DIY air con

[AlexRRR]

Now I've been somewhat interested in researching how to cool a BKK condo without the use of air con, if i wanted to live in a cool climate i would stay in Melbourne, i just want to make life more comfortable by taking most of the humidity out of the air drop the temp a few degrees and get a nice breeze circulating.

Ive Utubed and seen some interesting gadgets, home made and somewhat crude all so far just a personal type that won't really cool a 50 or 60 sq m condo.

One guy rigged up a large window with evap cooler pads with a simple pump dripping water over them only then installing an exhaust fan in the manhole to create air circulation by sucking air through the wet pads, no fan forcing air over the pads, he was pretty happy with the result.

Lot has been written about getting air circulation happening in your home in humid conditions, but of course the air coming in would or should need to be cooler than the air your forcing out though from my experience sitting in an alfresco bar in Cambodia with the sun shielded and several fans working i quickly cooled down.

Another great idea was wrapping copper tube over the face of a larger pedestal fan the copper tube was attached to a plastic tube in turn attached to a fish tank pump sitting in a plastic reservoir of water with a large ice block in it.

If we take both ideas...up the scale slightly i think there is some merit in it, now me being lazy i would like the water chilled without me having to keep freezing bottles of water so thats where i came up with a water chiller.

I could easily make an apparatus that would fit in a sliding door that runs a series of copper tubing even get it hinged so i could open it like a door and when i go out still turn it off and close the door or even in some way make this apparatus secure from entry by meshing it to stop a would be thief getting in so i could let it run 24/7, thats the easy part and getting it to look good wouldn't he an issue for me either but cooling that water without the need to keep putting ice in the reservoir is the tricky bit for me.

There might be some learned TV members in here who have some experience with simple chillers or ideas on how to get that water temperature down and keep it down without the high cost associated with air con, mind you I'm not looking to be able to make the place cold just cool it to make it comfortable and getting a nice cooling breeze running through the apartment and yes either several fans to push air in over the apparatus or an exhaust fan sucking it out or a combination of both will be needed.

[Crossy]

I just want to make life more comfortable by taking most of the humidity out of the air drop the temp a few degrees and get a nice breeze circulating.

To be quite honest, by far the easiest (and possibly cheapest dependant upon how much you price your time at) solution to achieve all the above is actually to go and buy a proper aircon.

[Pomthai]

To get the cooling you require, the thermal efficiency of your coils versus the air with be higher than the cooling capability of a water chiller.

Just buy a small portable AC unit or a dehumidifier.

Find a cheap ac unit on lazada or similar. Something like this http://www.lazada.co.th/natural-nap-5090-air-portable-9000-btu-856703.html

[Pomthai]

http://www.lazada.co.th/mitsuta-air-cooler-10-30-sqm-model-mec73-white-229245.html

This is probably as cheap or cheaper than most water coolers.

[stoneyboy]

Air conditioning was created for a reason.

You know the old saying if it isn't broken dont fix it.

[AlexRRR]

I just want to make life more comfortable by taking most of the humidity out of the air drop the temp a few degrees and get a nice breeze circulating.

To be quite honest, by far the easiest (and possibly cheapest dependant upon how much you price your time at) solution to achieve all the above is actually to go and buy a proper aircon.

I have one of those portable air cons here at my place in Melb, it does the job 3 or 4 times a year, house is fairly good for both keeping hot out and heat in depending on season, i built the place and was mindful of comfort then as i will be in the future.

You guys misunderstood, I'm not looking for air con solution I'm looking for fresh clean air circulating a 50 to 60 sq m BKK condo, I've lived in BKK for 1 year back in 2012 ran air con during cooking or back from a loooooong walk or when THG was over, but never longer than 3 hrs in a day, never at night well except when we doing bedroom acrobatics , the fan was never off when i was there.

And thats my point fan just blows hot air around was bearable didn't faze me much but since the next time i put down roots in BKK it will be permanunt so therefore I'm looking for a cheap and healthy way to get humidity out of the air with it circulating and changing even a 10 to 15% change in temp and humidity i would feel i was successful.

