How to make a box that would keep steady temp around 17-25 Celsius??

Question

I want to make this box that would keep steady temperature around 17 to 25 Celsius. I will place it in my back yard but the prob is that the sun shines a lot and it's hot as h**l outside. Any ideas about it (what should I make it from, where should I put it, what colour should it be, where will I find the materials etc) would be really appreciated. And remember the most helpful gets ten points!!

Answer 1

This depends on where you live, and what the temperature is normally.     A reflective coating, such as silver or white, is best -- dark colors absorb sunlight.     Insulation such as styrofoam will help maintain a more constant temperature, but  it won't make things any cooler or warmer.

Shading the box with a cover will help, but you don't want to block airflow.    Fans will help blow air through the box, but the box can only be as cool as the air temperature, unless you have some active cooling.

Water cooling is pretty easy to do, you can get pumps designed for home water gardens, and run the water through metal hoses or pipes that are attached to the surface of the box.  This will significantly lower the box temperature without getting it wet.      

The easiest short term option is to keep the box wet -- evaporating water will help keep the air inside cool.   Again, this all depends on what's inside the box too.

Another idea is to bury the box in the ground slightly.   The ground helps moderate the daily changes in temperature, combined with other options above, it should help stabilize the temperature inside the box.

Expand your question with what's in the box, and we can be more specific in our answers.