Tired of expensive AC bills? JD shows you how to build your own swamp cooler for under $20 using cheap parts from any hardware store. It’s the perfect DIY project to stay cool without breaking the bank.
You can find the products used in this video linked below
Lifoam Styrofoam Cooler
PVC Pipe
Camping Fan with LED Lantern
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Read more about Portable AC Units on CNET.com
Best Portable Air Conditioners: Cooling Your Home One Room at a Time
0:00 Introduction
0:25 Supplies You’ll Need
0:51 Step 1: Making the Top Hole
1:43 Cutting the Fan Hole
2:12 Step 2: Sealing the Fan Hole with Tape
2:43 Step 3: Making the Air Vents
3:54 Cutting the Air Vent Holes
4:15 Step 4: Adding Ice to the Cooler
4:36 Final Result
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#DIY #SwampCooler #DIYCooler #AirConditioner #BeatTheHeat #SummerHacks #HomeImprovement #BudgetFriendly #DIYProjects #HowTo
@ffs55
August 16, 2025 at 8:07 am
That’s not a swamp cooler, it’s a cooler with water bottles in it. A swamp cooler uses evaporation to cool circulating air (via absorption latent heat of vaporization)
@annep8721
August 17, 2025 at 11:26 am
Ok
@NeroJack75
August 16, 2025 at 8:07 am
Why not just use the fan instead doing all the work?
@milhouse14
August 17, 2025 at 12:20 pm
Fan doesn’t provide a cool breeze especially when the temperature is hot. You can put some frozen bottles infront of a fan if you want a cool breeze
@konicr1877
August 16, 2025 at 8:12 am
How long does the cool air last until you have to refreeze the bottles?
@CNET
August 16, 2025 at 10:35 pm
I’d say an hour. Get a rotation of frozen ice packs and you’re good
@dragon2knight
August 16, 2025 at 8:15 am
Good job, I’ve done this a time or two, it’s a great idea, thanks for sharing!
@CNET
August 16, 2025 at 10:34 pm
Nice!
@NeilEvans-xq8ik
August 16, 2025 at 8:33 am
Why two PVC tubes? Why not just one? 🤔
@uptone12111
August 16, 2025 at 8:48 am
I made one. They do nothing to cool a room
@AndrewTSq
August 16, 2025 at 8:57 am
IT looks like it just give you humid air?
@Gintokikreuz1
August 16, 2025 at 9:17 am
This is not a swamp cooler aka evaporative cooler.
@reggjoo9375
August 16, 2025 at 9:51 am
Why water bottles? I’d think ice packs would be better, they would last longer. 😮
@normjones4204
August 16, 2025 at 10:47 am
Just stop calling something like this an air conditioner.
@WELVAS.
August 16, 2025 at 1:02 pm
Would cold or lukewarm water work just as well? I would assume right? Frozen bottles make it more cool
@CNET
August 16, 2025 at 10:36 pm
Cold is best
@rayala21
August 16, 2025 at 1:56 pm
“Be sure not to cut myself”? 😮 I’ve screwed up already… 🙁
@JB-js4xi
August 16, 2025 at 2:48 pm
They don’t work well in areas of high humidity, unfortunately.
Great DIY video though. Put a big plastic freezer block on a plate in front of a fan if you want the ultra easy way to blow cool air at your body
@nomis
August 16, 2025 at 4:29 pm
garbage… warm air blows in, warm air blows out… it’s not in there long enough to cool… I’ve made tons of these and my final conclusion is you need to force the air to circulate before it can exit, otherwise it just goes straight out, still warm….
@edgecrush3r
August 16, 2025 at 5:07 pm
This vid needs more stats. How much cooler and effectiveness is this setup with just frozen water bottles.
@icazuchi
August 16, 2025 at 9:39 pm
You could improve that setup by aiming the top nozzle at your friend…
@longrimes491
August 16, 2025 at 10:03 pm
I made one for camping a few years back. I filled the cooler with ice. It cooled my tent off a lot.
@CNET
August 16, 2025 at 10:34 pm
Good idea 👍
@donavoncash7739
August 16, 2025 at 11:08 pm
I bought a “water evaporative air cooling unit” for $200 off Amazon and it didn’t cool a room. If you are sitting right in front of it yeah, but a fan will do that much. Don’t waste your time or money.
@instahewko7103
August 17, 2025 at 1:33 am
Who is this guy
@milhouse14
August 17, 2025 at 12:18 pm
How about the humidity? It will just make the air more humid so you’ll still be sweating.
@milhouse14
August 17, 2025 at 12:23 pm
There was already a previous CNET video about this same thing. Except that the guy used a huge bucket with a cover and ice packs
@sumithjjfc
August 17, 2025 at 4:01 pm
How about adding two more elbows right by the one you had?
@basselkabbani8699
August 17, 2025 at 5:23 pm
How to live like the poorest wittiest person tutorial video 😅 welcome home baby 😂
@Jean-Sylvain-v5t
August 18, 2025 at 3:54 am
CNET just lost some credibility with this kind of video. I guess he’s an intern.
@--DM
August 18, 2025 at 8:28 am
Great video! 9/10 for DIY creativity! Technically, this solution is much better than lose ice cubes or, God forbid, water with ice cubes. Frozen water bottles are technically less messy and will capture some humidity out of the air.
That being said, the effect will be minimal in any outdoor situation that is very hot and very humid. If you’re going to drive in a hot car for 1 hr to your destination, by the time you get there, your water bottles will be warm! For indoors, you would still want to have a way for the hot air to escape and cold air to remain in the room.
Using 4-5 such devices in a house that can not trap cold air and constantly freezing water bottles will be more of a hassle than it is worth. So a good AC is the only way to solve this, really.
@beastmusic334
August 18, 2025 at 10:21 pm
Bro couldn’t wait on that beer lol that was a long sip 😂
@kenhayden956
August 19, 2025 at 3:01 am
👍 all I can say I like it
@Watch-0w1
August 19, 2025 at 4:25 pm
Too late. Summer done