How to turn a 5 gallon bucket into a cooler for $2

Stonefree69 · Mar 4, 2014

Wow, this is cheap and ingenious! Found at Home Depot online - a fairly new product, Leaktite 5-gal. Bucket Cooler - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leaktite-5-gal-Bucket-Cooler-BC18COL/203867911

How to make a Simple "Hard-Sided" Ice Chest - "5 gallon bucket" style! w/styro-liner - cheap & easy

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Also you can wrap that in Reflectix (bubble foil insulation):

Eureka Springs Organics · Mar 4, 2014

Get a gamma lid, and make it water proof as well. That shit is awesome!

Stonefree69 · Mar 4, 2014

Damn! Says "this item not available at your local store" nor can I get it online or ship to my store. HD only place I can find that has them or anything similar. :dunno:

stoned-trout · Mar 4, 2014

good find ..but my store don't carry em..maybe when summer hits

Stonefree69 · Mar 4, 2014

stoned-trout said:
good find ..but my store don't carry em..maybe when summer hits

Upon further search I found bait bucket liners and this might be an even better fit but more expensive ($40 for 6 of them shipped). Did a search on Plastilite 5 Gallon Pail Liner:

Someone also said try looking at bait/minnow 4 gallon bucket liners that fit in a 5 gallon bucket.

stoned-trout · Mar 4, 2014

if any fucking store should have em its one near me ...it gets really hot here.... hit 115 many times last year ...thanks

Stonefree69 · Mar 4, 2014

stoned-trout said:
if any fucking store should have em its one near me ...it gets really hot here.... hit 115 many times last year ...thanks

Ditto. I searched from all different zip codes and HD had nada as well. Gets extremely hot here too - we set the state record @ 128 F here in the 1990's. I bet they'll be widely available but it's the who-knows-when-syndrome that kicks in.

BTW those bait buckets I showed are what the fishing people are after these days (there are other makes too) in terms of quality and they like the cup holders (where I'm puttin my net pots

).

What a coincidence stoned-trout!

Stonefree69 · Mar 4, 2014

Well been searching all day on insulating a 5 gallon bucket with foam sheet or roll material. Seems the best performance and economical to use are in closed cell polyethylene sheets or rolls (r-value about 3.2-3.7 depending on density of foam). Also open cell polyurethane foam sheets - about 3.6 r-value and seems to cost a lot less than even the closed cell polyethylene. One important note is though open cell foam acts as a poor vapor barrier (unless you supply one outside of the foam) and I only see the closed cell noted for insulation and the open cell for cushions, etc...

I get all much of my foam from http://www.thefoamfactory.com/ (excellent deals on wholesale pricing of quality 5.5 lb foam mattresses) - but if you search you'll find a lot of other good sources to get it.

Stonefree69 · Mar 5, 2014

Also using the Great Stuff polyurethane foam spray from Dow (on the outside of bucket in parallel beads and needs to air cure not in gaps) - r value of 6 or so:

Poor Mans Spray Foam DIY insulation Polyureathane Foam Nozzle
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Stonefree69 · Mar 5, 2014

AND I found my favorite insulation sheet so far - even has pipe insulation, just do a search on K-Flex Insul-Sheet Flexible Closed Cell Sheet Insulation. The r-value is 8 for a 2" thick sheet. Even has adhesive backing. About $2 per sq ft.

Stonefree69 · Mar 5, 2014

"Splurged" for the Dow Great Stuff 20-oz Big Gap Filler Insulating Foam Sealant @ Lowes for $7.49 and 6 widespread applicators on eBay for $7.99. Great Stuff is a closed cell polyurethane insulating foam (expanding foam in a can).

The insulation is about R-6.5 per inch so 2 inches should give me about R-13 + the 5/16" Reflectix (actual R value of 1 but can go as high as 6 with a proper air gap and the bubble rap layers help). Insulation is sprayed vertically "in wide beads" on the outside of the bucket. Will still look nice & tidy with Reflectix over the insulation.

You want the Dow Big Gap filler as it's most suited for this purpose and goes a long way (expands the most or about 2X). The wide foam applicator I found on eBay from http://www.eznozzle.com/ I wouldn't have gone this route really w/o that nozzle - makes things go way faster and easier.

There are also methods to use unused foam and unclog the nozzle (instead of throwing away unused foam).

So advantages: insulation on outside of bucket (more room for roots & stuff), is watertight and water resistant, durable, high R value of 6 per inch or more, and the cost is pretty cheap even if I need several cans to cover my 12 buckets.

