cooling your tent or van

[sahara]

I just worked on this last night. Don't buy the cheap Lowe's buckets for this project. They're #5 plastic which cracks when drilled and, apparently, is environmentally unfriendly. Boo.

[unjonharley]

I think they were 2"!

How is your broke ass anyway!

Hope you're feeling better.

Missing pointing and laughing at you all's silly asses this year..
Next year "was" better anyway..

My ass is a long time healing.. My rotten kid tells people I have a new coin purse.

[rgk]

Fig, we can probably just cut the holes, instead of drilling them, right? In all sorts of fun shapes, like boobs and dicks?

[rgk]

By the way Fig, come to camp Wet Dream for a blowjob. It's a rite of passage, you know.

[rgk]

Aw jeez, I hope you're not a woman. *blushes at the realization of his own partriarchically oppressive worldview* See what having a performance studies feminist scholar as a girlfriend will do?

[FIGJAM]

Thanks to Mr. Fig and collective wisdom for the design! I'm getting 22-25 degrees of cooling, easily powered by a 45 watt solar panel. With two Scythe fans the output is a little marginal for my 23' class A RV, but with the flow piped directly to the curtained-off bed area it makes for very comfortable napping temps.

I have'nt had sex with a partner in 15 years, but thanks for reminding me!

[rgk]

Uhh... that takes the freakin' cake.

Thanks to Mr. Fig and collective wisdom for the design! I'm getting 22-25 degrees of cooling, easily powered by a 45 watt solar panel. With two Scythe fans the output is a little marginal for my 23' class A RV, but with the flow piped directly to the curtained-off bed area it makes for very comfortable napping temps.

I have'nt had sex with a partner in 15 years, but thanks for reminding me!

Woww! I'm impressed.

[FIGJAM]

Just a rather sad fact.

[FuckingEh]

Sweet!

[rgk]

Fig, I was talking exclusively about that magical space garbage container. I was trying to be polite by not mentioning your ... ahem ... issue.

[robtwyman]

First of all, thank you figjam, kman, et al for all the awesome work and posts on this. I have read everything (twice) from the beginning and I have all my parts in hand or on the way in the mail. My question though is specifically about venting my hexayurt. Is it sufficient to just have my "window", which is about a 4" square cutout lined to a filter pad or do I need to have a powered fan to blow outward through that window or a new one? I understand all the pressurization issues I just want to be sure if the pressure coming in will be enough to force the air out without help to allow the new cool air to keep coming in.

Thanks so much!!

[kman]

First of all, thank you figjam, kman, et al for all the awesome work and posts on this. I have read everything (twice) from the beginning and I have all my parts in hand or on the way in the mail. My question though is specifically about venting my hexayurt. Is it sufficient to just have my "window", which is about a 4" square cutout lined to a filter pad or do I need to have a powered fan to blow outward through that window or a new one? I understand all the pressurization issues I just want to be sure if the pressure coming in will be enough to force the air out without help to allow the new cool air to keep coming in.

Thanks so much!!

I used two 12"x12" AC filters, taped over cutouts that were about 11x11, to allow for a cross-breeze of sorts. Save the cutout piece so you can make a plug.

4" square MIGHT be enough for the swamp cooler, but you're definitely making it harder on the fans with that small size. I'd go bigger.

[FIGJAM]

Hjm's killer fan find!!!

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200422029

[FIGJAM]

ON VENTING.

You want very little if any pressure buildup in the space.

Complete air exchange every 3 to 5 minutes.

I don't use any filter for the exhaust air leaving the space.

I have a sliding window to BALANCE the incoming air with the amount going out.

I had no dust at the end of the week.

[mazatta]

Just finished my cooler...have tested all of the pieces individually, but haven't had a chance to fire it up assembled. Hopefully tomorrow!

[akb427]

Question: Could I turn greywater into something safe to use in a swamp cooler using a backpacking-style hand pumped water filter?

(I can think of two potential problems... one, the filter might simply clog up, or two, it might not get all the yuck out of the water...)

[CaverX]

The use of grey water in evaporative coolers has come up several times. I do not have any plans to try this but I did find a useful link.
I think this cooler was used in 2006:http://ae-zone.org/2009/09/the-trashcan ... mp-cooler/

[FIGJAM]

My only concern about using greywater is that you HAVE to get it right.

When you turn the cooler off, the pads will turn into the perfect growth medium for bacteria as it will be damp and warm when the fan is off.

Please be careful if you try this.

[unjonharley]

\

Bunch of dumb asses,

What the hell do you thing they call it gray water for??

It's bath water at best.. Bath water contains some , if not all of the following.
Shit, spit, cum, scabs, blood, skin, piss, snot and more..
Your cooler will be happy to drive this crap into your tent/camper and up your nose,in your eyes and down your throat. Have a good fucking dumb ass recovery..
Or die of mold spor up your nose until your head blows up-

It take 2 1/2 gallon for 5 hours.. You can't bring that much water?

Just ask some one for there melt water.. Buy a $25 inline hose filter at your RV store.

Get your head out of you ass and read this whole thread.. Instead of asking the same questions over and over

[kman]

Question: Could I turn greywater into something safe to use in a swamp cooler using a backpacking-style hand pumped water filter?

(I can think of two potential problems... one, the filter might simply clog up, or two, it might not get all the yuck out of the water...)

Yes, this should work, with a good backpacking filter rated to remove viruses, with a good prefilter and an activated charcoal stage.

No, I wouldn't bother. Your filter will clog and have to be cleaned a number of times... with what, clean water? And those filters are EXPENSIVE. And it's going to take a LONG time to filter that many gallons... most backpacking filters are designed to treat a few liters at a go, not 2.5 gallons for 5 hours of use.

