Redneck DIY: How To Make A Homemade Air Conditioner

#1 Redneck DIY Air Conditioner That Really Keeps Things Cool

Summer is here and it's getting hot. Air conditioners are too expensive, or yours is broken, so what do you do? The fan only blows around that hot sticky air. We have some help courtesy of the Crazy Russian Hacker, a Redneck air conditioning system!

#2 Here Is What You Will Need

A 5 or 10-gallon bucket with a lid, a small electric fan, 18 inches of PVC pipe, duct tape, a saw, and a drill or sharp blade. Oh, and you will need DRY ice. Lots of it.

#3 Measure The Lid For An Opening

With the fan as a guide, place it face down on the lid and draw a circle around it so you can use that as a guide for cutting out the opening. With your saw or sharp blade, cut out the circle in the lid. Use caution with those sharp objects.

#4 Adhere The Fan To The Lid

Place a few pieced of duct tape on the inside of the lid facing up, then put the fan into the opening. The tape should hold it in place. Then begin tapping all around the edge of the fan, making sure that it is completely taped in place all the way around.

#5 Cut Out The Holes

Cut three holes, about 1 inch apart and 2 inches from the top of the bucket, with your drill or blade. The drill is easier but if you are not that handy with tools you can use a sharp blade like an Exacto knife.

#6 Cut & Tape The Piping

We will need nozzles for our cold air to be forced out from, so we next need to cut our PVC pipe into three 6-inch sections. Insert a section into each of the holes you cut out and begin tapping them securely with more duct tape. Try to get them as snug and secure as possible so that no air escapes through cracks or cuts.

#7 Add The Dry Ice

Your unit is almost finished. All you need to do is add the dry ice. Fill your bucket halfway up with the ice. As soon as you open the bag you will see it begin to melt and emote vapor. Be extremely careful not to touch this ice with your bare hands, as it will burn the skin.

#8 Replace The Cover

With the ice inside, simply snap your cover or lid back onto the bucket and you're ready to start cooling off! Don't worry about the electrical cord with that ice, there is no water involved since dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. It is used primarily as a cooling agent and its advantages include lower temperature than that of water ice and not leaving any residue other than incidental frost from moisture in the atmosphere.

#9 The Finished Results

Just plug this little unit in and get ready to lower the temperature in an 8x10 room by at least 10 degrees. The ice will only last about 4 hours, so you may want to have plenty on hand if it's a really hot room you want to cool down. Hard to believe, but this "redneck' version of an air conditioner actually works. However, it only lasts a short time and is only recommended for small areas or even for sitting on the porch in your rocking chair on a hot Summer evening. YeeHaw!

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