Evaporative coolers are less expensive than air conditioners, use less electricity and you have the added benefit of fresher, moister air with no harmful chemicals! Here in the west they are becoming more and more popular. Many people hate being in an air conditioned home or office all day. The air is stale and pumped with refrigerants, such as chlorofluorcarbons (CFCs) and hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), that can harm your health and the ozone layer. Unlike when using an evaporative cooler windows must to be open.
An evaporative cooler, sometimes called a swamp cooler, is essentially an appliance with porous surfaces that enable air to pass through. A fan inside the unit pulls outside air through the sides and into the evaporative cooler housing. To produce cool air, each porous side is fitted with a pad of water-absorbing material. Water is stored in a pan at the bottom of the cooler and a small pump lifts the water to the top of each side. The fan moves the hot outside air through the water-wetted pads, cooling the air about 20-25ºF as the air evaporates water molecules from the pads. The fan then blows the water-cooled air through the house.
Have you noticed how cooled and fresh it feels near a waterfall on a very hot day? That’s evaporative cooling, the reduction in air temperature that happens when water evaporates.
Swamp coolers are popular in dry climates because they are relatively inexpensive, use 75% less electricity as a refrigerated unit, are easy to maintain, and add a comfortable level of humidity to the home.
As a direct replacement for air conditioning in dry climates, evaporative coolers are an example of how we can have a more natural healthy environment and spend less. Such a deal!