Not much point living in Thailand if i need to rely on air con half the time to survive, not interested in running up big electric bills either, but a simple fan or 2 with maybe a water chiller could do the trick at least for me other wise its the ice in the easy trick.

[Pib]

I see the OP has already thought of the method below.

Here's another suggestion.

[AlexRRR]

Hahaha yes i have seen those very crude objects now imagine one the size of a door, well made and looks good with some form of mechanical water chilling device pumping cold water through the cooper tubing coming complete with filter and either several fans behind or several exhaust fans placed in other rooms drawing air........could work you know.

[Pomthai]

Hahaha yes i have seen those very crude objects now imagine one the size of a door, well made and looks good with some form of mechanical water chilling device pumping cold water through the cooper tubing coming complete with filter and either several fans behind or several exhaust fans placed in other rooms drawing air........could work you know.

You just described an AC unit.

[AlexRRR]

found these....food for thought.

[AlexRRR]

Hahaha yes i have seen those very crude objects now imagine one the size of a door, well made and looks good with some form of mechanical water chilling device pumping cold water through the cooper tubing coming complete with filter and either several fans behind or several exhaust fans placed in other rooms drawing air........could work you know.

You just described an AC unit.

without the running costs of an air con unit...no coolants.

Hey I'm working on it...i will come up with something plus this could be powered daytime by a simple solar panel and converter.

[stoneyboy]

I just want to make life more comfortable by taking most of the humidity out of the air drop the temp a few degrees and get a nice breeze circulating.

To be quite honest, by far the easiest (and possibly cheapest dependant upon how much you price your time at) solution to achieve all the above is actually to go and buy a proper aircon.

I have one of those portable air cons here at my place in Melb, it does the job 3 or 4 times a year, house is fairly good for both keeping hot out and heat in depending on season, i built the place and was mindful of comfort then as i will be in the future.

You guys misunderstood, I'm not looking for air con solution I'm looking for fresh clean air circulating a 50 to 60 sq m BKK condo, I've lived in BKK for 1 year back in 2012 ran air con during cooking or back from a loooooong walk or when THG was over, but never longer than 3 hrs in a day, never at night well except when we doing bedroom acrobatics , the fan was never off when i was there.

And thats my point fan just blows hot air around was bearable didn't faze me much but since the next time i put down roots in BKK it will be permanunt so therefore I'm looking for a cheap and healthy way to get humidity out of the air with it circulating and changing even a 10 to 15% change in temp and humidity i would feel i was successful.

Not much point living in Thailand if i need to rely on air con half the time to survive, not interested in running up big electric bills either, but a simple fan or 2 with maybe a water chiller could do the trick at least for me other wise its the ice in the easy trick.

Your final paragraph made me laugh,that's like me saying there's not much point living in England especially in the winter having to sit at home with the central heating on running up huge gas bills.

Your trying to find a solution to a problem that's already been solved it's simply ludicrous to want to sit at home with a load of ramshackle crude devices trying to cool the room by a couple of degrees when simply using air conditioning units is the only effect way to do this fact.

[AlexRRR]

I just want to make life more comfortable by taking most of the humidity out of the air drop the temp a few degrees and get a nice breeze circulating.

To be quite honest, by far the easiest (and possibly cheapest dependant upon how much you price your time at) solution to achieve all the above is actually to go and buy a proper aircon.

I have one of those portable air cons here at my place in Melb, it does the job 3 or 4 times a year, house is fairly good for both keeping hot out and heat in depending on season, i built the place and was mindful of comfort then as i will be in the future.

You guys misunderstood, I'm not looking for air con solution I'm looking for fresh clean air circulating a 50 to 60 sq m BKK condo, I've lived in BKK for 1 year back in 2012 ran air con during cooking or back from a loooooong walk or when THG was over, but never longer than 3 hrs in a day, never at night well except when we doing bedroom acrobatics , the fan was never off when i was there.

And thats my point fan just blows hot air around was bearable didn't faze me much but since the next time i put down roots in BKK it will be permanunt so therefore I'm looking for a cheap and healthy way to get humidity out of the air with it circulating and changing even a 10 to 15% change in temp and humidity i would feel i was successful.

