Zeer pot on playa?

[BrotherNomad]

A Zeer pot is a evaporative cooler using two ceramic flower pots, one pot inside the other with sand between them; using a wet towel draped over it. The sand between the two pots is saturated with water, which evaporates away resulting in primitive heat transfer. Has anybody used a zeer pot setup on Playa? I would think the alternative energy camp would use a Zeer pot, because it's Energy Star rating is 0 watts, carbon neutral, and soou-Per sustain-able?

The Playa is Perfect for this kind of refrigeration yet I haven't seen or heard any burners using a Zeer pot. I am seriously planning to build one for my second burn (BM 2015) as supplemental resillence to the vans propane fridge and potentially an ice chest as a way to save money. With the single digit humidity of the Playa, I can imagine a Zeer pot getting so cold Ice forms inside it.

The only thing needed to run a Zeer pot is water. I even imagine some kind of automatic replenishment system using a China Freight (HARBOR FREIGHT) fountain pump submerged in a 5 gallon bucket of water running via programmable outlet timer. Wait; why go sophisticated when a few bulb drip feeders (the kind that drip water though a small opening for flower pot irrigation), can replenish the Zeer pots water using zero watts of electricity.

Has anybody used a Zeer pot on Playa, and how did it perform?

[ygmir]

I haven't.

I was wondering though.....

nope, I haven't.

[FIGJAM]

For enough capacity to be usable, you'll need some big clay containers that will nest one inside the other.

Then there's the sand.

How much cargo space are you going to devote to this?

[BrotherNomad]

For enough capacity to be usable, you'll need some big clay containers that will nest one inside the other.
...
How much cargo space are you going to devote to this?

How large of clay containers? I imagined a camp using a supersized version, with square meters of surface area. I am shocked this is not a popular method of refridgeration on playa, there is a conspiracy here!

To answer your questions evap master. As much cargo space as required, and I see square flower pots are manufactured which is my first choice to save space.

[Elderberry]

Give it a try. Let us know how it worked for you.

[666isMONEY]

i camp in the desert and noticed that a bowl of water cools itself (as opposed to a glass of water) because it evaporates. on the playa, i don't have a generator or ice but occasionally cool beer in a dishpan (or black, plastic oil-drainage pan that i never used for draining oil) filled with water -- the same water i use to wash my feet (I often don't refrigerate beer at home) . . . it also helps to cover up the beer/wine in the morning with blankets. part of the fun camping on the playa is survival . . . longest I ever camped out in one place (not seeing anyone) was a month.

[Captain Goddammit]

why go sophisticated when a few bulb drip feeders (the kind that drip water though a small opening for flower pot irrigation), can replenish the Zeer pots water using zero watts of electricity.

Evaporative coolers are used, but the ones you'll see out there have fans so they are a lot more effective. Yeah, it takes a few watts of electricity, but there's pretty much zero reason why that's a problem. If you can haul big enough pots and enough sand, you could much more easily haul a battery or small generator.
Zeer pots could be a way to keep food or beer cool, but I have lots of doubt you'd cool a space with one.

Edit: upon re-reading your post, you ARE talking about refrigerating food and such, not chilling a tent, right? I went straight to assuming space-cooling.

[BrotherNomad]

...
Evaporative coolers are used, but the ones you'll see out there have fans so they are a lot more effective.
...
Zeer pots could be a way to keep food or beer cool, but I have lots of doubt you'd cool a space with one.

Edit: upon re-reading your post, you ARE talking about refrigerating food and such, not chilling a tent, right? I went straight to assuming space-cooling.

Swamp coolers are used for living spaces, yes. Yes, I AM talking about using a Zeer pot to keep food and drinks cold. To cool a space I am sure it would take a Semi-Trailer sized Zeer pot.

[Captain Goddammit]

I think you don't see them at Burning Man simply because ice is readily available in BRC. That kinda' means insulated coolers make a whole lot of sense.
But on the other hand, experimenting with different stuff just for the hell of it is always cool.

[Eric]

I'm with Figjam - this just seems like a solution in search of a problem. A well insulated cooler with ice is also zero emissions, there's zero sand to haul up & back (and to worry about becoming MOOP), there's zero ceramic to worry about breaking on playa or in transit, and you don't even need to deal with the weight of the ice, since you can buy it at Artica. Just keep it in the shade & place it on a pallet to keep it off the ground.

[Major Krash]

I'm with Figjam - this just seems like a solution in search of a problem. A well insulated cooler with ice is also zero emissions, there's zero sand to haul up & back (and to worry about becoming MOOP), there's zero ceramic to worry about breaking on playa or in transit, and you don't even need to deal with the weight of the ice, since you can buy it at Artica. Just keep it in the shade & place it on a pallet to keep it off the ground.

...but this group is so good at looking for problems!