Tip To Keep Your Pets (& Kids) Cool When Outdoors
Are you an animal adoption agency, or animal shelter who displays their animals outside in the hot summer days? Do you want a cheap and easy solution to keep them cool while being outside? We have a basic and inexpensive way to keep them cool - a portable outdoor A/C unit. WHAT? Yep, a homemade cooler to keep your animals AND children cool while outside in the scorching heat. Here are the steps to make your own portable A/C unit.
Items needed:
Picnic ice chest (could use Styrofoam also)
Fan (size depends on the width of ice chest)
PVC (size depends on width of ice chest)
Optional - white/clear silicone caulking
Empty water bottles and milk jugs
Steps:
Place the fan on the lid and trace it with a pencil, then cut a hole on the lid of the ice chest
Trace and cut a hole to fit the PVC pipe
After connecting the PVC pipe to the lid, seal with a caulking sealant (looks more "professional")
Let silicone dry, then add frozen milk jugs and frozen water bottles
That's it! In this case, we used a 10 inch fan that we purchased at a local major discount store. Our inexpensive PVC was less than $5 that we purchased at a major home improvement store. Instead of using ice cubes, we filled several empty water bottles and milk jugs, no melted ice everywhere. Another option, instead of using ice cubes or the bottles/jugs, use dry ice (doesn't melt, just evaporates, but a bit pricey). *A word of caution: since you have electricity for the fan, and using ice - take precautionary measures!
These homemade portable A/C units can be placed next to the animals that are up for adoption, can be used to keep you cool when relaxing on your favorite lounge chair, or can be used pretty much anywhere outside with electrical outlet access (with safety in mind)!
On a personal note:
I made a smaller A/C unit with a fan that has a USB connection. Purchased an adapter (USB to car cigarette lighter), and used it on our family vacation. We took our dog this time around - she loved the back seat! The cool air from the A/C unit was keeping the dog and the kids cool throughout our long trip to the beach.