Not much point living in Thailand if i need to rely on air con half the time to survive, not interested in running up big electric bills either, but a simple fan or 2 with maybe a water chiller could do the trick at least for me other wise its the ice in the easy trick.

Your final paragraph made me laugh,that's like me saying there's not much point living in England especially in the winter having to sit at home with the central heating on running up huge gas bills.

Your trying to find a solution to a problem that's already been solved it's simply ludicrous to want to sit at home with a load of ramshackle crude devices trying to cool the room by a couple of degrees when simply using air conditioning units is the only effect way to do this fact.

YOU DONT READ WELL................not need air con can take the heat just want cleaner fresh air circulating with some of the humidity taken out without the costs of running an air con....IS THAT HARD TO UNDERSTAND stony?

If you read the entire post i stated i could build an apparatus that can look very good, professional even, thats the least of my concerns.

And for your knowledge seen as you lack a lot even Thais will use air con if they have it, to many shoot from the hip in TV, i not need your input if its just to ridicule.

And your very very very wrong to claim that air con is the only solution to cooling an apartment or house, long before you were born and air con existed humans used design to create drafts in buildings to help cool them you really should do some research before you shoot your big mouth off.

[Naam]

Hahaha yes i have seen those very crude objects now imagine one the size of a door, well made and looks good with some form of mechanical water chilling device pumping cold water through the cooper tubing coming complete with filter and either several fans behind or several exhaust fans placed in other rooms drawing air........could work you know.

You just described an AC unit.

without the running costs of an air con unit...no coolants.

Hey I'm working on it...i will come up with something plus this could be powered daytime by a simple solar panel and converter.

in nearly a decade of reading Thaivisa experts who claim they can change the laws of physics by materialising their (very often hare-brained) amateurish theories nothing surprises me anymore.

[AlexRRR]

And it wasn't so long ago popular thought was that if we sailed out into the ocean we would drop off the edge Christopher Columbus did just that and came back with the prizes of the Americas.

[stoneyboy]

Idiocy at its best,op only wants a little fresh air and cooler room,that's exactly what my aircon does with the aid of built in filters etc.

I rest my case.

[Pib]

If you have an Android phone you could use this App. Might be just the thing on long, hot ocean voyages.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=your.trisable.aircondition

Virtual Air Conditioner

Description

In these endless sunny days when your'e feeling hot, hot, hot on the beach or in your hot car, imagine the relief from the heat if you could cool down with your very own chilly air conditioned cooling fan. This cool AC app emulates the satisfying hum of freezing cold air being blown out of an AC cooling fan at 1500 freezing BTUs.

More powerful than any weak pocket fan, just sit in comfort as your Android air conditioner app appears to cool you down anytime or anyplace.

Features include:

* Amaze your friends
* Great party joke
* Lifelike air conditioner graphics
* Three fan speeds
* Three air fan emulations
* Power button if you get too cold
* Move to SD card functionality
* Free

Note: This application is for fun only and no cooling claims are made - enjoy!

[jpinx]

Hahaha yes i have seen those very crude objects now imagine one the size of a door, well made and looks good with some form of mechanical water chilling device pumping cold water through the cooper tubing coming complete with filter and either several fans behind or several exhaust fans placed in other rooms drawing air........could work you know.

You just described an AC unit.

without the running costs of an air con unit...no coolants.

Hey I'm working on it...i will come up with something plus this could be powered daytime by a simple solar panel and converter.

in nearly a decade of reading Thaivisa experts who claim they can change the laws of physics by materialising their (very often hare-brained) amateurish theories nothing surprises me anymore.

Looks like there's a few folks working on that

[Crossy]

Hahaha yes i have seen those very crude objects now imagine one the size of a door, well made and looks good with some form of mechanical water chilling device pumping cold water through the cooper tubing coming complete with filter and either several fans behind or several exhaust fans placed in other rooms drawing air........could work you know.

You just described an AC unit.

without the running costs of an air con unit...no coolants.

Hey I'm working on it...i will come up with something plus this could be powered daytime by a simple solar panel and converter.

Er, I don't want to worry you, but what is your "water chilling device" if not a heat pump (the basis of an aircon).

If any of these devices were practical we would all be using them now.

If you can create a device which can pump better than about 4 times the total energy it consumes you are on a winner.

