Incredibly Clever DIY Air Conditioner Made Out of a Bucket

Now that the weather is heating up, you may be starting to consider low-cost ways to keep your home cool. We all know how pricey central air, and even AC window units, can be. But sometimes, when it’s just oppressively hot, the average fan or ceiling fan just doesn’t cut it. That’s where this incredibly clever DIY device swoops in to save the day.

This man needed some relief from the heat, so he decided to make it for himself. With just a few cheap supplies, he built an amazing air conditioner with a 5-gallon bucket as his base. It seems impossible, but this contraption really pumps out some cool air and costs next to nothing!

Here’s what you’ll need to get started on your own DIY air conditioner:

  • 5-gallon bucket
  • Styrofoam liner
  • PVC pipe
  • Small fan
  • Ice
  • Small solar panel (optional)

You can get all of these materials (barring the optional solar panel) easily for under $20 at any hardware store! To give you an idea of just how cheap these basic materials are, the PVC pipes used in this video were only $0.73 a piece. It doesn’t get better than that.

Best of all the actual construction of this homemade air conditioner is so simple. There are only about four or five steps for the entire project and they’re easy for anyone to do!

Now the main source of air is coming from a small fan which blows on a gallon of ice. This is brilliant, but it obviously will require some kind of energy to run the fan and therefore cool your space. And if you’re considering building your own air conditioner (unless you’re just crafty like that!) you’re probably looking to SAVE energy, not utilize the same amount.

We will give you a spoiler and tell you that this is where the optional solar panel comes into play. Outside of his house is a solar panel, soaking up the sun and channeling its energy inside to the fan. According to the mastermind behind this creation, this panel will provide about five hours of energy.

What do you think about this homemade air conditioner? Will you be trying this during the hot summer months? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.