It's pretty typical for me to come up with a 'clever' idea for a gizmo or gadget.
I think about how it would work, and how it might be built, and that's usually as far as it goes - I entertain myself with the concepts.
For once, I actually built something. It's an ice-cooled air conditioner, built of rubber and copper tubing, pvc pipe, an aquarium, and a water pump.
We don't have air conditioning in our apartment complex, and the windows are the wrong type for a window model. The free rolling portable models are too expensive.
My sweet wife is very patient with my ideas, but if I started building a pile of gadget components, she might voice some concern. Since I did not want to concern her, I bought the supplies slowly, over a month. I spread my purchases across several pay checks. Copper tubing first, then the pump arrived - ordered online and shipped to my work, aquarium, tubing and pvc last. She never suspected, aha hahaa haa haa!
When assembly was complete, I took the aquarium into the kitchen, cleared the area, filled the tank with water, and very slowly and carefully plugged the pump into the wall.
Carefully now...
Goggles on, fire extinguisher at the ready...
Plug!
It whirred peacefully.
I waited a good minute, sure that it was waiting to spring a catastrophic system failure on me, as soon as I relaxed.
It whirred peacefully.
I'd expected eight different leaking connections and a grease fire. (And it doesn't even use grease) It works! Exactly as I designed it. Granted, it's an extremely simple design, but I was still very pleased.
It was a silly little project, but it was fun - and should come in handy.
I has hoping to surprise Cindy with a full demonstration on a hot night, but it's not really hot enough. Darned fickle summer weather, with its unseasonable chill.
I think about how it would work, and how it might be built, and that's usually as far as it goes - I entertain myself with the concepts.
For once, I actually built something. It's an ice-cooled air conditioner, built of rubber and copper tubing, pvc pipe, an aquarium, and a water pump.
We don't have air conditioning in our apartment complex, and the windows are the wrong type for a window model. The free rolling portable models are too expensive.
My sweet wife is very patient with my ideas, but if I started building a pile of gadget components, she might voice some concern. Since I did not want to concern her, I bought the supplies slowly, over a month. I spread my purchases across several pay checks. Copper tubing first, then the pump arrived - ordered online and shipped to my work, aquarium, tubing and pvc last. She never suspected, aha hahaa haa haa!
When assembly was complete, I took the aquarium into the kitchen, cleared the area, filled the tank with water, and very slowly and carefully plugged the pump into the wall.
Carefully now...
Goggles on, fire extinguisher at the ready...
Plug!
It whirred peacefully.
I waited a good minute, sure that it was waiting to spring a catastrophic system failure on me, as soon as I relaxed.
It whirred peacefully.
I'd expected eight different leaking connections and a grease fire. (And it doesn't even use grease) It works! Exactly as I designed it. Granted, it's an extremely simple design, but I was still very pleased.
It was a silly little project, but it was fun - and should come in handy.
I has hoping to surprise Cindy with a full demonstration on a hot night, but it's not really hot enough. Darned fickle summer weather, with its unseasonable chill.
You know, it's not near as scary as I feared. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteAwwww....How sweet!!
ReplyDeleteHave a stand-by ready in case that one goes on the blink tho......when you get used to A/C and then you don't have it- it makes for a very ill temper.
Just ask Paulius.:-)
I tried something like this once, when our airconditioning went out.
ReplyDeleteNot nearly as hi tech, tho. Consisted of a big bowl of ice in front of a desk fan. It didn't really work either.
Just make sure to cover the top of the aquarium though. I have an aquarium with actual fish in it, and uncovered it makes the humidity skyrocket on a hot day.
We're actually hoping for some additional hydration. It's damned dry here!
ReplyDeleteWell congrats then! You not only have a cool (pardon the pun), energy saving, go anywhere airconditioner...you have an energy saving, go anywhere airconditioner and humidifier.
ReplyDelete(Honestly, I'm not taking the piss, it sounds like a really great little gadget)
That's the part of the weather I can't get used to over here. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and feel like I swim out of bed rather than walk!
Damn humidity