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How to Build an Evaporative Cooler

The evaporative cooler, also known as a swamp cooler, is a cooling system that utilizes the evaporation of water to cool the surrounding environment. These coolers are commonly used in greenhouses, camping and even in the home as an alternative to using air conditioning. A homemade evaporative cooler can be made out of parts found at the local hardware store and takes only about half an hour to put together and be ready to use.

Things You'll Need

Box Fan
Screw driver
20 feet of 1/4-inch copper tubing
Zip ties
20 feet of 3/8-inch vinyl tubing
Scissors
Hose clamps
Aquarium pump or fountain pump
Cooler
Water
Ice
Cookie sheet

Instructions

- 1
  Unscrew the front screen of the box fan with a screw driver. The copper tubing attaches to this screen. Removing it from the fan makes connecting the tubing easier to complete.
- 2
  Uncoil the copper tubing and create a spiral shape on the outside portion of the fan screen. Hold the copper in place with zip ties placed every few inches to support the tubing.
- 3
  Cut the vinyl tubing in half with a pair of scissors.
- 4
  Connect the two pieces of vinyl tubing to each end of the copper tubing. Slide the vinyl tubing over the copper by an inch and secure with hose clamps. Tighten clamps using a screwdriver.
- 5
  Reconnect the fan screen back to the body of the box fan.
- 6
  Connect the piece of vinyl tubing that connect to the copper tubing not located in the center of the spiral to the aquarium or fountain pump. Place the pump into the cooler.
- 7
  Run the other vinyl tubing into the cooler. This is the return line and brings the water back into the cooler after it has passed in front of the fan.
- 8
  Fill up the cooler with water so that the pump is completely submerged. Add ice to the cooler to fill up the cooler the rest of the way.
- 9
  Place the box fan on cookie sheets to capture any condensation that drips off the pipes while the evaporative cooler is in use.

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