When it comes to living in hot climates, there’s nothing better than having a cool breeze from an air conditioning system. Unfortunately, in many cases, these systems require significant amounts of power and energy – the costs of which add up significantly in hot climates where users need to run the AC continuously.
The makers of Mistbox are looking to help reduce energy consumption with their connected device that pre-cools intake air to boost the user’s AC efficiency by 30%. By using sensors to monitor AC operation and climate conditions, Mistbox can optimize the mist and oversee the health of the user’s air conditioning system.
Mistbox involves positioning nozzles around the AC condenser to create a fine water mist which evaporates to pre-cool the existing air. By using a proprietary combination of water treatment technologies, Mistbox ensures it doesn’t cause any damage to the user’s equipment. Rather than relying on electronics, Mistbox has a built-in turbine which powers Mistbox using exhaust salvaged from the user’s AC condenser.
The water treatment filter is designed to kill bacteria using a disinfecting agent and there’s an anti-scale solution used to crystallize dissolved calcium into submicron calcium crystals so they don’t adhere to the surface of the air conditioning vents.
Overall the system is designed to be installed in a matter of minutes. Users first install the wind turbine to the panel above the condenser fan. They then fasten Mistbox to the AC unit using the included bracket. After this, they clip the spray bars onto the device and connect the water supply.
Using the companion mobile app, users are able to track usage and pull custom data using real-time reporting. Overall, users are able to easily see their savings on the screen.
Overall, users can expect to save 20%-38% on their AC power costs with the low end occurring in mild humid climates, while the higher range is for hot, dry climates. As far as water consumption goes, while the makers of Mistbox haven’t specifically measured water consumption, they mention the device only puts out a mist and as such users are only paying pennies for the system in most cases.
According to the makers, Mistbox can significantly help to reduce greenhouse gases. To put these results in perspective, if global power consumption from cooling were reduced by 30% by 2030, the CO2 reduction would be the equivalent of taking five billion cars off the road.
To date, the makers of Mistbox have raised over $148,000 via crowdfunding which is significantly higher than their $10,000 goal. Pricing for the device comes in subscription and device pricing. Early bird annual subscriptions start at $89 which is $31 less than the standard subscription rate. Users who would prefer to own the device can purchase their own Mistbox for $349. The estimated delivery dates for Mistbox are August 2017. As far as device support goes, users need to purchase one Mistbox unit for each of their AC systems.
Unlike many other gadgets we’ve covered here at SnapMunk, Mistbox uses a subscription model to make the device more affordable (paying yearly rather than a lump sum), it includes replacement filters, there’s built-in secure cellular connectivity, and the system features a lifetime warranty.