[AlexRRR]

Im a home builder not air con specialist, but I'm pretty sure something can be hooked up to cool water that is mechanical and not what is an air con unit, there are gadgets around that work in varying degrees.

Again I'm not trying to make something that performs like air con only trying to get a cooler breeze happing through circulating fresh air.

I would obviously like something like a sealed water chiller then its just switch it on and off, very little maintenance etc, but a pump in a container of water with frozen salty water isn't rocket science and will deliver what i want but who wants to keep up with changing bottles both in the freezer and in your tank?

[AlexRRR]

Excuse me with my lack knowledge of air cons, but what I'm looking for doesn't do what a typical air con unit does, i think a typical air con unit does a lot more than i want it to.

[Crossy]

From your original post:-

I just want to make life more comfortable by taking most of the humidity out of the air drop the temp a few degrees and get a nice breeze circulating.

Which is exactly what an aircon does.

Please link to something 'mechanical' which does this. By the way, the compressor in a conventional aircon is 'mechanical'.

[jpinx]

If you're just trying to change the air in the room for fresh air, you can fit extractors to remove the air closest to the ceiling, where it is hottest, and only allow air to enter from the lowest shadiest outer wall location. If you're really clever you can copy some of the prehistoric methods of ventilating, or even study a termites nest -- both are excellent ways to extract the heat and keep cool air circulating. Running the incoming air over/through a cool water device is only going to make it more humid.

Edit -- Just read the OP again -- this is for a Bangkok condo

Your solution is the same as for everyone -- open all the doors and windows and let the breeze blow through

[Crossy]

Your solution is the same as for everyone -- open all the doors and windows and let the breeze blow through

On a fairly high floor this does work remarkably well, of course it doesn't dehumidify or reduce the temperature below ambient - 1 out of 3

[AlexRRR]

If you're just trying to change the air in the room for fresh air, you can fit extractors to remove the air closest to the ceiling, where it is hottest, and only allow air to enter from the lowest shadiest outer wall location. If you're really clever you can copy some of the prehistoric methods of ventilating, or even study a termites nest -- both are excellent ways to extract the heat and keep cool air circulating. Running the incoming air over/through a cool water device is only going to make it more humid.

Edit -- Just read the OP again -- this is for a Bangkok condo

Your solution is the same as for everyone -- open all the doors and windows and let the breeze blow through

Ive read enough to know that placing a water feature ( like a swiming pool) in front of big sliding doors the air is cooled as the breeze blows over it into your house, I've read about extraction fans and creating a draft, so why can't something like a cold copper series of tubes with a breeze blowing over them not also work?

It will only get more humid if you rig up something like a cooling tower or evap cooler style with water running over filters with a fan forcing air through the pads, though at cooking class in CM where i was recently they ran large fans with a copper tube with a series of holes attached to a tap i assume with water dripping out creating a fine mist which was very comforting in that afternoon heat, the kitchen was set up undercover but outside, i wouldn't think that would be idea for indoors but certainly great outside on a balcony.

[jpinx]

If you're just trying to change the air in the room for fresh air, you can fit extractors to remove the air closest to the ceiling, where it is hottest, and only allow air to enter from the lowest shadiest outer wall location. If you're really clever you can copy some of the prehistoric methods of ventilating, or even study a termites nest -- both are excellent ways to extract the heat and keep cool air circulating. Running the incoming air over/through a cool water device is only going to make it more humid.

Edit -- Just read the OP again -- this is for a Bangkok condo

Your solution is the same as for everyone -- open all the doors and windows and let the breeze blow through

Ive read enough to know that placing a water feature ( like a swiming pool) in front of big sliding doors the air is cooled as the breeze blows over it into your house, I've read about extraction fans and creating a draft, so why can't something like a cold copper series of tubes with a breeze blowing over them not also work?

It will only get more humid if you rig up something like a cooling tower or evap cooler style with water running over filters with a fan forcing air through the pads, though at cooking class in CM where i was recently they ran large fans with a copper tube with a series of holes attached to a tap i assume with water dripping out creating a fine mist which was very comforting in that afternoon heat, the kitchen was set up undercover but outside, i wouldn't think that would be idea for indoors but certainly great outside on a balcony.

