How to Make a Desert Fridge

How to make a desert fridge or zeer pot

Short Description

• Problem: Fruit and vegetable storage in hot climates
• Idea: Using the cooling power of evaporation. Two unglazed clay pots placed one in another and a wet sand layer in between.
• Difficulty: easy
• Price Range: local price of 2 unglazed clay pots
• Material Needeed:2 unglazed clay pots, sand, water, cloth or lid.
• Geographic Area: hot and dry climates
• Competencies: none
• How Many people? 1
• How Long does it take? wet the sand twice a day

Description

You can make a simple and effective cooling container for a dry climate with two clay pots, some sand, a cloth, and a little water. It works thanks the evaporation of water which cools down the inner pot.

One pot needs to fit inside the other with enough space between the two for a layer of sand (a few inches or a bit less than 10 cm thick). The cloth is large enough to cover the top of the largest pot.

Put a layer of sand in the bottom of the larger pot. Set the smaller pot on the and fill the gap between the two with more sand, right up to the top. Wet the sand. Put food in the inner pot. Cover the whole with the cloth or a lid.

Wet the sand about twice a day.

Links

See a longer discussion at: http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2004/september/refrigeration.htm

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