A swamp cooler, also known as an evaporative air conditioner effectively cools the air by passing warm outdoor air through wet evaporative cooler pads. A swamp cooler uses moisture to cool the air. A blower motor then uses a vent to force the cold air into a house. The article will also show how a swamp cooler works and the difference between it and air conditioners.
Table of Contents
The Parts That Make Up a Swamp Cooler:
Water Supply Valve
This valve can be found indoors, typically where your water heater is connected to the rest of your plumbing system. A copper tube links this valve to your swamp cooler. The swamp cooler receives the water as a result. The swamp cooler cannot operate without this valve.
Float
The evaporative cooler float is located on the swamp cooler’s base. The float rises above the water in the bottom of the swamp cooler and closes the water supply valve when the water level reaches a certain level. The swamp cooler may not function or may overflow if this float stops working.
Pump
On the bottom of the device, you can also find the pump for the swamp cooler. It pumps the water through the water distribution lines, keeping the evaporative pads wet.
Evaporative Pads
The interior of the swamp cooler is lined with evaporative cooling pads. The swamp cooler won’t function properly unless they are wet. The air is crisp and clean.
Blower and Blower Motor
The blower is turned by the blower motor, which cools the air by forcing cool air out of a house through the ductwork.
How Does a Swamp Cooler Work?
There are four main steps a swamp cooler uses to cool the air in your house. These are:
- Water Supply Valve Brings Water into Bottom of Swamp Cooler
When you turn the dial of your swamp cooler to the “on” position, the water supply valve brings water to the bottom of the swamp cooler. Once the float, which is perched on top of the water, reaches a certain level, the water flows into the swamp cooler is stopped. The water supply valve should now be closed as a result.
- The Pump Brings Water to the Evaporative Cooler Pads
When there is sufficient water in the evaporative cooler’s bottom, the pump starts to draw water through the water supply lines. The evaporative pads receive water through these water distribution lines, which are situated at their top. If the homeowner feels that the air isn’t cool enough, they can turn their swamp cooler’s switch to “pump” to pump more water into the evaporative pads.
- Warm Air is Pulled Through Evaporative Cooler Pads
The blower motor starts bringing warm air into the swamp cooler through the evaporative pads once they have water on them. The moisture cools and purifies the air as it passes through the warm pads. Evaporative cooling is the term for this procedure. In the same way that when you exercise, perspire, and then have a fan blow on you to cool you off, this also works to cool your skin.
- Blower Forces Cool Through Vent, Cooling Home
The blower uses the cooled air to push it through the ductwork and vents and into the house after the air has been forced through the evaporative pads and cooled.
Here is the full process of the swamp cooler cooling a home animated below:
Did You Know a Home Warranty Covers Swamp Coolers?
Sadly, each of these components of a swamp cooler has a shelf life; they are not indestructible. Your evaporative cooler eventually experiences a mechanical failure due to wear and tear. Make sure your home has a home warranty in case this happens. A premium of $300 to $600 a year gets you a home warranty that covers the systems and appliances in your house. If a component fails due to normal wear and tear and is covered by the home warranty contract, you only pay a small service call fee to have it repaired or replaced. Click here to find out more about what a home warranty is and what it covers.
Swamp Coolers Vs. Air Conditioners
The same operating principles that govern your home refrigerator also apply to standard AC units. The air is cooled by the coils, sent into your home, and then repeatedly recirculated through the machine, venting any hot air produced in the process to the outside. (How Air Conditioners Work has more information on how standard air conditioners operate. It’s a closed process; leaving a window or door open causes the cool air to escape and makes the air conditioner work harder to supply cold air.
The system is open with swamp coolers. Because they always need hot, dry air to evaporate the water, they rely on the flow of air through the building to direct the cool air, which must displace the air already present in the building. Both systems can make use of either a sizable central unit or small window units, but the air from the swamp cooler needs a way out. While central air conditioners use ducts to direct the flow, opening and closing windows and doors control the airflow from the swamp cooler to various parts of the house. In some circumstances, swamp coolers can also use ducts, but they need to be larger than standard air conditioner ducts to accommodate a greater flow of air from the swamp cooler.
By condensing water vapor from the cooled room as it passes over the icy coils, conventional air conditioners also dry the air. If you stand under a window air conditioner long enough, you’ll notice a distinctive drip that indicates the water drains outside. The end result is a dryer room, which can be advantageous in humid climates. Perspiration—the natural way we cool off—can be inhibited by excessive humidity. Swamp coolers function as humidifiers because they moisten the dry air as they cool it. This is advantageous in drier regions because low humidity levels can also be uncomfortable. Under the right circumstances, the water-laden breeze can also have a secondary effect that aids in skin perspiration, giving off an even cooler sensation than the swamp cooler would on its own.