Do it and you'll see The water mist blowers work mostly because the water mist itself is cold - drawn from a cold source of water - but they put the humidity up a lot. The wind blowing over a swimming pool will only pick up humidity, but not lose temperature, same as over the sea. You can easily rig a series of copper pipes with cold water circulating and assist the breeze with a fan. It'll cool the air a bit, but you specifically said you were not worried about the temperature, I got the understanding that you just wanted to reduce humidity.

[lemonjelly]

And 2 empty tins connected by string instead of a modern telephone because you don't need SMS, .....

[Naam]

If you're just trying to change the air in the room for fresh air, you can fit extractors to remove the air closest to the ceiling, where it is hottest, and only allow air to enter from the lowest shadiest outer wall location. If you're really clever you can copy some of the prehistoric methods of ventilating, or even study a termites nest -- both are excellent ways to extract the heat and keep cool air circulating. Running the incoming air over/through a cool water device is only going to make it more humid.

Edit -- Just read the OP again -- this is for a Bangkok condo

Your solution is the same as for everyone -- open all the doors and windows and let the breeze blow through

note: not every blowjob cools

[AlexRRR]

Do it and you'll see The water mist blowers work mostly because the water mist itself is cold - drawn from a cold source of water - but they put the humidity up a lot. The wind blowing over a swimming pool will only pick up humidity, but not lose temperature, same as over the sea. You can easily rig a series of copper pipes with cold water circulating and assist the breeze with a fan. It'll cool the air a bit, but you specifically said you were not worried about the temperature, I got the understanding that you just wanted to reduce humidity.

A pool in front of a sliding door was a Singapore architect's idea, the house was positioned to capture the breeze since that house was in Singapore its unlikely too increase humidity its all about cooling the air that flows over the pool, air over the sea also is cooler has to be I've experienced it.

And yes id like to get the humidity down because if you do it will feel a lot cooler, from my reading on this subject so far the theory of moving air over your body has the same affect but isn't necessarily real, since your in a condo and its not large well at least by Australian standards why not try and cool this breeze I'm creating via something mechanical as it doesn't really get windy r to breezie in BKK I've noticed.

Cross ventilation

• Maximise cross ventilation opportunities by designing an open plan home. Minimise internal obstacles to breezes such as hallways and internal walls.

• Locate service rooms and garages out of breeze paths.

• Allow enough room on site for breezes to enter windows and doors (e.g. Don’t locate your home against a boundary fence to the south- east).

• Where possible, elevate your home to allow breezes to flow underneath it.

• Windows and doors can be opened at night to bring in cool air and release heat that has built up during the day.

Louvres can promote ventilation and allow breeze through 100% of the opening, Chris Vandyke Designs

Windows and doors

• Maximise the number of windows on the windward sides of your building particularly to the south and south-east (winter and summer breezes) and north and north-east (summer breezes).

• Include a minimum of two openings in each room to allow for cross ventilation.

• Select window and door types that let in more breeze. Louvres allow 100% of the breeze through the opening. Other good options include casement windows, bi-fold doors and windows and large stacker sliding doors.

• Link outdoor spaces to internal living areas with large bi-fold or sliding doors to bring the outdoors in.

• Heavy curtains and blinds can block breeze paths so choose venetian blinds or timber or aluminium louvres as an alternative.

• Install insect screens so the breeze can enter without the bugs.

Create openable walls to let in the breeze, Cairns Road Residence, People Oriented Design

Cool Homes Smart design for the tropics 13

Cool idea

Choose windows and doors that allow maximum openi

to let in more breeze. Louvres, casement windows and bi-fold doors are good options.

[stoneyboy]

It's most unfortunate that some of the forums most helpful folk have been drawn into this ludicrous discussion about cooling your Bangkok apartment on the cheap.

Put your big boys pants on man the fxxx up and put the air con on and adjust to life living in a hot,sweaty sticky humid environment where by your electric bills may be slightly higher than you like.

Compensate by eating 35/40 baht dishes of Khao moo deng or pad krapow gai more often.

Whatever next DIY water supply,reverse osmosis from the nearest klong.