Not an air-conditioner, not a swamp cooler... Best in climates like mine where you get 1 or 2 weeks of hot weather each summer, not enough to spend real money on a cooling system. Here's what you do:

Get an old automobile radiator, the cheaper the better. Jury-rig garden hose fittings on the inlet and outlet. Put the whole thing in a shallow tub (because it's going to sweat and maybe leak a little) and put a box fan in front of it. Hook up your garden hoses to the fittings, and start watering your lawn. Or your potatoes, or whatever. Blow air through the radiator. Ah! Coolness!

(Don't draw outside air in through the cooler--too hot outside! Just circulate inside air through it.)
-- Dog Ed, Apr 17 2001

waugsqueke: You use a lawn sprinkler. It runs unattended. Many varieties available.

Peter: You've convinced me. Sign me up for a July vacation.
-- Dog Ed, Apr 17 2001


Oh Boy! PeterSealy is taking DogEd to Central Park!
-- thumbwax, Apr 17 2001


Central Park? I've never been... is it nice? Is it scrumptiously crunchable?
-- Dog Ed, Apr 18 2001


From what I've seen of this place it's more likely he'd be taking him to South Park. Maybe you'll get a ride on Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride, Dog Ed?
-- UnaBubba, Apr 18 2001


Is Big Al really happy, like you say he is? And does he really have a big happy boat? Oh, boy!
-- Dog Ed, Apr 18 2001


Maybe, just don't be hangin' on the football field, ok?
-- UnaBubba, Apr 18 2001


Hey, I built it. Used a radiator (I think probably from a motorcycle, but I don't know for sure--measures about .5 X .2 meters--and the power supply fan out of a Compaq PC XT. (Really big fan by modern PC standards.) Used a cardboard box with one end cut out to fit the radiator, and the fan mounted in a cutout on the opposite end. Oh, and lots of duct tape to seal it up. Total cost was about $10 US, most of that for a garden hose to attach to the radiator. It definitely blows cool air but only enough to make a difference in a single room. There's no problem with condensate, though. If I get our digital camera fixed I'll post a couple of jpegs.
-- Dog Ed, Jul 10 2001



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