cooling your tent or van

essjay · Post by **essjay** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:33 pm

FireTommy wrote:The fan I have is that one from FrozenCPU and I have to be that guy and ask...which wires are what? There are 4, and my mind is only able to handle 2!

http://electrical.about.com/od/wiringci ... coding.htm

FireTommy · Post by **FireTommy** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 10:01 pm

Thanks! Got it! Line 1 is the ground, Line 2 is 12v, and the other two are, umm...magic, I guess

HandJamMasterC · Post by **HandJamMasterC** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 4:41 pm

Well, version 2.0 of my solar swamp cooler is finished. One big change I made is shitcanning the drip tube and using 1/2" pvc pipe to make a water manifold ( like Figjam ) - easier to drill uniform holes in. I'm also using plastic tube with a 1/4" I.D. and 5/16" O.D. - it goes on a better bigger fitting on my Harbor Freight solar pumps, and delivers more water ( I'm using 2 pumps now ).

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 5:16 pm

Oh hells yes!!!

Why two pumps?

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 6:44 pm

FIGJAM wrote:Why two pumps?

Some of us like a little double action.

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 6:50 pm

I've been doing it wrong!

I thought 1 was sufficient, 2 was showing off!

HandJamMasterC · Post by **HandJamMasterC** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 7:06 pm

The HF pumps are rated at 42 GPH, about 1/2 the one that you are using Figjam. But they were cheap and I happen to have them, so I'm using 2.

MOOP_Czar · Post by **MOOP_Czar** » Fri Oct 14, 2011 8:11 pm

I have been watching this thread for a while and have decided to finally build one of the bucket coolers for a start. My wife will be coming with me in 2012 and she suffers from a few different medical issues. I have been looking for a way, tht doesn't involve an RV, to create a comforable environment for her at any given moment. Night time is not an issue as we can layer and get close, but the days can be hell. I really think that this is going to do the trick. I thank you for this thread and the sharing of your ideas. It makes a big difference to many people.

Jared · Post by **Jared** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 4:28 pm

I am curious about minimizing the electricity usage of these. Would either of these options work for replacing the pump:

Gravity fed: water drips onto the pad from a reservoir above the fan at the highest rate such that no water comes off the bottom of the pad (you'd need a way to adjust the drip rate).
Capillary action fed: the pad is made out of a wicking material dipped into a reservoir below the fan (the amount of material could be adjusted to control the rate).

Could a solar chimney create a draft strong enough to replace the fan?

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 5:34 pm

Gravity feed is going to be hard to get just right as the amount of water needed will very with the humidity.

I think that any material that can wick water fast enough won't be porse enough to allow air flow, plus dust may glog it.

YMMV

bigdane · Post by **bigdane** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 7:28 pm

n00b 2012 here...i guess it would be safe to presume that a generator would be a critical component to this?
If so are there any affordable suggestions??

just wondering

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 7:35 pm

Pretty much the Honda is going to be the one offered up. Not the cheapest, but the best value by a long shot. I don't actually own a genny, so I"m just repeating back what I've read, but I've read it over and over...

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:25 pm

bigdane wrote:n00b 2012 here...i guess it would be safe to presume that a generator would be a critical component to this?
If so are there any affordable suggestions??

just wondering

I run my coolers all week with a 105ah deep cycle battery.

I don't need a generator.

bigdane · Post by **bigdane** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:49 pm

FIGJAM wrote:I run my coolers all week with a 105ah deep cycle battery.

I don't need a generator.

sooo....deep cycle batteries...they're sorta like car batteries, in the sense you merely connect the necessary equip (ie;swamp cooler) to it and turn them on? Is it that simple? If so, why would anyone want to buy a generator?? I know I could google 105ah deep cycle battery and research it myself, but I'm being lazy tonight...

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:14 pm

A car battery is about like a 50ah battery, but their not engineered to be used this way.

Costco has a 115ah battery for $80.

Bigger camps use more power, so the hondas are very popular cause their quiet.

