If you need something that is absolutely zero power; then one such method that’s been circulating online (under the name of the Eco-Cooler) – that we decided to try out…
This cooler requires no power whatsoever, and uses basic parts that you probably have around the house right now. You may need to gather or stockpile a few more plastic bottles, though, because you’ll be needing at least two dozen…
It is based on the idea that moving air reduces the temperature. All you have to do is install it in a window and enjoy the breeze.
The first thing to note is that it’s more a fan than a true air conditioner. It makes your home feel cooler by increasing the velocity of the air passing through it – like a fan. However, unlike regular house fans, it uses zero electricity.
Ok, ready to get started? Not so fast! For this project we used 30 bottles, so take the time to acquire them one way or another.
Make sure they are on the larger size, too. Supposedly, the larger the difference between the circumference of the bottleneck and the body of the bottle is better, so two-liter soda bottles will work well.
The list of tools and materials really short and requires very minimal materials – in fact, only two. The first thing you will need is a board cut to the size of one of your windows.
Yo should pick a window that gets the best wind flow during the hotter seasons.
Your board should be about two millimeters thick, and made of a sturdy material. After all, this is going in the window of your house, so anything that can’t stand up to a little rain in the summer probably will not work very well. Nevertheless, even some cardboard will do for our purposes.
Now we have to cut holes in the white foam board to the size of the rim. First, place one of the bottles upside down, and draw a circle with a pencil around the rim:
Draw all of the holes before you start to carve them and make there’s enough room for the bottles to sit next to each-other. In other words, the holes heed to be sufficiently spaced apart!
Using a cutter, start carving them one by one:
The board will look like this when you’re done:
Next, cut the top part of the caps off (but not so much that they can no longer screw on). The point is to make an opening about as large as the opening of the bottle.
Next, cut the base of the bottles off so that you have these plastic funnels:
Then push the bottles through the foam board at evenly spaced intervals.
The first bottle you pull through the cardboard will look like this:
Now screw the cap on to secure the bottle to the board:
When you’re done, the body of the bottles should be close enough to touch each other, and the entire board should have bottles sticking out of it:
Finally, install the board with the body of the bottles on the window. The wind passing through the bottles will be compressed through the bottleneck (which heats the air slightly), and then as it expands into the home, it will cool.
You can do this pretty easily with your mouth. First, blow some air with your mouth wide open (hold your hand in front of your mouth to feel the temperature). At the same rate, blow air out with your lips pursed.
In this scenario, your mouth is acting as a throttle for the air passing through it. The increased velocity of the air makes it feel cooler on your skin as it passes by. It’s better if the board is installed on a side of the home that has more shade, and better wind flow.
Currently, there is a lot of debate about the actual effects of this system. While it may not do the job of your expensive HVAC system, it certainly will feel better when it’s hot outside. The video claims a 5 degree Celsius difference in temperature, though this may be an exaggeration.
Part of why this works so well in India is because many of the homes are made from corrugated tin, which means that on summer days, the inside of the home is hotter than the outside (much like leaving your car in the sun).
Circulating outside air through the home has a much more pronounced effect in these types of homes because the temperature difference is so drastic.
If your home is not made of corrugated tin (which it likely isn’t), you will probably not notice as great an effect.
At the very least, however, this a no-cost fan for hot days that will amplify even a slight breeze because of the design. In disaster situations, this may be a great option for cooling the home, especially since the materials are easy to come by.
My name is Teresa Fikes. I am a Homesteader, survivalist, prepper, historian, and writer plus much more all in one package deal. I was raised on a small family farm were I was taught at an early age to survive off the land without the help of modern conveniences. I am a writer by profession and a Homesteader by Blood, Sweat, and Tears.
I understand the concept, and it’s a good idea but I think there may be one setback to the system. How are you planning to keep fly’s, bees, mosquitos and other intrusive insects from entering your house? Adding a piece of window screening may help, but it will also partially restrict the air flow, reducing the cooling ability of the system. The cardboard panel will not keep larger critters or individuals from getting in if your house either if you away for any reason.
Since a hot spot is created at the point where the air is compressed before it expands and absorbs heat, I wonder if you had a small coil of copper wire in that hot spot and it went back out through the cardboard and was wrapped in a bigger coil around the bottle it could carry away that heat.