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Its late July/Early August and its painfully hot outside in Texas. While I can do wrenching on the RC inside I do lots of carbon fiber work that requires sanding and chemicals. This must be done in the garage. We live in a new neighborhood with a strict HOA so an AC unit setup was not an option.
I was looking for a cheap method to stay cool and only needs to last for a short duration.
My setup is an old cooler that was ready to be tossed.
1. Cut hole on top left of lid for 4" pvc 45 degree elbow
2. Cut hole on bottom of the cooler and install 90 degree 4" pvc elbow.
3. Screw in wire rack. (place high enough to allow room for airflow and water drainage.
4. Block off air flow path (I used an automotive window sun visor and a combination of self tapping screws, foam, and zip ties to the wire rack)
5. Install mesh material to keep ice from falling through basket/wire rack. (I used those foam/rubber mats for lining your kitchen drawers)
6. Install blow through fan. Mine was a 200 cfm 110v off amazon (around $20.00) More CFM like 300 would be nice but would melt the ice faster.
7. Angle elbow and fan up to avoid water.
(note if you cut the holes perfectly snug then no sealant needed and you can adjust the output angle by turning the output 45 degree elbow.)
With a reasonably small amount of ice this thing is taking 90 F. air and outputting 65 F. With more Ice I am sure it would get cooler.
Currently this lasts around 30 mins and is just enough to help me tolerate the hot garage for short durations.
*Want to stay in the garage longer? Drain cooler and add more ice!
This wont cool off your whole garage, but pointed at you it will keep you very comfortable!!!
I was advised another method that may work better is to snake 2 or 3" PVC through the cooler and fill it with ice. This avoids the direct air to ice contact and may allow the ice to last longer. For now I am happy with the results and cooling duration for my needs.
I was looking for a cheap method to stay cool and only needs to last for a short duration.
My setup is an old cooler that was ready to be tossed.
1. Cut hole on top left of lid for 4" pvc 45 degree elbow
2. Cut hole on bottom of the cooler and install 90 degree 4" pvc elbow.
3. Screw in wire rack. (place high enough to allow room for airflow and water drainage.
4. Block off air flow path (I used an automotive window sun visor and a combination of self tapping screws, foam, and zip ties to the wire rack)
5. Install mesh material to keep ice from falling through basket/wire rack. (I used those foam/rubber mats for lining your kitchen drawers)
6. Install blow through fan. Mine was a 200 cfm 110v off amazon (around $20.00) More CFM like 300 would be nice but would melt the ice faster.
7. Angle elbow and fan up to avoid water.
(note if you cut the holes perfectly snug then no sealant needed and you can adjust the output angle by turning the output 45 degree elbow.)
With a reasonably small amount of ice this thing is taking 90 F. air and outputting 65 F. With more Ice I am sure it would get cooler.
Currently this lasts around 30 mins and is just enough to help me tolerate the hot garage for short durations.
*Want to stay in the garage longer? Drain cooler and add more ice!
This wont cool off your whole garage, but pointed at you it will keep you very comfortable!!!
I was advised another method that may work better is to snake 2 or 3" PVC through the cooler and fill it with ice. This avoids the direct air to ice contact and may allow the ice to last longer. For now I am happy with the results and cooling duration for my needs.
