cut – Stuff!

DIY: Portable Cooling Unit

written 7/14/25; updated 7/14/25

What

Make your own air conditioner that’s not really air conditioning. This device made from household items helps blow cold air from water chilled by ice. It is highly customizable. Best for small spaces.

Why

The use case for this assembly can be varied. Examples: the top of my townhouse that never gets A/C properly, picnics, tailgating, my workplace whenever it loses A/C (at least once a year), etc.

Time and Effort

Time: 2-3 hours

Effort: Easy-Moderate

Materials and Cost

Materials

Submersible Pump USB, 3W/50gph

Arctic Zone Titan Cooler, 16-can

Radiator w/ Fan, 120mm/DC12V/12pipe

Tubing, 3/8″-1/2″ (0.3″-05″; 8-12mm)

Dual 3 or 4-pin USB Adapter, 12V

4in Dust Hose, sculptable/flexible

4in Bell Nozzle Dust Collection Fitting

USB Hub with Power Switches, 2.5A/5V

Cost

$6.99

$27.99 (sale)

$20.99

Free (~$6)

$8.99

$15.45

$19.98

$19.99

TOTAL: $120.39 ($126.39)

Owned Supplies

Sharpie

Dremel w/Cutting Bit

Driver w/Drill Bit

Screws, Nuts, Washers

Utility Knife

Ruler/Square

Safety Glasses

Optional – the assembly is highly customizable

120mm Slim Case Fan attached to other side of radiator for push/pull method (~$10)
Replace the 120mm Radiator w/Fan with a 240mm Radiator w/Fan ($36.99), Slim Case Fan 3-pack w/PWM sharing ($28.99)
Add another Fan to the end of the Flex Hose for even more pulling power (~$10-$30), by utilizing a 3D printer or buying a Duct Collector Flange (~$10)
If you don’t need the on/off switches for power, then just a dual port USB A power block is fine (~$10)
You can also get a USB splitter plus an in-line USB with on/off switch all connected to a 1-port wall block, but that would mean many adapters and could compromise power delivery if not careful
Use an insulating tape around the base of the Bell Attachment

Schematics

This is the original schematic I drew. It has different components I didn’t end up using like wing nuts, a diverter tray at the bottom, and an added plastic sheet/bracket for fastening the hose flange on top to.

Process

Planning and Measurements

After gathering supplies, try them out to see if they will fit, the best orientation, etc. Adjust as necessary

Cut Hoses to fit the Submersible Pump and Radiator w/Fan into reservoir (orange liner bucket)
Decide if you want to use the push or pull method (or both) for the radiator, and swap the fan to the desired side

Note: Cooler fans always have a direction of flow and spin indicator somewhere on there

Take measurements and mark them with the Sharpie

Cutting

As nerve-wracking as it can be, you just gotta do it to get it done
Start with the notches in the plastic. I used a Dremel with a cutting wheel and it was quite simple. *Don’t forget safety glasses when cutting plastic!!*

Dremels make the plastic melt while cutting

It’s useful for keeping things mostly smooth

Now for the cooler. I decided to trace the inside of the Bell Nozzle Attachment to open up as much space as possible for the air movement (planning on later using a 240mm instead of just the 120mm). Using the utility knife, I cut through the 3 layers of insulating material

Initially, I’d planned on just setting the Bell Attachment on top of the cooler, so next, I drilled holes for the 4 attachment points through insulating material and the orange plastic (needed to stand on a stool to do this on the workbench) using a 1/4″ bit

Then, I traced the opening on the plastic with a Sharpie because now I can see the line through the backside. It’s time to cut the opening! Here, you have options. I think the easiest method is to run the utility knife multiple times around the shape, cutting deeper each time, then clean up with the Dremel (sanding bit) afterwards (unless you have other fun tools in your arsenal). Instead, I decided to get fancy and use aviator snips (tin snips) because they pretty much cut everything. The problem is that you have to know how to use them otherwise you mess up like I did. Thankfully, it wasn’t a huge deal. It really doesn’t have to be gorgeous, either.

Right side snips. Not sure where my left one is…

Securement

Here, you have to decide how you want to mount the Bell Attachment: Under the insulation? Above? And, even, if you want to secure it on top of the cooler fabric, or underneath it, just on the orange plastic.

I happen to have a huge box of loose screws organized by size, and some random washers and nuts, so I chose some 1/4″ (M6) screws

Initially, I used the 1″ screws, washers, and nuts to go all the way through.

In the end, I changed my mind used the 1/2″ length screws and attached it all underneath the cooler fabric because the 1″ screws were too long even through the fabric and would impede the fan/radiator placement inside

Final Assembly and Testing

Time to put it all together!

First up, replace the orange liner bucket, suction the Submersible Pump to the bottom, and replace the tray with the Pump’s cord through the notch
Fit the water tubes down into the reservoir through the tray’s convenient holes (bonus, this stabilizes the radiator/fan unit) and attach to the Pump

Attach all Power Cords and Adapters together
Attach the Flexible Hose to the Bell Attachment

Time to Test!

