Homemade AC unit

RuggedWombat · Aug 4, 2023

MadBret said:
Hope that makes sense.

I do have an attic access door in my room. I see what you're saying, but it'll require a lot more custom fabrication than the inlet boot under the door idea. I suppose eventually though your idea allows for more overall flow as you can cut the size you need directly into the door. I'm no carpenter so I'm not trying to cut through any doors right now as 1. I don't have the tools and 2. If I fuck it up I'm out a door so I'd rather start with less risk lol. Well one idea was cut my bedroom door where as yours I could either cut through the door and install a vent or remove the door and add a piece of plywood with a vent.

MadBret · Aug 4, 2023

Just cut the plywood to fit the crawl space door and use a hole saw if your fan is small or a jigsaw if you need a larger hole. You could either vent from your tent with ducting or just set up a fan inside the attic and vent the whole room like a fart fan.

MadBret · Aug 4, 2023

And you just replace the crawl door with the plywood if that wasn't clear. So nothing gets permanently damaged.

RuggedWombat · Aug 4, 2023

MadBret said:
And you just replace the crawl door with the plywood if that wasn't clear. So nothing gets permanently damaged.

So cut a slice of plywood to the size of the door, cut I'm assuming a 6 inch hole for 6 inch ducting, and then add some sort of coupling the hose can go over. Will I need to insulate the plywood somehow or maybe just tape around the edges and run weather stripping around the frame to seal it? I have a drill but nothing for woodworking. Probably more expensive to cut it myself. Trying to find a place that might just cut it to size and drill the hole for me as one piece of wood is pretty cheap. Big box stores only do plain cuts. Exhausting into the attic crawl space is probably the path of least resistance and would allow the full 6 inch exhaust to pump the heat out of the tent.

TCH · Aug 4, 2023

RuggedWombat said:
So cut a slice of plywood to the size of the door, cut I'm assuming a 6 inch hole for 6 inch ducting, and then add some sort of coupling the hose can go over. Will I need to insulate the plywood somehow or maybe just tape around the edges and run weather stripping around the frame to seal it? I have a drill but nothing for woodworking. Probably more expensive to cut it myself. Trying to find a place that might just cut it to size and drill the hole for me as one piece of wood is pretty cheap. Big box stores only do plain cuts. Exhausting into the attic crawl space is probably the path of least resistance and would allow the full 6 inch exhaust to pump the heat out of the tent.

Exhausting warm humid air into the attic or crawlspace is a recipe for mold so if there isn't an adequate exhaust from there to the outside, it may not be the best option.

RuggedWombat · Aug 4, 2023

TCH said:
Exhausting warm humid air into the attic or crawlspace is a recipe for mold so if there isn't an adequate exhaust from there to the outside, it may not be the best option.

Well shit lol. Sooooo slab inlet under the door I suppose...?

MadBret · Aug 4, 2023

Or run duct from the exhaust to where your attic has ventilation. Kind of a pain but would be ideal, and would probably be a good idea to run it through a carbon filter if your worried about smell.

RuggedWombat · Aug 4, 2023

MadBret said:
Or run duct from the exhaust to where your attic has ventilation. Kind of a pain but would be ideal, and would probably be a good idea to run it through a carbon filter if your worried about smell.

I could just mount the filter on the duct fan inside the tent. However running 6 inch ducting through my crawl space to exhaust it somewhere sounds like a fucking nightmare lol. Also that's a lonnnnggg path for the fan to need to push all of that air through. My fan can push 400 CFM but it would be loud as hell even as an ACI fan. The access door is to the main HVAC system so it appears to be completely sealed except the 2 large ducting runs one on each end. I'd rather not crawl through and start cutting insulation and shit to make any kind of hole as this house is brand new so that's a hard sell. Best solution for now appears to be under the door so a custom slab inlet boot. Problem is finding one flat and wide enough as most are like 4 to 8 inches. Where I need as close to 1 inch as possible.

RuggedWombat · Aug 4, 2023

Inlet Boot | omniduct

www.omniduct.com

Here is pretty close. 12 inche wide and under 2 inches in height. I could get in 6 inch diameter. How would you get the duct over those hanging brackets though?

TCH · Aug 4, 2023

RuggedWombat said:
Inlet Boot | omniduct

www.omniduct.com

Here is pretty close. 12 inche wide and under 2 inches in height. I could get in 6 inch diameter. How would you get the duct over those hanging brackets though?

