Nerd vs British Summer – 100% recycled zero cost air conditioning

July 19, 2022 | Toby Russell | |
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About the author

Toby Russell

I'm passionate about all things tech, business transformation and sustainability. In my role at Colart I lead the technology, digital, analytics, business development and elephant teams helping to advance the business and its digital transformation journey. At home, I'm dad to two increasingly grown up children, husband to Claire and buddy to Alvin the dog. My hobbies are engineering, automation and sustainability and I also love growning Cacti.

Amazon fresh ice packs

In the sweltering heat that has hit most of europe, no amount of fans seemed to cool down our house and it was time for some lateral thinking on how to give my children some restbite in their 35C bedrooms.

Inspiration came with the arrival of our Amazon Fresh food delivery in the form of Amazons ice packs that they use to keep food chilled. I’ve always ponder what a waste they are and how I should put them to better use than simply tossing them in the bin.

So I bring you, the biscuit tin air conditioning unit. Take one biscuit tin, drill holes around the bottom to allow air to be drawn in. Take the lid of the biscuit tin and cut a hole of an appropriate size for an old computer fan.  Use a glue gun to attach the fant to the lid. Fill with the frozen ice packs and power up and you get a wonderful blast of ice cold air. Total construction time 10 minutes at zero cost.

The ice packs require replacing every hour or so but boy what a difference it makes and a great example of creative upcycling.

Fill the biscuit tin with the ice packs

Fan draws cold air through the wholes drilled in the side of the biscuit tin and out through a whole cut in the lid creating a stream of cold aim.

Voila… a small jet of lovely cold air:

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