Move the tray aside a little, and fill ‘er up with water (make sure it’s always past the top of the Pump… You should never run those dry!) and ice packs. I happened to use ice because I ran out of ice packs testing out the first iteration of this assembly (see end of post if interested)
Plug it all in

Water is draining into the reservoir just like it’s supposed to!

DONE! Give it some time to start cooling

Result

07/14/25: The power really isn’t as strong as I’d like it to be. Ended up trying all kinds of fans (happened to have) to try and boost power. More money equals more power, but also more noise… With that said, having this when it’s about 100F with no other air source, would be a Godsend.

The cooler is insanely portable, and everything about this cooler by Arctic Zone is perfect for this application from the tray with convenient holes to the zipper-less closure, to the plastic liner tray which makes it fully waterproof, to just how nice it looks. It even comes in a 48-Can size!! Technically, you can just scoot the tray aside and carry drinks in the reservoir, too. Even food if you have space in the tray. I’m sure you can 3D print any manner of dividers if you’re not using the whole tray for fans. The largest sized cooler could really have dual fan and vent setup.

Just store the cords and block in the pockets when not using

Here is a hose-end fan attached with a 3D printed 4″ adapter

When I have more monies, I will try the 240mm Radiator with push and pull fans, then update here.

Notes

Your choice on how you want to orient the fan on the radiator. You can unscrew and re-screw to the other side, or even add another fan for a push/pull method instead of just push or pull
Many soft-sided coolers are NOT actually waterproof! Be careful!
Submersible pumps are easily clogged. You do not need a powerful one. A weaker one will do just fine
Ice packs are preferable to actual ice, though you can use ice itself, too. The reason being tiny ice pieces can enter the pump and potentially damage the entire system
Very large chunks of ice do not melt easily or quickly, and can provide longer cooling than small pieces
This can also be done in a hardcase cooler. I chose this cooler because drilling through plastic of a hard cooler would likely necessitate some sort of sealing to retain the insulating abilities of the cooler. Like, spray foam or insulating tape?

Test Run

If you’re interested, I initially tested it all out on a small cooler/lunch bag that was free. I’d drawn schematics for 2 different setups including the smaller setup. The result was less than ideal:

The fan and radiator were much too large for the front pocket that I’d planned on trying
Poking holes through the bag to the reservoir of water is not idea for leakage reasons, yet running the hoses around the outside alongside the power cords made for a very ugly setup and high chance for leaking, not to mention reduced water-cooling capabilities
- The cooler/lunch box ended up leaking because it’s not actually waterproof

Here are some pictures!

Just need a utility knife to score and break

Pump goes in, but has no hard surface to suction to

Too tight a fit, so the hoses have to stick up and out

Closing it inside the pocket kinks the hoses

For reference, the counter outside it was 69F

In the end it leaked everywhere and was a bust

Back to DIY Projects Page

DIY: Bed Canopy Frame with PVC

written 6/17/24, updated 7/28/24

Back to DIY Projects Page

Overview

What

Making a DIY canopy frame over a bed with PVC

Why

Cooling. To trap A/C from floor register underneath a canopy during summer. Room is top floor of a 3-story townhouse. Can be useful for trapping heat in the winter, too.

Time and Effort

1 person project, 2 would be helpful

Time: 1 hour

Effort: Easy

Materials and Cost

4ft 1″ PVC Pipe (your choice of PVC size and height)

PVC Fittings (depends on how many connections you want)

Canopy Material

Fabric Fasteners (ties/clips/hooks/attachments)

Temporary Securements (optional, but recommended)

$93.99 (20 piece)

$24.86 (14 total)

$39.99

$14.99 (25/pack)

$15.98 (Qty: 4)

Other Supplies: Ratcheting PVC Cutter ($14), Driver, Drill Bits

Total Cost: $189.81

PVC Fittings

For this 6′ x 4′ x 6′ canopy, I bought 4′ long PVC at 1″ width (you can choose other sizes and lengths) and used the ratcheting PVC cutter to cut the pieces to 2′ to create 6′ lengths. T

Fittings needed for the 1″ PVC

FORMUFIT, a company that specializes in furniture-grade PVC sells all of these plus more options in many colors. 100% USA made. I bought everything but the 3-way elbows at a local big box store in the PVC aisle because FORMUFIT’s products come in packs of 10.

3-Way Elbow (4 qty)
90-Degree Elbow (4 qty)
External Coupling (4 qty)
Standard Tee (4 qty)

Optional Footers

I didn’t do this, opting for crossbars favoring stability, but using a Reducer Coupling can work as pipe feet

Schematics

Here’s a hand-drawn diagram showing dimensions. This is 6′ x 4′ x 6′ (L x W x H) or 72″ x 48″ x 72″.