Bend them flat or cut/break them off.

RuggedWombat · Aug 4, 2023

TCH said:
Bend them flat or cut/break them off.

For a 6 inch exhaust (depending on CFM but let's say 150 which is overkill in a 2x4x6), would a 12 inch wide by 1.75 be enough? I'll keep looking for wider but I can't imagine an application for a slab inlet1 inch high and like 2 and half feet wide rofl.

CANON_Grow · Aug 4, 2023

Make a custom one with Thermopan joist liner, essentially foil faced cardboard.

RuggedWombat · Aug 4, 2023

CANON_Grow said:
Make a custom one with Thermopan joist liner, essentially foil faced cardboard.
View attachment 5315138

Would you just mold a wider section over the 12 inch boot? How bendable is it?

CANON_Grow · Aug 4, 2023

RuggedWombat said:
Would you just mold a wider section over the 12 inch boot? How bendable is it?

It’s really thin foil faced cardboard, really bendable. Don’t need the boot, make one with the Thermopan, think pizza delivery box with one side cut off to let air out, cut hole in the top of “pizza box” and use foil or tuck tape for the flex duct into it. Sure it’s janky, but cheap and easy to try if not willing to get an A/C and door needs to be able to be closed.

Feel the need to stress how bad venting to the attic would be.

Hooda Thunkit · Aug 4, 2023

Fangthane said:
Evaporative cooling is a real big thing here in AZ, and it kinda blows. To be at its best it requires a low-humidity environment, and the effect is still fairly minimal. If it's 100 outside, the 'swamp cooler' will maybe keep our living room down in the upper 80s. They're just glorified humidifiers and adding moisture to the air is all they're particularly good for.

Get a bigger unit? I had one at my quarters in Tuba City, and that thing would have you seeing your breath at full blast on a 100 degree day. I remember thinking it was the biggest swamp cooler that I'd ever seen, though.

Greengrouch · Aug 4, 2023

Fangthane said:
I have a shitty little 4" inline fan pulling air out through the top. I'm sure it helps somewhat, but there's no combination of opening or closing flaps that seems to give me any noticeable improvement; this is just the reality of my circumstances here during the hot months. Fall and spring are when I get to do my best growing.

You just need a bigger fan, get a 6in for exhaust and use the 4in for intake.

Greengrouch · Aug 4, 2023

TCH said:
Exhausting warm humid air into the attic or crawlspace is a recipe for mold so if there isn't an adequate exhaust from there to the outside, it may not be the best option.

I don’t get how people in hot places don’t have gable vent fans exhausting their attics. They’re not very expensive, they’re a fairly easy install and they save more on cooling over a year than they cost.

RuggedWombat · Aug 13, 2023

CANON_Grow said:
It’s really thin foil faced cardboard, really bendable. Don’t need the boot, make one with the Thermopan, think pizza delivery box with one side cut off to let air out, cut hole in the top of “pizza box” and use foil or tuck tape for the flex duct into it. Sure it’s janky, but cheap and easy to try if not willing to get an A/C and door needs to be able to be closed.

Feel the need to stress how bad venting to the attic would be.

THERMO 16013 THERMOPAN BOX RESISTANT HEADER | PlumbersStock

Get the THERMO 16013 THERMOPAN BOX RESISTANT HEADER at PlumbersStock.com - value you can count on.

www.plumbersstock.com

Got two of these. My door is only 30 inches wide so would it be best to make a vent for the length of the door? I'm guessing I would want to make a vent with roughly the same size overall as the 6 inch duct? I made a temporary solution as the lights are now at 80% and I'm dying while I wait for the new items to come next week.

CANON_Grow · Aug 13, 2023

RuggedWombat said:
THERMO 16013 THERMOPAN BOX RESISTANT HEADER | PlumbersStock

Get the THERMO 16013 THERMOPAN BOX RESISTANT HEADER at PlumbersStock.com - value you can count on.

www.plumbersstock.com

Got two of these. My door is only 30 inches wide so would it be best to make a vent for the length of the door? I'm guessing I would want to make a vent with roughly the same size overall as the 6 inch duct? I made a temporary solution as the lights are now at 80% and I'm dying while I wait for the new items to come next week.

You want the least amount of restriction for the air as possible, so the larger you make it the better. With having such a small space to exhaust the air from, it will be important to minimize any airflow restrictions where possible. Keep the flex duct as straight and taut as possible, with no hard turns in it if they can be avoided.

Homemade AC unit

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