Air cooler

[pflaming]

next weekend I will drive my truck to Moro Bay so today I built a redneck cab cooler. It holds six one gallon milk cartons with some room to spare. 

Edited July 25, 2017 by pflaming

[DJ194950]

can it be installed in a opened window?

DJ

[Plymouthy Adams]

will need to be a mighty big window.......

 

unit  APPEARS TO BE  a self contained recirc cooler

 

Edited July 25, 2017 by Plymouthy Adams

[Jeff Balazs]

I hate to say this but it kinda looks....... sorta like a flamethrower to me?........And awayyyyy we go!

[Plymouthy Adams]

I edit this as my comment was a poor attempt at humor ...... 

Edited July 26, 2017 by Plymouthy Adams

[T120]

There is what appears to be a little bit of duct tape on one corner - maybe a shout-out to Red Green. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

you are right, heaven forbid I jumped the gun and gave him too much credit for freezing the milk cartoons of water prior to loading into the cooler...

evaporative cooling would not equate to larger than a couple of cotton balls within the confines of the air horns...might cool a  gnat off IF he was using his mind in overdrive...

Edited July 26, 2017 by Plymouthy Adams

[pflaming]

In my defense, the above comments are classic cyber bullying, and I do not appreciate it!

 

 

[The Oil Soup]

You tell 'em Paul!

[ggdad1951]

Tim and Don, I have requested a time out for you both for your above posts.  Not funny, but mean.  Defend all you want, but you are being bullies.  It's his site he can decide what he wants to do but if it were up to me you'd be sitting on the sidelines for 30 days.  

I hope by now everyone has settled down and things can go move forward and not keep this crap up.

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

I would like to apologize to the forum at large and Paul himself for my failed attempt at humor.  

[Prusakowski]

Along with playing with old trucks - - I build AK and AR-15 rifles.  You guys need to visit the AK forum to see how thick their skin is when it comes to humor.

 

 

 

[pflaming]

First, I accept Tim's apology, thank you! Now let's get back to positive ground. 

The small defroster motor worked when tested, but then failed when it had to run, so I upgraded to a heater motor. That provides much more air flow and with a potentiometer control, maybe some temp control and ice saving. The two elbows are adjustable and that will be nice also. With a very painful knee and 100+ degree weather, can't work very long at a time, but I'll get there.

Like others my age, if I wanted a toy, I had to make it from items in the junk pile. I guess that skill has not left me. 

[Mike36]

Have you tried this thing out? I'd like th know how good it works. The combination of heat & humidity can be pretty awful here in Iowa at times, and My '39 gets mad at me if neglected too long.

[pflaming]

Mike, I have not. I'm mounting a 6" 2 speed oscillating fan on the dash also. The cooler is for short drives, I'm hoping for three hours of relative comfort. I'm gambling that I can extend ice time, thus cool time with the potentiometer control and the dash fan in combination. The cooler providing cool air and the fan circulating it. Wish me the best I also surmise that blocks of ice will last longer than cubes. 

[Mike36]

2 hours ago, pflaming said:

Mike, I have not. I'm mounting a 6" 2 speed oscillating fan on the dash also. The cooler is for short drives, I'm hoping for three hours of relative comfort. I'm gambling that I can extend ice time, thus cool time with the potentiometer control and the dash fan in combination. The cooler providing cool air and the fan circulating it. Wish me the best I also surmise that blocks of ice will last longer than cubes. 

The blocks will last longer than cubes. As cold air goes down, I would have the air lines inside the cooler run across the bottom with the ice on top of them. As the ice melts the ice water will encircle the air lines, and should do a super job of cooling the air. Just thinking, are you using air lines or just blowing air thru the cooler? Might take some experimenting and tinkering, but I think you are on to something here. Can't wait to see what you find out!

[pflaming]

Mike I agree, if the air inside the box is not controlled, then it will take the shortest route from the intake to the blower so it must travel "through the ice". I'm thinking a vertical baffle might accomplish that. Keep in mind that some " beverages"  like to be very cold, which means the source for coolant is user's choice! The Michigan user might select something different than say one in the U.K.! 

Attached is today's progress, 90%  time figuring things out, 10% time getting it done

 

[Frank Elder]

On 7/26/2017 at 11:47 AM, Prusakowski said:

Along with playing with old trucks - - I build AK and AR-15 rifles.  You guys need to visit the AK forum to see how thick their skin is when it comes to humor.

 

 

 

This post is also uncalled for seeings how nobody wants or needs to see that picture.

[Frank Elder]

3 hours ago, Mike36 said:

Have you tried this thing out? I'd like th know how good it works. The combination of heat & humidity can be pretty awful here in Iowa at times, and My '39 gets mad at me if neglected too long.

Don.t get too excited these things work in dry climates like cali utah n. mex arizona....not here in the humid midwest.

[Los_Control]

have to agree, is same basic principle as a swamp cooler. And dry climate they work great, if you have humidity, wont work much if at all.

[pflaming]

Today's weather, 103 with 10% humidity. Humidity to increase by Thursday, to possibly 20%. That said, this might be helpful out here. 

Edit: For me, this cooler is only for short drives and then for the novelty of it. This is not a serious attempt at gaining a sustained cool cab. Considering my climate and hot driving usage, very impractical, but may be a fun conversation piece. Additionally, since my cab has a flat floor, it will fit, would not fit in the floor center in my suburban. 

Edited July 30, 2017 by pflaming
A clarification note.

[Los_Control]

I live in south eastern  WA, years ago swamp coolers were all we had, and all that was needed. With the dams and widening of the rivers and irrigation on farms, man made humidity is much more.

Right now is 94 degrees and 19% humidity, not rained for weeks. A swamp cooler would work some with this dry spell, but a lil rain and no chance.

[Frank Elder]

84 degrees 78 humidity today....no swamp cooler for me....lol.

 

[Mike36]

I am far from an expert on conditioned air, but I do not see this as a swamp cooler if the air passing through it is contained in pvc pipe and not exposed to the atmosphere surrounding the ice. My understanding of swamp coolers is that they are evaporative coolers . The air passing through is cooled by the evaporation of water. That is not what I see phlamings apparatus doing. If the air entering it is contained in pvc pipe and run back and forth in the bottom of the cooler a few times, the ice and ice water in the cooler will cool the air because the pvc pipe will be cold. And the moisture content of the air will not be raised because the air is not exposed to the melting ice. Don't know how well it will work, but do know 82 degrees is better than 92 degrees. How about it HVAC guys, what ya thinking?

[John-T-53]

Considering the planned trip to Morro Bay, I imagine that the ice blocks would only be needed for the trip out. Once you're there, you could "capture" some of the coastal air in the cooler, then just recirculate it to keep cool for the ride back home.