For reference:

Bed Size (USA)	Dimensions (L x W)
Twin	75 in x 38 in (6¼ ft x 3⅙ ft)
Twin XL	80 in x 38 in (6⅔ ft x 3⅙ ft)
Full	75 in x 54 in (6¼ ft x 4½ ft)
Queen	80 in x 60 in (6⅔ ft x 5 ft)
King	80 in x 76 in (6⅔ ft x 6⅓ ft)
California King	84 in x 72 in (7 ft x 6 ft)

Why 4′ width when a twin bed is only 3⅙’ wide?

In this instance it’s to try and capture the cool air blowing from the floor duct register, under the overhanging side

This is a Register Booster Fan

Cutting the PVC

There are many options! And they mostly depend on what’s available in your house, how much you want to spend, how much time you mind spending, what mess you want to make/clean up, and future usefulness of any newly bought tools (or will it just sit in a box somewhere for the rest of your life). Options include anything that cuts from manual saws to powered saws to dedicated PVC cutters.

Method 1

My first go-to was the Cordless Multi-tool I’d bought but had yet to use.

Whoops. Cut line and drawn line are not matching!

VERDICT: It will CUT. But it will also make a mess, create rough edges, time consuming, and requires clamps, and it took me a while to figure out if there’s a best blade to use for PVC.

Method 2

I decided to buy a Ratcheting PVC Cutter for $14

VERDICT: It will KEAL and lacerate the PVC. This method is superior. No setting up, no mess at all, smooth edges, and super-fast. No power source

Assembly

Well. There’s not much to say here. You push the pipes into the fittings and form them into whatever shape you want. The hardest part is holding them in place while you fit more. This is why a 2nd person could be useful. I did it by myself.

Fastening

Now, this is optional, especially if your structure will be a temporary one. Before putting them together, I mulled over this a lot. If the shape you formed is solid, you likely don’t need to secure the parts as they’re pretty tight just dry-fitted. However, you have the option of creating permanent or secure-yet-temporary bonds.

Permanent

Many choices out there, but THIS is your traditional plumbing primer and cement. Simply follow the directions and prime then cement.

Make sure to use in a well-ventilated area and beware the purple staining of objects and flesh

Secure-Yet-Removable

There are different methods of doing this: You can use a screw, you can use wood dowels, I read something about using rubber hosing, heck you can use tape if you want to. I tested out a method that’s similar to the others, just a little fancier.

I opted to try Quick Release Pins. They’re a bit pricey for a project like this that would need many to fully secure, and it was difficult to find a size that would not be too long. In the end I only installed the 2 that I bought.

You also need a drill, drill bit, a stool, and a vacuum because it will make a mess.

Hole through and through (drilled from both sides)

Aaaand it doesn’t actually fit through it.

While the first pin could not fully engage the hole (perhaps I drilled it at an angle instead of straight through), the second one did. Advice: err on the larger side when choosing a drill bit. I had to use the bit to ream out the opening from many angles just to get the pin to fit

The pin secures the pipe to the fitting, ensuring that it will not come apart. The only flaw in this is that if you use many fittings, that’s a lot of securements! I chose the top corners of the frame as it would prevent the ends from bowing out if the canopy material ended up being too heavy for the frame.

Canopy

This part, I’m still not super happy about. It was hard to find any canopy curtain/top/fabric at all, let alone one that appealed to me. Aside from sewing one myself from a chosen, ideal fabric (which I may end up doing in the future), I ended up choosing a canvas tarp. My original idea was to use an old fitted sheet. I didn’t consider how slippery the PVC is and after about 15 minutes of wrangling, I gave up. Plus, how would I secure the fitted sheet? The canvas tarp was not only as thick as I wanted it to be, but it came in a white color. If I want to trap cool air, I don’t want it to absorb heat as a darker color.

White 8′ x10′ Canvas Tarp

6″ Bungee Ball Cords

Assembly

8′ x 10′ seems large, doesn’t it? It kind of is… I thought that having the extra length would make it easier to drape and less likely to slip off. Also, that way, I can let the sides down as I please. Later, I thought about spiders making webs in the folds…

Then a new problem arose:

THE CORNERS

What to do? How to fasten? To this day, I don’t really know the best option apart from cutting it and sewing it together (which would bring me back to square one with the canopy). I just kind of did something.

Does it Work?

After all of that, does the canopy work? Does it trap cool air? I have to be honest, I’m not fully sure! I think there is an improvement, yes, but it’s still not an end-all solution. On the very hot days, I was hot and stuffy and found it hard to sleep. Lowering the sides did make a difference, and I also ended up buying an Airtight Ripstop Nylon Fabric thinking that perhaps the tarp, which was made to be breathable, was TOO breathable.

HOWEVER. I do have a FLIR camera, so here are two interesting FLIR images (note: these images were taken before the addition of the airtight fabric on top):

A/C register behind the bed in the image (where the blue is)

Blue is cool and yellow is hot. The A/C register is on the right side of the rightmost image. There IS a coolness to the canopy compared to the area outside of the canopy. So, yes, in a word, yes, I think it does work.

VERDICT: Yes. It does trap cool air and maintains cooler temperatures than the surrounding air. Having a fan to further direct the air coming from the register might make it more effective at cooling.

Back to DIY Projects Page