So, does anyone use an evaporative air cooler?

[Raven]

I think these beast are euphemistically called swamp coolers. Are they essentially super sized humidifiers? I live in one of the most humid parts of the South, and I know that high humidity areas don't respond to swamp coolers like a dry and hot area would, but I plan to use this puppy in the laundry room, and I'm thinking it might do a pretty good job of cooling off the only area in my home that manages to have dry air even in the Summer.

Thanks

 

[smokinbasser]

The low humidity conditions are needed for the swamp coolers to do their job. water evaporation causes the cooling effect, in a high humidity region all it will do is raise the humidity even higher without lowering the ambient temps.

 

[Raven]

Here's the situation, in more detail. I use a humidifier in my laundry room, even in the high humid Summer, and find the results to be very satisfactory. My humidifier has broken, though, and I'll need to replace it. Since an evaporative cooler doesn't seem to more than about 3 times the cost of a humidifier (one less than 50, the other less than 100), I thought I would investigate.

 

[Paladin]

My first house back in '78 had a swamp cooler. When well maintained and operated in West Texas' dry air they work quite well, if the constant air flow doesn't bother you. Some comment it makes their bones hurt like a storm front moving in.

The pads need replaced annually, the water reservoir can harbor some nasty bacterial agents(think Legionaires, etc.), and "water and electricity are not the best of friends".

I'd buy a small window a/c unit, install it in a dedicated wall opening, and move on. HTH.

Paladin

 

[UncleFester]

smokinBasser is right. It will not cool in your humid environment. Here in the desert, they only work during the dry spring months. When our monsoon blows in (Usually right about now in the year) and it gets more humid, the cooling capacity is diminished dramatically.

 

[matrixshaman]

One other thing - for a swamp cooler to work right you need to have a window or two or door OPEN - just the opposite of what you do with air conditioning units. That sounds like it might be a problem with a utility room and as others have said the high humidity is usually not where you want one of these. They are very common usually where there is very low humidity and are more effecient cost wise than air conditioning in low humidity environments.

 

[orionlion82]

well, they are common out here in lubbock (and the dry west in general now...), but its aincent technology - only cheaper and wastes alot of water.

i did use a swamp cooler to cool my overclocked computer though
it was a 7' tall "bong" style evaporater in 4"PVC.
it worked really really well.

but since i designed and built it, i found a flaw with my setup.
simple and easy, but i diddnt see it coming...
it cost me a computer. it was wet, and high pressure.
the chip survived though and i gave it to a buddy who broke the overclocking world record for that model. so its not all bad...
PM me if you want the details...

 

[cy]

got a 50's Chrysler Air Temp water chiller unit at my house. it's a miniature version of large water tower unit typically used on very large commercial installations.

it's an evaporative cooler that uses chilled water routed to a heat exchanger loop using R409A refrigerant. hot gases leaving evaporator heads next to heat exchanger/chilled water loop.

very_efficient system! water added to system as water level drops from evaporation, also brings thermal cooling units. water coming from underground pipes remains at a constant temperature. when it's 100+ degrees outside, water's temp in underground pipes remains constant.

 

[orionlion82]

R49A? what is it? its not on the list of refrigerants.

do you mean ammonia or propane or something like that?

I did find R-718 though... sounds like a really cool system...

 

[cy]

opsss... that's R409A which I chose for a replacement for the 12lbs of R12 that originally came with 50's chryler airtemp. R12 was selling for $50 per lb. vs $8 per lb for R409. it's a blended refrigerant, which requires loading via liquid only. works like a champ!!!

I upgraded the original 5cyl radial piston compressor in favor of a modern copeland semi-hermetic compressor. did all the engineering for the entire retrofit. silver soldered the entire assembly. had to use automotive cherry picker to move compressors. (350+lbs for compressor alone)

this monster compressor uses 220 three phase. combined with free cooling thermal units of ground water. makes this evaporative AC extremely efficient on electricity.

drawback is this unit requires expertise to maintain. a normal HVAC person would not be exposed to this type AC system.

R49A? what is it? its not on the list of refrigerants.

do you mean ammonia or propane or something like that?

I did find R-718 though... sounds like a really cool system...

 

[Ken1022]

I made one for my home in Tampa Florida. For two years it got me thru the summers. There was a lot of dust in my attic from the attic fan running to make it work. The highest tempature the home got was 83 degrees...during humide hot days. As far as I`m concerned it worked...saved me a bunch on electric bills. But I`m now divorced. Perhaps that had a tini bit too do with it. That and just being cheap. I still see her and hope for her hand back in marrage...I now use a real ac.