likely spend a lot of time at Barnes and Nobles, library, etc. I know you have your way of dealing with it.
Can’t remember the last time I saw a Barnes & Noble
I was trying to type very clever, but it says wet clever. 🙃 Freudian typo.
Really?!?! I haven’t , but I live rural and don’t go anywhere. I guess I’m dating myself… I had no idea. Thanks for the reply. I’ll look it up.
Thats awesome
Good video. I seen these made from a cooler. But you would have too have room to store it.Take care of that sunburn.
6:26 don’t sweat it!
the secret to “perfection” …
is imperfection.
Stay Goofy 😊
Excellent news for me
I would add ice, on hot nights and days 😊😊
Blowing hot air on ice doesn’t work well. That’s why I mentioned that I don’t bother with ice
A bag of ice in the swamp cooler make it cool
I explained at the end why that doesn’t work
You amaze me….
First thought was "waste not, want not" as proven with all your bits and pieces. Second thought was get a hat, rather de rigeur nowadays with our challenging climate. Third thought was, how many have suggested using ice as your starter water (I remember a hot hot summer decades ago before the omnipresent AC where I blew a fan over a massive bowl of bag ice). Your videos are always a nice coffee break accompaniment and far less fattening than doughnuts!
moneywise it'd cost a bit more but if you used a it only on hot hot days you could build this out of a cheap 15 quart coleman cooler and throw a bag of ice in it, i've done this in the past when camping and having a whole or even half bag of ice will cool you a lot more, like you said freezing those thin little grates on your store bought swamp cooler don't really do anything, but half a bag of ice mixed with water, then a fan pumping it out of a hole, it really works
The reason why I talked about ice not being effective is because nine years ago I built exactly what you are describing. It did work but needed a fresh bag of ice every twenty to forty minutes
Yes number 1
⭐️
100% Aloe Vera gel is amazing on sunburn. Heals it very quickly
Does adding ice to the water reservoir make the air colder?
As I explained, ice will provide a few minutes of cooling. I’ve never got more than ten minutes before the ice melts
👋 Scott 😘
Hello
You can use a styrofoam ice box to make your life easier. Also use a butter knife to cut the holes.
I prefer something that will last as long as possible. Styrofoam would break within a day or two in my van with all the stuff rattling around
@@StaticCamperVan fair point. Just providing an alternative for those who may not have power tools or even comfortable using tools like that.
💜
Didn't I warn you heat was heading your way in your last vlog. Sheesh and I live over the pond where it's done nothing but rain all spring and so far in summer 😢😢
I would just fill the bucket with ice or a small cheap cooler 👍
Huh, ok I guess you’re saying that you are disagreeing with my thoughts at the end of the video
@@StaticCamperVan Never it's that I did that but with a cooler and ice once
Oh Boy😅
Could you not be using some ice in air to make it little cooler? It’s just water.
That’s the great thing about an evaporator cooler, they work extremely well with nothing more than plain water
🦋
Sometimes the comments are hilarious.
Wouldn’t a 25 lb bag of crushed ice in front of a 12” oscillating fan while parked in an air conditioned garage work better?
@PedroNord haha. Very few people are watching the whole video so they have no idea what my thoughts are on using ice
I made a cooler using a small styrofoam .
I measured tiny fan and cut a hole in the top of the styrofoam to place the face of the fan downward in the hole to blow on the block ice.
I then cut a mother whole to put a curb tube/hose like yours to face my direction. I place a block of ice in the styrofoam .I plug in fan and turn on high the air blowing on the block ice makes it feel super cool. It last for a few hours.
Those types work with unlimited ice. I prefer a swamp cooler for the reasons I gave at the end of the video
Hi Scott I dont like the heat hope your good
I’m doing ok, thanks
If you make those for sale I think you can sell quite a few....❤...
Probably better for everyone to make their own. That way they can pick the correct size bucket and vents to match their needs
@@StaticCamperVan ❤️
I don't get it. You have an air conditioner in the car. Why not use it?
I don’t drive much. The van needs a new engine.
@@StaticCamperVan It usually work just as good running idle.
@TheExAquarist the engine is shot
Looks like way too much hastle. Swamp coolers don't work where I live, in high humidity.
Where are you now ?
The great State of Seattle
Scott because of your sunburn, you don't like coffee now, you didn't have a cup before and in the middle and after your work, what's going on mate
Too hot out for coffee
Looks good. Hook a 3 inch flex hose to the outlet and duct it under your shirt to get the most cooling directly on you.
As I explained, I can sit well back from my cooler and feel the cold air
If the humidity is not gone this isn't any help
Sunscreen
HBA 59-60
What?
@@StaticCamperVan HumboldtBayArea temps 59-50 today
@majipoorsbeard oh yes. I am painfully aware
You could try putting ice in the mini cooler and see if that helps .
Haha, I see that you didn’t watch until the end
Intro made me dizzy!!
I hope you were sitting down
This is why Tesla cars will be number 1 in the world.
Keyless Chucks are absolute junk.. give me a corded Makita with a Chuck key any day... you also reach a certain point in your life .. your hands just are junk... without any strength or gripping...Laxvespa-LosAngeles
Great vid. Always a pleasure to watch and relax. Would you ever do a meet and greet? Be nice to chat sometime. I always make sure to like and comment to help your algo. Have a good day
If you see me out and about it would be nice to meet you. I rarely go to meetups anymore