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Nothing can truly take the place of central air conditioning, but if your AC isn’t working, here are a few creative ways to stay cool:
1. Copper Coil AC
Materials: fan, copper coil, water pump, cooler, plastic tubing, ice and water.
Picture it, a copper tube wrapped in a spiral and attached to the front of a simple circulating fan. While the coil may resemble an electric stove eye, this homemade copper coil AC is cold rather than hot. Using a water pump, ice and water, DIY creatives can circulate cold water in front of a fan to provide cool air to the surrounding area.
2. Styrofoam Cooler AC
Materials: fan, Styrofoam cooler, 2 PVC elbow pipes and ice.
Cut three holes in the lid of a Styrofoam cooler to begin creating this air conditioner. One hole will fit the fan face down and the other two holes will fit the 2 PVC elbow pipes, which act as the air ducts. Once you’ve fitted these 3 components, fill your cooler with ice and turn on the fan. The effect? Cool air blowing out of the elbow pipes.
3. 5-Gallon Bucket Portable AC
Materials: fan, 5-gallon bucket with lid and ice.
This is a similar concept to the Styrofoam cooler AC; however, it uses a 5-gallon bucket instead. Fit your fan face down on an opening cut into the bucket’s lid. At about the halfway mark, cut out openings in the bucket itself. Then place as much ice as you can in the bottom of the bucket. Once you turn on the fan, the air will circulate around the ice and cool off before escaping the bucket and cooling off the surrounding air.
4. Milk Carton Mini AC
Materials: CPU fan, milk carton, box cutter, hot glue gun, solder and ice.
Instead of using a bulky fan, make the perfect desk AC using a computer fan. Cut an opening into the milk carton that will perfectly fit the CPU fan. Hot glue the fan in place to eliminate any openings. Then solder a power cord to the CPU fan. Once your fan has power, put some ice into the milk carton through the lid. You’ve got a portable AC perfect for any desk setting.
These DIY air conditioners are great for keeping you cool when your AC is out of commission, but the best solution for a broken air conditioner is a good AC repair service. Contact your local HVAC contractor to get your system back up and running.