I designed my camp and electric trike so I would'nt need a genny.

bigdane · Post by **bigdane** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:23 pm

[quote="FIGJAM"]A car battery is about like a 50ah battery, but their not engineered to be used this way.[quote]

if I understand you right...if I built a swamp cooler I could simply hook it up to the 105ah terminals and it would power the cooler? how long would it hold a charge? Do you just connect it while in use and then disc when you don't need it...like at night? I presume the battery itself makes no audible sound like a generator would and suppose the cooler itself emits some low level sound - white noise...also I'm guessing its not an issue keeping the whole setup right in my tent. Figjam you rock!

essjay · Post by **essjay** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:35 pm

bigdane wrote:
if I understand you right...if I built a swamp cooler I could simply hook it up to the 105ah terminals and it would power the cooler? how long would it hold a charge? Do you just connect it while in use and then disc when you don't need it...like at night? I presume the battery itself makes no audible sound like a generator would and suppose the cooler itself emits some low level sound - white noise...also I'm guessing its not an issue keeping the whole setup right in my tent. Figjam you rock!

You would probably need an inverter. This device has clamps that hook on the battery and then a little converter box with A/C outlets that you can plug the power cord from the pump into.

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:54 pm

No inverter needed as everything is 12 volt.

The bucket cooler has to set outside the space being cooled, then duct the air into the space.

The intake on the box cooler is placed against any opening to draw air into the cooler.

The hot dry air is what makes an evaporative cooler work so well.

I consistently get a 30 degree reduction in tempature.

All of this is covered earlier in this thread.

essjay · Post by **essjay** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 10:19 pm

FIGJAM wrote:No inverter needed as everything is 12 volt.

Oh, nice.

I'll shut up now . .

bigdane · Post by **bigdane** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 10:25 pm

FIGJAM you're a brilliant effing hero.......in addition to being apparently good...if asked

dude you rock!

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 6:25 am

The bucket cooler uses 1.5 amps per hour.

My batteries are Deka 105ah AGM deep cycle.

For longest life I don't discharge below 50%.

This will let me run my cooler 5 to 6 hours a day plus some led lights for camp all week without having to recharge.

larsonfarmer · Post by **larsonfarmer** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 1:12 pm

Hi all,
hey i was wondering, could you use this to also(slowly) evaporate grey water?

britzbitz · Post by **britzbitz** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 1:47 pm

Thank you for this thread. This is exactly what my heat-sensitive hubby is going to need.

Canoe · Post by **Canoe** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 2:13 pm

larsonfarmer wrote:Hi all,
hey i was wondering, could you use this to also(slowly) evaporate grey water?

Except that the filter, bucket, pump and pipes become contaminated with the grey-water biologicals. They may also get spread into the air.
If the grey-water is pre-treated with bleach - highly recommended for on-playa grey water anyways - perhaps the grey-water would be o.k. for this, if pre-filtered and stored separately to allow the post-treatment bleach to break-down and/or evaporate. But then what other things, like soaps, etc., may be in the water to result in smells and/or fumes being spread into your living structure.

IMHO - not worth the risk
take extra potable water for bucket cooler's use
keep it simple, reliable and isolated to ensure healthy

If you keep your grey-water processing separate, perhaps the same configuration could be useful to aid evaporation of the water within grey-water, but I'd think that the pump and a larger air-exposed filter without a fan would be more efficient. Check the grey-water processing designs.

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 9:07 pm

Some people have asked about where to get the bigger fan, so here's some onfo.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... E4Q8wIwAQ#

HandJamMasterC · Post by **HandJamMasterC** » Tue Nov 15, 2011 9:19 am

Hi all,
hey i was wondering, could you use this to also(slowly) evaporate grey water?

I use clean cooler water. I had more than I knew what to do with last year !!

motskyroonmatick · Post by **motskyroonmatick** » Mon Dec 19, 2011 5:32 pm

Yesterday I did a little solar experiment. I took 4 VW battery maintenance solar panels and wired them all together in parallel. Then I hooked up a 4" computer fan to the solar panels. Much to my surprise there was enough power to start and run the fan fast enough to move air but definitely not up to design rpm's. All this in 100% cloud cover with panels horizontal. Voltage at the running fan was just under 6 volts. I'm thinking this battery less system might work for running a small swamp cooler or ventilating a tent or yurt.

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Mon Dec 19, 2011 6:17 pm

Sounds like it will work.

I'd check it again in total sun just to make sure the fan will be effective.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Mon Dec 19, 2011 6:22 pm

Idea today...

Get another 4x4 shower tent.. Add a clear plastic boot on the opening.
So I can sit in my lounge chair with a swamp cooler in the mid day.. Just watching people go by..

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Mon Dec 19, 2011 6:27 pm

I brought my bucket cooler for demo's.

Sat it next to my chair blowing on my torso, so you don't need to be enclosed to be cool.

Just keep it portable so you can move it where you want it.

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