Just bring more water. We're not talking about very much money... water is cheap, filters are expensive. Treating grey water is simply not a good idea for these purposes.

Unjonharley is harsh, but he's speaking the truth.

[The Bee]

Bunch of dumb asses,

Easy there unjon, take a moment and do some calm breathing now. We don't want you having a coronary thrombosis.

I don't think the answer is quite that simple. Viruses and bacteria that thrive in a moist environment die or go dormant when they're not in that environment. I have not read the latest issues of the New England Journal of Medicine and such, so I don't know how strong the evidence is that a virus can move itself from water to air via evaporation. Splashing water droplets, I can understand, but evaporation? Water goes through a physical state change during evaporation. Water treatment plants often spray water in the air as part of the treatment process, and there's no need for the plant workers to wear a hazmat suit and breathing apparatus. Maybe it's true. I just am opposed on principle to people not being able to question assumptions.

Still, I'm using fresh water or ice melt for my cooler because I think gray water might become smelly.

[FIGJAM]

Like most "Doom and gloom" posts, it's worst case senerio.

Chances are most of them won't happen.

75mph 10 hour white out might happen, but not likely.

Every choice you make is a gamble anyway.

I'll be using freash water.

[honers]

Any suggestion on what to use for the unicooler box?

Did you make yours or find one that was the right size? Of course, I could build one out of plywood, but then I need to worry about sealing it, etc.. I am temped by just trying the trash can link you posted, , but am curious if that becomes too flimsey once you cut holes in it.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[The CO]

Went back to your OP.. You did not say what size hole saw you used..

I think they were 2"!

I did 2" hole saw on a low speed setting. Someone mentioned the bucket cracking, that's where the slow speed is helpful. I was about to use my roto-zip when I realized that 10,000 RPM would make some awesome shrapnel if it went wrong.

Good food cooler discipline will give you all the clean, cold water you need, but everyone using the cooler has to play by the rules.

I'm also working on sewing a burlap sleeve for the 3-4 feet of tube that will be exposed to the sun on mine. Soak sleeve in water, it will help cool the vent tube to reduce temperature increase due to heat exchange.
I'm playing around with a cap for my evap fountain that will distill water for use in swamp coolers, but that's a 2012 project. Yes, I have next-years disease already.

[unjonharley]

Bunch of dumb asses,

Easy there unjon, take a moment and do some calm breathing now. We don't want you having a coronary thrombosis.

I don't think the answer is quite that simple. Viruses and bacteria that thrive in a moist environment die or go dormant when they're not in that environment. I have not read the latest issues of the New England Journal of Medicine and such, so I don't know how strong the evidence is that a virus can move itself from water to air via evaporation. Splashing water droplets, I can understand, but evaporation? Water goes through a physical state change during evaporation. Water treatment plants often spray water in the air as part of the treatment process, and there's no need for the plant workers to wear a hazmat suit and breathing apparatus. Maybe it's true. I just am opposed on principle to people not being able to question assumptions.

Still, I'm using fresh water or ice melt for my cooler because I think gray water might become smelly.

First, the water in this case is not true evaporated.. It is reduced droplets.
Any odor you get is gas from decaying matter/little critters.. Some much smaller than swamp cooler droplets.. It's like a big water park for them..
Little critters that you say lay dormant out there in the desert, Will come to life with water and your ever decaying body.. They enter larger critters, build cities, and feed off the larger critter.. Man is one of larger critters in that food chain..

I should hope that/ after all the history of man, Most will have learned to drink up stream from the herd.. But then again there are dumb asses that die every day fucking around in the wrong game..

[kman]

I'm also working on sewing a burlap sleeve for the 3-4 feet of tube that will be exposed to the sun on mine. Soak sleeve in water, it will help cool the vent tube to reduce temperature increase due to heat exchange.

That's why I went with the insulated AC flex ducting instead of the standard dryer hose that others seem to use.




Gives a 6" duct to work with, too, which is good when you're using side-by-side 120mm fans instead of the single fan design. Oh, and it terminates PERFECTLY inside a standard 5-gal bucket with the bottom cut out, no tape needed. So I have a nice hole in my yurt with a bucket stuck through (from the inside). When I'm not using the cooler, a bucket lid seals the hole completely.

[unjonharley]

I'm playing around with a cap for my evap fountain that will distill water for use in swamp coolers, but that's a 2012 project. Yes, I have next-years disease already.

Where is that thread with all the good picture of your system..

I keep dreaming up a convection heated evap capture system.
Maybe only in my head.. Maybe we could bang heads and come up with something.

[The CO]

Greywater evaporation for the enterprising contraptioneer

I'll be posting more photos soon, working on the final build right now.



Distiller cap testing, baby size version. Right now I'm trying to see if it will work like a small solar still. I got about 1/2 oz water in 8 hours. Not a big yield, but the idea is sound.

[billvon]

Question: Could I turn greywater into something safe to use in a swamp cooler using a backpacking-style hand pumped water filter?

I'd say no, that's low output and clogs very fast if you are looking at crypto-rated (i.e. small pore) filters.

Our graywater system used a metal mesh filter and that got most of the cloggy stuff out (hair, soap scum etc.) At one point we used a two stage filter (metal mesh, sediment canister) and that worked for 3-4 months at a time before we had to wash the metal mesh and replace the sediment canister.

For BM I'm taking a submersible pump with a spray nozzle; the idea will be to spray graywater over the evaporation pad to help with evaporation. Going with just the mesh filter. This will be for graywater reduction, not cooling.

[Canoe]

I was about to use my roto-zip when I realized that 10,000 RPM would make some awesome shrapnel if it went wrong.

Skil saw. Three stabs = one triangular hole.