Swamp Cooler | Evaporative Coolers
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The in-rushing air is pulled through damp cooler pads behind the louvres. The resulting
evaporation cools the air 15°– 20°.
The fan continues its work by directing the cooled air through a ceiling duct to the
rooms below which pushes the warm air outside through partially opened windows. A
single window opened 2 - 3 inches in each room should be enough to exhaust the
warm air.
Swamp Cooler Pads
Much research has gone into the design of cooler pads and materials. Aspen pads are
effective and inexpensive, easy for the home owner to change, and are biodegradable
when disposed of properly. Synthetic fibers cost a little more and may last longer, but
they are seldom biodegradable and don't really cool much better than natural pads.
Water Usage
Typically a swamp cooler will have a float valve in the reservoir to maintain the water
level. This keeps water usage to a minimum but promotes the build up of scale on the
pads and reservoir pan.
To counter this problem, some coolers have been designed with a bleed off valve that
periodically drains water from the reservoir or a "sump dump" that flushes out the
contents of the reservoir including debris that accumulates from natural Aspen pads.
Both of these systems reduce scaling and keep the pads working efficiently, but they
also use substantially more water than a float system.
Swamp Cooler Sizing
The capacity of an evaporative cooler is measured in CFM, (cubic feet per minute). This
is the amount of air, in cubic feet, a swamp cooler will push through your home in one
minute.
A small window unit may be 2,500 CFM, while a whole house unit will be 6,000 CFM or
larger. Whether it is for a single room or a whole house, there is a simple formula for
determining the proper size of swamp cooler you need.
Figure the cubic feet of space you want to cool, and then divide that number by two.
The quotient will give you the CFM rating for the proper-sized swamp cooler.
For example, if you have a 1,500 square foot home with 8 foot-high ceilings:
1,500 x 8 = 12,000 cubic feet 12,000 % 2 = 6,000 CFM needed
Before you start your swamp cooler, consider these resource saving tips from the
Water Conservation Alliance of Southern Arizona:
Can I Use a Swamp Cooler Where I Live?
If you would like to find out if your local climate is suitable for a swamp cooler, click this
link to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The table lists the
average relative humidity for representative cities in all 50 states.
The M and A columns stand for Morning and Afternoon. As you will quickly notice, the
humidity decreases in the afternoon as the heat of the day increases.
< Alternative Cooling Two Stage Evaporative Coolers >
evaporation cools the air 15°– 20°.
The fan continues its work by directing the cooled air through a ceiling duct to the
rooms below which pushes the warm air outside through partially opened windows. A
single window opened 2 - 3 inches in each room should be enough to exhaust the
warm air.
Swamp Cooler Pads
Much research has gone into the design of cooler pads and materials. Aspen pads are
effective and inexpensive, easy for the home owner to change, and are biodegradable
when disposed of properly. Synthetic fibers cost a little more and may last longer, but
they are seldom biodegradable and don't really cool much better than natural pads.
Water Usage
Typically a swamp cooler will have a float valve in the reservoir to maintain the water
level. This keeps water usage to a minimum but promotes the build up of scale on the
pads and reservoir pan.
To counter this problem, some coolers have been designed with a bleed off valve that
periodically drains water from the reservoir or a "sump dump" that flushes out the
contents of the reservoir including debris that accumulates from natural Aspen pads.
Both of these systems reduce scaling and keep the pads working efficiently, but they
also use substantially more water than a float system.
Swamp Cooler Sizing
The capacity of an evaporative cooler is measured in CFM, (cubic feet per minute). This
is the amount of air, in cubic feet, a swamp cooler will push through your home in one
minute.
A small window unit may be 2,500 CFM, while a whole house unit will be 6,000 CFM or
larger. Whether it is for a single room or a whole house, there is a simple formula for
determining the proper size of swamp cooler you need.
Figure the cubic feet of space you want to cool, and then divide that number by two.
The quotient will give you the CFM rating for the proper-sized swamp cooler.
For example, if you have a 1,500 square foot home with 8 foot-high ceilings:
1,500 x 8 = 12,000 cubic feet 12,000 % 2 = 6,000 CFM needed
Before you start your swamp cooler, consider these resource saving tips from the
Water Conservation Alliance of Southern Arizona:
- If you can wait until the temperature reaches at least 85 degrees, you'll save
50% on water usage compared to starting it at 79 degrees.
- Turn on the water pump five minutes before turning on the fan. This will saturate
the pads first, and make your cooler more efficient.
- In the evenings, or when it's relatively cool outside, run the cooler fan without
the water pump.
- Use the fan only on rainy or high humidity days.
- Use ceiling fans to circulate air.
Can I Use a Swamp Cooler Where I Live?
If you would like to find out if your local climate is suitable for a swamp cooler, click this
link to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The table lists the
average relative humidity for representative cities in all 50 states.
The M and A columns stand for Morning and Afternoon. As you will quickly notice, the
humidity decreases in the afternoon as the heat of the day increases.
< Alternative Cooling Two Stage Evaporative Coolers >
Alternative-Heating-Info.com
What is a Swamp Cooler?
A swamp cooler, also known as
an evaporative cooler, is a
relatively simple mechanical
device that uses evaporating
water rather than a refrigerant
to cool the air.
Swamp coolers cost about
one-half as much to install as
central air conditioners and use
about a third as much energy.
A more appropriate name for
the swamp cooler would be
desert cooler since it's only
effective where the relative
humidity is less than 40%.
How A Swamp Cooler Works
The picture on the left depicts a
roof top, or down draft, whole
house swamp cooler.
A small motor (top) drives the
squirrel cage fan in the center
of the unit.
Centrifugal force expels air from
the blower housing while fresh
air flows in to fill the area of
lower pressure.
A swamp cooler, also known as
an evaporative cooler, is a
relatively simple mechanical
device that uses evaporating
water rather than a refrigerant
to cool the air.
Swamp coolers cost about
one-half as much to install as
central air conditioners and use
about a third as much energy.
A more appropriate name for
the swamp cooler would be
desert cooler since it's only
effective where the relative
humidity is less than 40%.
How A Swamp Cooler Works
The picture on the left depicts a
roof top, or down draft, whole
house swamp cooler.
A small motor (top) drives the
squirrel cage fan in the center
of the unit.
Centrifugal force expels air from
the blower housing while fresh
air flows in to fill the area of
lower pressure.
(Click image to enlarge)