Make a Portable A/C

DIY Bucket Air Conditioner

6/21/2016

by Vicki Sign up to get Mother Daughter Projects updates in your email!

Like us, you’ve probably had this project pinned for some time. Anyone who has ever worked in a hot garage, in summer, in Florida knows that even a tiny hint of cold air is welcome relief! I wanted to try the project but didn’t want to go to the expense and effort of ordering the needed styrofoam bucket liner that the project required.

I was on the lookout for something that would eliminate the need for the liner. As luck would have it, I found this insulated vertical drink cooler that would be perfect for only $2 at a yard sale. I already had the needed plastic tubing, fan, and hole saw cutter so the expense for this project was minimal!

Materials:

Insulated bucket (this was picked up from a yard sale for $2)
Plastic or PVC tubing
Tape to seal tubing (optional)
Fan to fit top of bucket
Jugs of ice

Steps:

Using a hole saw bit, drill three holes to match the diameter of the plastic tubing you are using near the bottom of the bucket. Mine was 2 1/8”. In hindsight I should have drilled mine closer to the bottom. (I will plug the existing holes and re-drill them.) The theory for holes closer to the bottom is that cold air settles to the bottom. That way the fan is blowing out the coldest air possible. Science—go figure!

Cut three sections of plastic tubing or PVC pipe about 6" long. Place tubes into bucket. I did not secure mine, but they can be sealed into place with any number of products including wrap and seal tape.

To use:

Place frozen jugs of water into the bucket, place fan on top, turn on and enjoy the tiniest amount of cold air ever!

This really doesn’t produce any discernible cooling of the surrounding area but if you are right in front of the tube vents, there is a noticeable cooling. I wouldn’t say this is a fail as any sort of cooling in Florida is blessed relief but I wouldn’t count on a DIY bucket A/C to keep you cool.

This was a fun project/experiment of a pinned project.

Please note: We are not sponsored by any of the companies/products that we used. These products were picked and bought by us.

FYI: We are not professionals, and we don’t claim to be. This is what we found worked for our project. Yours may need a little different approach. Safety first!