If your swamp cooler is undersized or oversized, you may find yourself facing significant problems with your exhaust system that can potentially lead to serious fire hazards.

Is a bigger swamp cooler better?

Sizing an evaporative cooler works in much the same way as sizing an air conditioner (by BTU). In the case of evaporative coolers, we use CFM or Cubic Feet Per Minute instead of BTU. In general, it’s better to have a too big swamp cooler than a too little one.

How big should my evaporative cooler be?





Sizing an Evaporative Cooler

Here are two rules of thumb that can help you size an evaporative cooler: If you multiply the square footage of a space by the ceiling height and then divide by two, that will give you the cfm rating necessary for 30 air changes per hour.

Do large evaporative coolers work?

According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), an evaporative cooler can successfully reduce the ambient temperature by 5 to 15 degrees—but even the DOE is quick to clarify that this process works only in areas with low humidity.

At what temperature does a swamp cooler become ineffective?

A wet bulb temperature above 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) means the swamp cooler won’t be able to adjust the temperature enough to keep it in the comfort zone.

What is the standard size of a swamp cooler?





The CFM of swamp coolers ranges from 700 up to 20,000, covering spaces from 200 square feet up to 4,000 square feet. The physical size and dimensions of swamp coolers can be as small as two feet by two feet by one and a half feet. They can be as large as seven feet by four feet by four feet.

How can I make my evaporative cooler more effective?

5 Ways to Optimize Your Evaporative Cooler’s Performance

  1. Choose the Right Time of Day. …
  2. Clean and Replace Cooling Pads As Needed. …
  3. Keep Your Unit Clean. …
  4. Maintain the Correct Water Level. …
  5. Run the Unit Smarter Instead of Harder.

Do swamp coolers work over 100 degrees?

Here’s the deal: your swamp cooler will only cool your home by about 10 degrees. In addition, it will struggle immensely, and likely will not work at all, when its humid outside.

What humidity is too high for a swamp cooler?



Don’t purchase the wrong type of cooler for your environment. Although evaporative coolers are energy-efficient and affordable cooling devices, they’re only suitable in certain environments, particularly in areas where temperatures rise above 80° F and humidity levels below 50%.

Can a swamp cooler run all day?

A swamp cooler can be in operation for 24 hours of the day, but you will need to ensure it has enough water. Continuous flow coolers will automatically work and will be fine to run all day. Manual swamp coolers require you to add water to the reservoir and change the settings so it will run all day efficiently.

How many windows should be open with a swamp cooler?

You should have 1 to 2 square feet of a window or open door space for every 1,000 cubic feet per minute (CFM). For example, you have a 4,000 CFM system and windows with 4 square feet of space to the outside when opened. You need 4-8 square feet of space, which is 1-2 windows open, to run this system.

Can you leave evaporative cooling on overnight?



Yes, it is possible to leave an evaporative cooler on overnight. It is common for some people to leave the cooler on continuously for a 24-hour period. There is no issue with the system running continuously, but you may wish to consider leaving it on overnight if you live in a humid climate.

Does ice in a swamp cooler work?

Putting ice in your swamp cooler will reduce the effectiveness of the evaporative cooling process. Water needs to hot in order to evaporate, so adding ice increases the time it takes for the cooler to effectively cool the space.

Are swamp coolers cheaper to run than AC?

Swamp coolers generally are cheaper to install and use less electricity than air conditioning. They also perform the same job as humidifiers.

How much can an evaporative cooler cool?

They can reduce the temperature in a single room by 5° to 15°F.

How much humidity does an evaporative cooler add?



How much moisture will an evaporative cooler add to the environment? An increase in humidity of approximately two to five percent is produced depending on the temperature and humidity of the environment. This increase is not noticeable in a ventilated area where the air produced by the cooler is exhausted.

Do swamp coolers work in 50% humidity?

Evaporative coolers are efficient for cooling spaces with low relative humidity. The level of relative humidity in your home should stay between 30 and 50 percent for optimum efficiency of your unit. You can still operate an evaporative cooler at humidity percentages up to 60 percent or more.

Why is my swamp cooler making my house humid?

Evaporative coolers produce humid air because the air absorbs water during the cooling process. These systems work best when a small amount of outside air circulates into the home while the cooler is on.