Looking for a method to cool off in the summer? If you don’t have central air conditioning in your house, or if you have but are looking for more environmentally friendly or cost-effective alternatives, you may be thinking if evaporative coolers are perfect for you.
Understanding how evaporative coolers function is essential for determining whether or not one will perform successfully in your house. There’s a lot to learn about evaporative cooling if you’re new to it. Here’s everything you need to know about evaporative coolers – and how to decide if you should buy one.
An evaporative air cooler is a type of air conditioner that cools air temperatures by utilizing the force of evaporation.
Evaporative Coolers: How Do They Work?
An evaporative cooling system automates simple evaporation to efficiently reduce the temperature of your home’s air. The machine will typically have a fan, a thick pad, a water reservoir, and perhaps extra controls for fine-tuning the results. The fan pushes hot, dry air into the machine and across the cooling pads. These dense Evaporative Cooler Pads absorb water from the reservoir and have many layers to maximize surface area. As the hot air passes over the pad, the water molecules on the surface evaporate, causing the air temperature within the cooler to decrease by up to 20 degrees. The cold air is then blown into your room by the fan, where you may enjoy the coolness on a hot day.
Other helpful components can be added to evaporative coolers. Many use air filters and pads that are meant to enhance air quality by lowering allergens and preventing mildew growth – an important consideration for anybody who suffers from allergies or other respiratory issues. While not necessarily essential, a water pump can help to speed up absorption into the cooling pad. Some models allow you to add an ice pack to further chill the air that the fan blasts into the room. Variable fan speeds, oscillating functionalities, and remote control are also convenient.
Benefits Of Evaporative Coolers
Energy efficiency and sustainability are two significant advantages of evaporative coolers over regular air conditioners. Both are because evaporative coolers consume significantly less power than typical air conditioners, which may consume up to seven times as many watts. This is because, in general, evaporative coolers simply require the fan to pull airflow over the cooling pad to operate. Standard air conditioning systems, on the other hand, use a compressor to compress the liquid refrigerant and then transfer it through a heat exchanger to remove heat from the air. This method needs a significant amount of power, in addition to the fan that blows cold air into the space.
Using less power with an evaporative cooler reduces your carbon footprint while also cutting your utility expenses. It should also be mentioned that evaporative coolers use just water and no ozone-depleting chemical refrigerants.
How To Make The Most Of Your Evaporative Cooler
Because evaporative coolers perform differently than normal air conditioning units, you must rethink how you utilize them to get the most effective cooling. Try the following suggestions for the coldest, most pleasant air possible:
Activate The Windows
Unlike traditional air conditioners, which need you to keep your home firmly sealed to keep cold air in, evaporative coolers demand a constant supply of fresh air. An open window near the intake fan draws dry, warm air into the cooler, allowing for rapid evaporation. Open windows also enable the humidified air stream from the cooler to escape, keeping your house from feeling stuffy. It may take some practice to figure out how far to open your windows for maximum comfort, so feel free to experiment with the interior air until you’re satisfied.
Recharge The Water Supply
If you don’t use your cooler for an extended length of time, be sure to empty and clean the reservoir to prevent mold and mildew growth in damp places. This will keep your evaporative cooler running smoothly and your air clean.
Correct Cooler Sizing
Before you buy, verify the suggested square feet that the cooler covers and measure your room to ensure that the cooler is the correct size. For a wide location, you may need more than one cooler, or you may discover that merely positioning the fan where you’re seated offers enough of temperature decrease to be comfortable.
Avoid The Ice
Unless your cooler is specially constructed with an ice pack for its reservoir, adding ice to the water can hinder the evaporation process and make you feel less chilly. It may seem paradoxical, but water needs some heat to evaporate, so adding ice to your cooler will prevent it from performing properly.