Fallacious Energy

Today’s Toronto Star promises a video to show you how to build an air-conditioner for $20.

Without giving away any secrets, the deal consists of a foam cooler and an electric fan.

The fan blows air through a large hole cut in the lid of the cooler. The air blows across ice in the cooler. Cool air comes out of a second hole in the lid of the cooler.

Neat.

You think?

Consider This

The electric fan is powered by electricity. What else?!!

The electricity drives a motor on the fan, which is right here in the room we are trying to cool.

Electricity is a form of energy.

All energy degrades to heat.

So running an electric fan in a room is, truly, pumping heat energy into that room.

Can you say “Duh!”.

(As an aside, this is why the Hippie revolution of the late 60’s got it wrong when they suggested just leaving the fridge door open to cool an apartment).

A Real Air Conditioner

A real air conditioner works by pumping heat energy from the room to the outside.

And the pump is outside the room.

That’s why the box-like cooler in your apartment window is blowing hot air onto the balcony, including the heat energy that comes from the electric motor.

That’s why the heat exchanger sits outside the house, with a decent gap between the exchanger and the wall of the house.

That’s why ... Oh Never Mind!

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