LUBBOCK, Texas — As temperatures rise in Lubbock, it's important to find affordable ways to stay cool. If you need an emergency cooling solution, here are some ideas for making a DIY air conditioner using items you already have around the house.
Icebox homemade air conditioner
For under $10, you can make this DIY air conditioner from makeuseof.com. All you need is a styrofoam cooler, an inexpensive fan, and two PVC joints or a flexible dryer vent.
- Place one end of the pipe, fan side down, on top of the icebox and trace around the fan and pipe.
- Use a serrated knife to cut holes (cut inside the lines so the material will fit snugly).
- Fill the cooler with ice and turn on the fan.
The fan blows air over the ice and expels cool air through vents at a temperature similar to that of an air conditioner.
DIY frozen water bottle fan
For this idea from wikihow.com, all you need are a few bottles of water, salt (to lower the freezing temperature of the water), and a table or box fan.
- Add 3 tablespoons of salt to each bottle, shake the bottles, and then freeze them for a few hours.
- Once the bottle is frozen, place it about 6 inches away from the fan and leave the fan running while the bottle is freezing.
Wikihow recommends not using an oscillating setting on your fan, even if it has one. Once the bottle has returned to its liquid state, it can be put back in the freezer and reused.
Hang a bottle behind the fan
Again, a water bottle and a fan are the stars of the show. Check out this cooling hack from wikihow:
- Cut two water bottles in half around the circumference, about 1 inch from the top.
- Drill multiple holes all around the bottle, above the cuts.
- Place the bottle upside down behind the fan and tie it down with string or wire.
- Put ice in the bottle and turn on the fan to cool it down.
This idea allows you to use the vibration setting as the bottle is tied to the fan.
As always, if it gets hot, be sure to follow CDC guidelines to prevent heatstroke: stay hydrated, wear lightweight clothing, and apply sunscreen.