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Stonefree69 · Mar 6, 2014

One option I may end up in the end is making hexagon coolers out of 2" of eps (r-5/inch) or Super TUFF-R or Dow Owens Corning 4-ft x 8-ft polyisocyanurate insulated sheets (r-6.5/inch) cut to size and use Locktite adhesive foam glue. Each sheet would be good for 3-4 5 gallon buckets (32 sq ft) and have R-10 to R-13 w/o the reflectix. Lowes and HD have them. Polyisocyanurate insulated sheets best cut with utility razor and all you need are 60 degree angles to measure and cut. My spreadsheet will pop out all the numbers.

Igloo Maxcold also uses 2 inches of polyisocyanurate/polyurethane with high r-value but the coolers are like $50-60 for the 5 to 17.5 gallon sizes. I could insulate at least as well for less than $20 per DIY cooler.

Also you can spray polyisocyanurate if you need to cover 100-200+ sq ft (board feet of 1" thick foam) - they are among the best DIY kits around - http://www.sprayfoamkit.com/products/spray-foam-kits But I'm not spending $200+ when I could pay less than 1/2 that for foamboard at Lowes or HD: http://www.lowes.com/pd_155689-46086-551031_0__

Of that Dow Great Stuff is r-3.8 or r-4 from the material data sheets so that's not the highest r value but you should get the $50 gun it will go further in the end.

Stonefree69 · Mar 6, 2014

These pictures should be worth several thousand words using foamboard insulation on a 5 gallon bucket or even the 14-18 gallon or so Rubbermaid Roughneck tubs (also popular w/DIY hydro and very very durable):

Online about $12 each for 14-18 gallon sizes with 3-10-14-18-25 and 31 gallon sizes

Bubble foil insulation (needs at least 1 foil side to have at least 3/4" air space or else R value is only about 1)
this goes on the outside so it'll look nice & neat like Heath Robinson or Michelangelo

Dow Owens Corning 4-ft x 8-ft polyisocyanurate insulated sheets (r-6.5/inch)
Somehow it's cheaper to buy 1/2" thick and 1 1/2" thick and sandwich them
vs just buying a 2" thick panel - about $23 for 1 1/2" thick and $13 for 1/2 inch thick

RMax 4-ft x 8-ft polyisocyanurate insulated sheet

Here's what insulated buckets would look like, just picture reflectix or bubblefoil insulation wrap. Even the
bottom could be covered with a radiant barrier that adds about another R-3 or 4 or k-value of .25-.33
(data sheets lists different r-values depending on up, down or horizontal)

Another hexagon pic: http://www.en.ozartsetc.com/wp-cont...agon_steven-holl_design_00-e1361213131486.jpg

.

Stonefree69 · Mar 6, 2014

Rubbermaid 10 & 20 gallon Brute - but the square versions have lower height at these sizes many times so I don't use them w/net pots (these are about 6" higher or more) but storage

Brute 32 gallon $30 @ HD for example

Stonefree69 · Mar 6, 2014

Calculator also good for sizing insulation to cut & fit around round buckets of given diameter. Bucket diameter would equal apothem in hexagon or octagon insulation diameter. Add 1/4” for spacing to fit and insulation thickness (example 2 inches) to apothem length for proper sizing and fit.

Inches saved in insulation needed for walls vs using a triangle or a 3 sided polygon. The more sides the more insulation saved - to a point. You also have to trim a 60 degree bevel (for a hexagon) with a knife or saw and that makes waste - the more sides the more waste trimming. 6-12 sides are about optimum.

KISS

Stonefree69 · Mar 6, 2014

You can cut the sides of the insulation sheet using alternate 60 degree cuts to save on material - guess it would work for any angle your using.

Stonefree69 · Mar 6, 2014

The bevel cut angle for vertical insulation panels cut to fit is simply angle "l" in illustration (small L).

Interior angles for base and top

Good luck, now I'm off to work... :dance013:

Stonefree69 · Mar 6, 2014

Try this link! It will work in OpenOffice spreadsheet (OpenOffice is free and like Excel spreadsheets/compatible). You can enter your own parameters in the green cells, like your bucket diameter (+1/4" ^ 2" for insulation thickness) and number of sides you want (just click to download and open in Excel or Openoffice):

https://docs.zoho.com/docerrorview....4b30be8b5e0d7285f1c9&version=1.0&docType=2102

It works for me!

Stonefree69 · Mar 7, 2014

Well, measured my net pots and they are 12" down to the mm!

This means for 5 gallon buckets with net pots should work for everyone interested.

Now for me: it's back to work and post some pics of assembly and assembled DIY coolers.

I know everyone here likes to see the pics!

Done right the r-value should be r-15 to 20, that puts it into at minimum among the best performing coolers (except the ones that use vacuum insulation and those can rate past r-100, a glass thermos bottle said to be r-250).

Bulldog420 · Mar 7, 2014

Great idea on the bucket cooler, and everything else you guys have pointed out. Summer is going to be a little cooler this year.

How to turn a 5 gallon bucket into a cooler for $2

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