Beware the 90-Second 'Coolers' That Are Just Fancy Fans!

As the UK faces another spell of hot weather, many people are searching for ways to keep their homes cool. Recently, there have been a lot of online advertisements for portable air conditioners that claim to cool a room in just 90 seconds. These ads say the devices were designed by former NASA engineers and can cool an entire home quickly while using very little electricity. The ads have appeared on popular platforms like Facebook and YouTube, but the Advertising Standards Authority, or ASA, has warned that these claims are often exaggerated and misleading.

Stuart Matthews, a YouTuber who runs the Proper DIY channel, decided to test these devices himself. He bought several of the advertised air conditioners, paying around £70 for one. When he received the product, he found it was just a small, simple fan that was not worth nearly as much as he paid. The ads often include fake customer reviews that describe amazing results, like dramatic drops in temperature, but these reviews are not real. The ASA says that many of these ads are created using artificial intelligence, with fancy visuals like copper coils and metallic boxes to make the products look more advanced than they really are.

The ASA has given advice to help people spot fake or misleading ads. They say to be careful if an ad makes promises that sound too good to be true, like a small device cooling a large room in minutes. Other warning signs include dramatic stories about secret inventions, poor grammar or spelling mistakes, and customer reviews that seem too perfect. The ASA recommends researching the company before buying, checking for real contact details and a business address, and looking for independent reviews instead of just the ones on the seller's website.

When Stuart Matthews opened up one of the devices, he found it was made of cheap parts and used flawed science. The machine was described as a 'reverse-engineered aircon unit' with a 'liquid-compressed cooling cartridge,' but inside it was just cardboard fins that got wet as air blew past them. This type of device is called a swamp cooler, which can work in hot, dry places but is not effective in humid climates like the UK. Real air conditioners remove heat from a room using an exhaust hose or an external unit, but these fake devices do not.

The ASA says that while they try to stop misleading ads, they cannot issue fines, and some companies keep making new ads even after being warned. Stuart Matthews says he feels sorry for people who spend money on these products and do not get what they expected. To avoid being tricked, it is important to check if an ad is real and to look for honest reviews from other customers. If you are not sure about a product, ask someone you trust or do more research before buying. Staying safe online is important, especially when buying things to help you stay comfortable during hot weather.