1940's Wooden Air Conditioner?

[fido]

Evaporative cooling

I remember as a small child going on a family holiday to the coast and staying in a rented caravan. The caravan had a small fridge which was simply a metal box with a dish mounted on the top which had to be partially filled with water. the surface of the dish was porous for increased surface area. Caravans were prone to condensation anyway and that fridge would have made matters worse!

 

[davey7]

Those "tap water" air conditioners were common in Chicago in the early 50's, but once water rates went up they fell from favor (and we have DIRT cheap water). The city banned new installations, but I gather there are still some in a few older high rise buildings, where they were installed by individuals - I gather sometimes the used water was pumped back into the domestic supply, wreaking havoc with cold water temps too.