Swamp coolers cool by evaporating moisture from room air. Compressing air, or pushing it, adds heat to the already hot room air, therefore making that process counterproductive.
How do you circulate air in a swamp cooler?
Using a swamp cooler is not nearly as complicated as you might think. Boiled down, all you need to do is fill, wait or prime the pads, then point the fan at wherever you want the cool air to go. If you have trouble, test the humidity and increase airflow or use a dehumidifier paired up to manage the moisture.
Do swamp coolers pull in outside air?
There is also an air quality issue. An air conditioner pulls air from within the house and filters it before it is circulated throughout your home. An evaporative cooler is always pulling air from the outside.
Where does a swamp cooler get air from?
Swamp coolers are an open system. They rely on the flow of air through the building to direct the cool air, and since they always need hot, dry air to evaporate the water, it needs to displace the air already in the house.
Does putting ice in swamp cooler make it colder?
In Closing
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.
What is the most efficient way to use a swamp cooler?
Tips to Make Your Swamp Cooler More Effective
- Open the Window. …
- Make Sure the Tank is Full and Pads are Wet. …
- Allow Cooler to Run Before Turning on Blower. …
- Clean the Cooler Regularly.
How many windows should you open for a swamp cooler?
Open the windows or vents on the leeward side of the house to provide 1 to 2 square feet of opening for each 1,000 cfm of cooling capacity. Experiment to find the right windows to open and the correct amount to open them. If the windows are open too far, too much hot air will enter.
Why are swamp coolers on the roof?
Evaporative coolers work basically the same way: Hot air enters the outdoor unit, usually housed on the roof. Water-filled pads at the bottom of the unit cool the hot air. The cool air circulates through ducts and then leaves the house via return vents and windows.
Is it cheaper to run a swamp cooler or AC?
The swamp cooler requires far less electricity thereby saving money. For example, if electricity costs $0.15 per Kwh (Kilowatts per hour), it takes $1.13 per hour to operate an A/C system. It’s only $0.26 per hour to run the cooler. That’s real savings.
What does pump only do on a swamp cooler?
Swamp cooler controls will have an on/off switch that controls the water pump and fan hi/low button. When you turn it on it will begin pumping water through the cooler and then you can adjust the fan speed to high or low. You need to have the pump on while running the cooler, to keep water running through the unit.
How do I make my swamp cooler colder?
10 Tips to Make Your Swamp Cooler Colder and More Efficient
- Use Your Swamp Cooler in a Dry Climate. …
- Use Your Swamp Cooler Seasonally. …
- Open the Windows. …
- Run a Dehumidifier. …
- Cultivate a Green Thumb. …
- Experiment With Positioning. …
- Prime the Pads First. …
- Use Cold Water.
Why is my evaporative cooler not blowing cold air?
Probably the single most common reason your swamp cooler is not blowing cold air is that the circuit breaker has tripped or the fuse has blown. These are installed so as to avoid electrical damage to the unit, so it doesn’t get fried in the case of an electrical overload.
Can you leave a swamp cooler on 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.
What happens if you run swamp cooler without water?
A swamp cooler will still operate without water flowing to it, but this means it will run without lubrication, in turn causing irreversible damage to the pump from the friction.
Can I run just the fan on my swamp cooler?
You can run one without the other with no damage to the product. That said, however, you will not receive the same degree of cooling by only running the fan. For evaporative cooling to happen, water must be running over the evaporative media.
Do swamp coolers need to be vented?
Evaporative coolers don’t require venting like portable ACs, but the air forced out will still require an exit path in order to ensure sufficient cooling (this can usually be accomplished with an open door or window).
How much ventilation does a swamp cooler need?
Allow proper ventilation
Try opening a door or window opposite the door or window that is already open. The channel of breeze will help the evaporative cooler work more efficiently. One or two square feet per 1,000 CFM of cooling capacity is enough to allow hot air and humidity to be pushed outside.
At what humidity do swamp coolers stop working?
In Closing
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.
How much venting does a swamp cooler need?
Everyone Needs to Vent
If it already is, open window on the opposite side of the room to create a cross breeze to draw the hot air out. Usually, 1 or 2 square feet per 1,000 CFM of cooling capacity is sufficient to allow hot air and humidity to be pushed outside.
How do you vent a house with a swamp cooler?
Vent-only option
You just have to open the windows on opposite sides of the house, and let the equipment do the rest, quickly and at a very low cost (the cooler will consume the equivalent to a lighting bulb, often less than 100 watts).
