While there are certainly ways that you can keep the heat out, such as using window treatments, many people find that they want to have the natural light that comes from the sun stream into their room. This poses a bit of a problem, since that light will bring the summer heat as well. Thankfully, there are a few methods out there that you can use to cool off your room while still keeping it bright and well-lit.
Out of all the methods out there, there’s a good chance that you will want to go for the method that is as cost-effective as possible. This means that the method you are going for will probably involve using ice and a fan. You might be surprised to learn just how easy it is to cool off a room with just these two materials.
In a sense, this method will be creating your own miniature air conditioning unit, although it won’t be nearly as pretty and well-kept as a traditional AC unit. It will, however, get the job done at cooling down your room significantly.
What You Will Need
As the name might suggest, this method of cooling down your room is going to require ice and a fan, at the very least. You will generally want to have a bowl, or another container that can hold the ice safely without leaking water onto the floor as the ice melts. In some cases, you might find that you will want to have a towel handy, both for keeping your room cool and for keeping the water from the melting ice from disturbing your floor.
As for the type of fan you will need, this method will work best when the fan is as close to the floor as possible. This means that you will want to aim for one of the desk fans, or something that can easily be placed on the floor, rather than one of the taller fans. If the taller fans are all you have, you might need to consider getting a stool or another type of platform for the ice to sit on so that it reaches the fan. As you can expect, you should have your fan as close to the ground as possible, if you can adjust the height.
For the container of ice, just about any container will actually get the job done, although if you want the best results for your room, there are a few things to think about. For one, you will have to think about the potential mess that ice makes when it begins to melt and condensate on the side of the bucket. The solution to this can be as simple as placing a towel underneath the container of ice to prevent the water from pooling onto the floor.
Using Ice and a Fan to Cool a Room
1. Put the Ice into the Bowl
First, you should find the container that you want to put the ice in. Because you will want to have as much of the air blowing over the ice as you can, a lower and wider bowl is going to be much more suitable than a tall, narrow one. From here, you will want to pour as much ice into the bowl as you possibly can, and then you will want to carry it back to the fan.
2. Set the Fan
With this step, you are going to want to adjust the fan so that it is pointing at you, so the majority of the cold air goes in your direction. Again, you will want to make sure that the fan is as close to the ground as possible. If you have young children or pets, you might have to take the loss and put the fan on top of something to keep curious beings from messing up your makeshift air conditioning unit.
3. Do Some Final Adjustments
Now that you have both the fan and the ice set up and ready to go, you can simply turn on the fan and watch just how much of a difference it makes. Keep in mind that you will want to have at least one window open in your room so that the hot air can escape, lowering the overall temperature of your room even more. While this might not be the most beautiful or eye-catching way to keep your room cool, you will be happy enough with the temperature of your room that it will be well worth it in the end.
The way this method works is that the fan begins circulating all the hot air in your room. As it takes in the air to spin around, it will end up blowing that air over the cold ice, which will cool down the air. This means that not only will you have a nice breeze in your room, but it will be a nice, chilled breeze as well. Depending on just how hot it gets during the summer months, you will want to pay attention to the ice and change it out if you notice that it is beginning to melt.
Before you know it, you will be able to reduce the temperature of your room by several degrees if you manage to do this properly. In many ways, it can be just as effective as a small window air conditioning unit, but for a fraction of the price. After all, all you really need is just a bucket of ice and a fan and you will be good to go. Throughout the hot months of the year, you can relax in comfort with your makeshift air conditioning unit.
Alternatives to Using Ice
Very understandably, some people might not want to purchase or carry that much ice back and forth from the freezer to their rooms. This is especially the case if you don’t have an ice maker in your freezer and you have to drive out of your way to pick up a bag of ice that might not even be in stock. With that being said, there are alternatives to using ice if you find that ice is not going to be the best material to use to cool down your room.
Instead of using ice, you will want to think about using a damp washcloth. You should make sure that you use a washcloth or towel that you don’t mind not being able to use for the majority of the summer, since it will be attached to your fan.
This method is also extremely simple, so you won’t have to worry about making any large changes to your makeshift air conditioner. Instead of placing a bowl of ice in front of the fan, what you are going to want to do is soak the washcloth in cold water. Once you believe that the washcloth has been thoroughly soaked, you are going to want to drape it over the front of the fan.
This will have much the same effect of blowing out chilled air, keeping the ventilation in your room going and keeping you cool at the same time. The main thing you will want to pay attention to is making sure that you do not get any water into parts of the fan that cannot handle it. Before you know it, you will be able to keep yourself cool and comfortable during those hot summer months.
