Anyone Tested a Mini Air Conditioner?

[mdoverl]

Just researching Mini Air Conditioners such as this https://www.amazon.com/BLAUX-Portab...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVlone?

My assumption is that they need to get moisture from the air in order to work, and that they won’t work in the desert very well?

Thoughts?


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[highdesertranger]

That is NOT an air conditioner it is a swamp cooler. It puts moisture in the air. It will not work in high humidity areas. It's so small that unless it is blowing right on you it will do no good. Keep in mind a true air conditioner takes a fair amount of electricity to run. The best air conditioner is to drive to where you don't need AC. Highdesertranger

 

[jonyjoe303]

A swampcooler will work in the desert (low humidity) very good, thats where it gets the best performance. But you need to supply it with plenty of water. I use swampcoolers every summer in the southern california area and they work great as long as the humidity isnt too high. But you need powerful fans and a large evaporater pad to get good results.
The "mini air conditioner" from amazon, I can tell is too underpowered (run off usb) and from the pictures I don't really see a very large evaporater pad. Also the unit doesnt look like it holds alot of water. On a hot day you can use almost 3 liters of water.
You basically have to build your own, I never seen one that would work in a vehicle wthout making a mess or major modifications. Swampcoolers are better then fans, and use a max of 3 amps, easily powered all day with solar/batteries.
From someone who uses small and large swampcoolers to keep cool, I wouldn't recommend the "mini air conditioner", you need major horsepower (powerful fan) to move alot of air to stay cool, all the swampcoolers I build all had 2 fans and a large reservoir for the water.

 

[crofter]

Here is a link to malmute's air conditioning setup, runs on a generator.
-crofter

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=41882&pid=522783#pid522783

 

[abnorm]

Here's another option

 

[highdesertranger]

Hahahaha is that a pirate camp Mod? just kidding. I hope all is well. Highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

It amazes me that a very expensive motor home uses a generator and an air conditioner very inefficiently at a huge cost to keep someone comfortable and a cheap window unit with a cheap construction generator is used to help someone in an old beat up car survive and no one mentions a go fund me! This place has some problems, ain't nobody right! LOL!!! What I want to know is how exhausted you would have to be to sleep with all the noise of the AC and generator running!

 

[mdoverl]

That is NOT an air conditioner it is a swamp cooler. It puts moisture in the air. It will not work in high humidity areas. It's so small that unless it is blowing right on you it will do no good. Keep in mind a true air conditioner takes a fair amount of electricity to run. The best air conditioner is to drive to where you don't need AC. Highdesertranger

I’m stuck in Lake Havasu until my Solar System arrives on April 22nd. So I’m going to give the Artic Air a shot. It’ll be sitting in the front passenger seat blowing directly on me. So I’ll report back and let everyone know if it’s worth the money for a car dweller. It wouldn’t be worth it for anyone in anything other than a car I suspect.


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[user 423]

You'd do better with a spray bottle and a small fan that moves a lot of air.

 

[crofter]

I’m stuck in Lake Havasu until my Solar System arrives on April 22nd. So I’m going to give the Artic Air a shot...

I love my arctic air, it is my goto when I get overheated. Thanks for suggesting it (crofter plugging in the arctic air). Ahhhh.

If you feel you are getting too hot during the day, plan to be at walmart or the library for the hours from 11am to 5pm. They are cooling centers. Also the laundromat in this park has a large split air conditioner and I love to do laundry during the heat and sit in front of it reading mags. Instant chill. 
-crofter

 

[mdoverl]

If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of vehicle do you have?

Do you aim the artic fan directly at your body?

I heard some people use crushed ice in the artic air, have you tried that and/or water?


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[crofter]

You can get your shirt wet and aim the fan for cooling. Also usb fans work. I use arctic air at the S&B on my deck (shaded), my vans air conditioner will freeze you to death without any extra fans. Also a cooling towel on your neck, and a wet bandana under your hat, linen clothing (target carries linen shorts in menswear for cheap). Do not use anti perspirant, you need to sweat.

BTW, did you know that Lake Havasu area (735 feet elevation) is a hot spot for Arizona? To summer there you will need to find shade. 

We were discussing on the other thread how going to higher elevation will decrease the temperature. Today, elevations in southern AZ over 2,000 feet are about 20 degrees cooler (80's). Also for northern AZ the forested areas over 2,000 feet are cooler than say Kingman.
-crofter

 

[crofter]

I heard some people use crushed ice in the artic air, have you tried that and/or water?

