Amish Redneck Cooling Filter Box

bravedave

Well-Known Member
Been meaning to post pics of this for a bit. This is a creation that has worked quite nicely and cheaply for me on warm days and so far has enabled me to not remove my window AC from its standby, emergency, service. This is a combination of a couple things I learned here. First on a thread where Justugh shared his intake "filter box" idea and then in a thread where Ilovebush provided a link to a redneck air conditioner. That particular thread also contained info from Red1966 on converting an AC which was great and nice to have in my back pocket. Kudos to all.

At first I questioned how or if this actually would work thinking that the air would barely have enough time to cool before being sucked into the room, but in operation it is nice to watch my thermometer tick down right when I add the ice. For me this serves a couple other purposes...my barn can get pretty hot inside and probably needs more ventilation itself but the cooler prevents the warming of the barn to affect my very insulated room. It also is a air filter as you can see the hepa filter incorporated while I still employ the always handy panty hose. It also is a light detractor as if I had any light coming in before I certainly don't now. I think the construction is obvious from the pictures but if you have question...
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Red1966

Well-Known Member
Glad you liked my A/C contraption. I had tried something similar to your ice box intake, but my freezer couldn't supply ice fast enough. I used one of the smallest A/C I could find, and it can easily cool a 4x8 tent to 60 deg, its lowest setting.(when using vented hoods, bare bulb [2 x 600w], it runs 90% of the time and humidity drops below 14%). I still need a dehumidifier when the lights are out.
 

bravedave

Well-Known Member
Justugh also suggested the 2.5 gallon jugs and they last. I luckily have the freezer space so I keep 6 in rotation but never have had to use more than two on any given day (and on most days I use 0 but still am sucking air through the cooler). On one of the redneck A/C videos I watched they said bare ice works even better, which is good to know with the hottest part of my summer approaching. Red1966, I actually have all the parts for your conversion standing at the ready...as I will not let anything muck up my FG.
 

Red1966

Well-Known Member
Picking the right A/C will make conversion simpler. Find one that has a solid plastic shroud separating the hot side from the cool side instead of the foam type like I have. LG A/Cs are made this way. This assumes you are concerned about odor or co2 containment. If not, then any ole thing should do.
 

bravedave

Well-Known Member
07/26/14 Outside barn 88F. Inside barn 89F. Inside Amish Redneck Cooling Filter cooled room. 75F (in the dark). So far a mild summer while also, so far, the unit has performed great and cheap.
 

justugh

Well-Known Member
just a thought to help make it even more effective ...........where u have that split between the 2 2.5 gallon jugs ............why not make a swamp cooler type of thing cool the air even more

just a square piece of that prefilter stuff u see on carbon filters .......a little pump in the cooler with like 4 inches of water the pump moves the water to the top of the filter pad thing it drips out and the air passes tho it cooling it even more

so ice one side then the cooler pad then 2nd set of ice ...............it should drop u into the low 70s high 60s

the guys swamp cooler video i sawl 86 dropped down to 67.............the other part to it is with it being cool any of the outside humidity should be collected and by the time it is pushed into your tent lowered so u should not have mold isuse ever
 
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