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Lifehack: Make an Air Conditioner Out of a Cooler for Less Than $50

Updated Jul 1st, 2015 8:17AM EDT
DIY Air Conditioner Cooler Fan PVC
Image: Screenshot / YouTube

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That unbelievably hot, unbreathable air you keep complaining about these days can quickly be turned into a cool breeze at home for just $50 with help of a cooler, a fan and a PVC pipe. Add solar power to make it even more efficient, if you have access to it, and toss in some ice to complete the project.

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Discovered by Business Insider, the video showing you how to build the improvised AC unit once you have all the required parts was posted on YouTube last May, and has scored almost 3 million views since then. Now that heatwaves are sweeping the country, it’s worth highlighting again.

The hardest job is cutting holes in the cooler’s lid to fit the fan and the PVC pipe, intrepid YouTube user desertsun02 reveals. Once that’s done though, all you have to do is connect the fan to a power source, put ice inside the cooler and turn the fan on.

desertsun02 recommends using big jugs of frozen water inside the cooler so that when they melt, you won’t have to clean it all up. Instead, simply put them back in the freezer when you’re done, and reuse them once the water freezes up again.

The fan in the video was connected to a battery pack that lasted seven hours, but you can use other power sources including solar panels. Meanwhile, the ice in the cooler melted after five hours.

The full video showing this home-made affordable AC unit in action follows below.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.