I just run the fan and put the water on my shirt, hat, neck, etc. 
-crofter

 

[mdoverl]

BTW, did you know that Lake Havasu area (735 feet elevation) is a hot spot for Arizona? To summer there you will need to find shade. 
-crofter

I’m aware how hot it gets.

Luckily the high for Lake Havasu is about 88 degrees today, then goes back to low 90s for the next week(90-91 degrees)

I’m stuck here for about 2-3 weeks while I wait for my solar system to arrive.

Once I get my solar system, I’ll take off for a cooler area.


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[crofter]

Here is some discussion of air conditioner installs and in other threads on the cooling forum. If you already have a higher wattage generator you can run a small air conditioner. Or use the vehicle air conditioner for the short time you are staying in the low desert.

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=32282&pid=398492#pid398492

I have a rear air conditioner in the cargo van for when the heat is intense (over 110 degrees). I have stayed in the low desert in the van to the end of July (hot) but I had shade and shore power keeping the van inside temp at 85 degrees or so.

Also checkout Bob's cooling videos and ways to make temporary shade at your camp. Having some shade cloth is a good investment if you love the desert.
-crofter

Link to video.



Link to video comparing aluminet shade cloth.

 

[jacqueg]

Were it me? I'd take off to Prescott or Flagstaff NOW, then come back to pick up my solar. Prescott is what? 2-3 hours away from LH? Small price to pay to get out of the broiler.

 

[mdoverl]

To be honest, 97 degrees has not been that bad for me. I’m only running my car AC on the lowest possible setting for a few hours a day.

But I’ll definitely consider going to Prescott and/Flagstaff.

I’m not seeing any campsites listed in or around Prescott, could anyone recommend areas around there?


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[Malamute]

Someone already mentioned it, but I put a window AC unit in my 4runner rear side window to keep my dog cool. Its not legal or safe to leave a vehicle run in may places, even for a short run into the store, and a good way to give away your vehicle and everything in it for free to anyone willing to break a window.

Heres a post I made elsewhere with pictures https://bushcraftusa.com/forum/threads/full-hillbilly-window-ac-in-a-vehicle.228995/

Im also going to look into the temp monitor/warning systems, theres a number of them. Im thinking a cell based one is more flexible than one that requires wifi.

https://www.thedrive.com/reviews/29783/best-pet-temperature-monitor-for-rvs

https://www.gopetfriendly.com/blog/...up-devices-that-keep-pets-safe-from-the-heat/

It also occurred to me that id go to cooler country then go back for the solar stuff, but it sounds like you have more heat tolerance than I do. Lots of higher elevation country between Flag and Precott, I spent several years worth of time roaming and camping around Flag and the Verde Valley areas, but it was all out in National Forest, what I guess today is called dispersed, no formal campgrounds, I avoided them for the most part.

 

[mdoverl]

It also occurred to me that id go to cooler country then go back for the solar stuff, but it sounds like you have more heat tolerance than I do. Lots of higher elevation country between Flag and Precott, I spent several years worth of time roaming and camping around Flag and the Verde Valley areas, but it was all out in National Forest, what I guess today is called dispersed, no formal campgrounds, I avoided them for the most part.

I’m thinking about going to the northern “Juniper Mountain” that is just west of Prescott/Flagg.
Just about a 3 hour drive from Havasu.

https://freecampsites.net/#!43921&query=sitedetails


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[jonyjoe303]

You can find more reviews on these mini ACs on youtube. From the reviews that I saw performance is like I thought they would be. I learned it doesnt have a pump, and some units might need ice cubes, when the ice melts it overflows out of the unit. And since there is no pump to circulate water over the evaporater pad, I don't see how it will cool once the pad goes dry.

These mini ACs give swampcoolers a bad name.

Something I forgot to mention about swampcoolers, they need to be connected to outside air or be placed near a window. The fan sucks the outside dry air through the wet evaporater pad cooling it. If the swampcooler is inside (not connected to outside) it will only be recirculating the interior van hot air, not cooling it.

Last summer the heat was brutal, the humidity was also very high. The swampcooler kept me cool barely. I'll be building a new one in a few weeks, a new design (indirect swampcooler) that was tested last summer from an idea of another member, It had good results during the test. When tested last year it was 2 sections heat exchanger section and evaporater section (total 4 fans, 2 pumps). I'll build it as an all in one unit (2 fans 1 pump) . The beauty of the heat exchanger is it cools the humid air before it gets to the evaporater pad, that makes a big difference on a hot day.

Even if the mini AC isn't effective, a good swampcooler is still a good method to stay cool with minimal power use.


Picture of heat exchanger section.