You cannot operate a swamp cooler and a conventional air conditioner in the same home due to the differences in how they operate. In the same way that running a humidifier and a dehumidifier in the same space would cancel each other out.
Which is better, if you have to choose just one? A swamp cooler or an air conditioner?
Swamp Cooler Benefits
Swamp coolers appear to have many advantages when used properly. Build and install costs are low. They can be made out of treated cellulose, fiberglass, plastic foam, or shredded aspen fibers, an 8- to 12-inch (20- to 30-centimeter) thick filter pad, some water, and a box (typically made of sheet metal). Pumps and fans are widely accessible. The remaining items can be produced almost anywhere in a neighborhood shop. Additionally, a swamp cooler ought to have a vent-only setting and at least two speeds. You can spend anywhere between $40 for a portable model and $3,500 for a roof-mounted or ground unit if you decide to purchase one. According to NerdWallet, installing a central air conditioning unit would cost between $3,000 and $7,000.
The monthly operating costs of a swamp cooler are significantly lower as well; installing and maintaining one costs less than half as much as a central air conditioner. Although a swamp cooler uses 60 to 80 percent less energy than a typical air conditioner, this is where the biggest savings can be found. Savings like that benefit both the environment and your energy bill.
Since traditional air conditioners have long relied on ozone-depleting chemicals to produce their cooling power, swamp coolers have an additional environmental benefit. A 1996 international treaty banned the use of CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) in developed countries. The use of R22 (freon), the substitute product, which is an HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon), was discontinued in new equipment in 2010. Since then, R410A or Puron has been used in AC units, but R-32, which has a third less potential to cause global warming than R410A, is gradually replacing these gases. Refrigerants are not used in swamp coolers.
Swamp Cooler Downsides
Despite all the advantages and cost savings, swamp coolers are still only effective in certain climates, which regrettably excludes places like Philadelphia.
It must be both hot and dry because as the temperature of the dry bulb approaches that of the wet bulb, the difference between the two gets smaller, and the cooling effect of the evaporating water decreases. When the temperature of the wet bulb rises above 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius), the swamp cooler will not be able to lower the temperature to a level that is comfortable. (This varies depending on humidity, individual preference, and activity, but it typically ranges in the low 70s.)
Water condenses when the air becomes overly moist. If the outside air is 100% humid, it might rain. A swamp cooler won’t bring on a downpour inside your home, but it won’t cool things down either; all it will do is make your home feel hot and muggy like you might imagine a swamp to feel like. Your sweat doesn’t evaporate into the saturating atmosphere.
The Environmental Protection Agency advises keeping indoor relative humidity below 60%, ideally between 30 and 50%, to prevent the deterioration of wooden furniture and the growth of mold and mildew. Unfortunately, moist air can also make metal rust, even inside the swamp cooler. In evaporative coolers, the issue of excessive humidity can be resolved by heating the air inside the home while the humid air vents outside. However, these systems are much less effective than direct evaporative coolers.
Swamp coolers need to be maintained. To prevent that swampy odor and related air quality issues, the pads should be cleaned or changed on a regular basis. As water evaporates, minerals in the water can also accumulate, necessitating the gradual bleed-off of wastewater that is mineral-rich. It is advised to check the pads, filters, reservoir, and pump no less than once a month and to replace the pads no less than twice during the cooling season or once every month when the unit is running continuously. Depending on the size, the coolers also need a consistent supply of water, which can range from 4.4 to 10.4 gallons (17 to 40 liters) per hour. In the hot, dry climates where swamp coolers perform at their best, that can be a challenging task.
Of course, air conditioners also need maintenance, whether that means changing the filter every three months or getting a yearly checkup from a technician to keep it running. But in order to disconnect swamp coolers that are a component of an HVAC system at the end of the season, a professional is also required. To avoid the unit being harmed by a winter freeze, the process entails completely draining and flushing the water system. During the summer, the technician must reconnect it as well.
Routine Maintenance and Parts Replacement.
Swamp coolers require regular maintenance. Deposits may form as a result of minerals and sediment in the water passing through the appliance. Swamp coolers should be thoroughly cleaned before each cooling season because too much buildup can affect how the unit functions. It might also be a good idea to perform some mid-season tune-ups, depending on the local climate and temperature as well as how frequently the swamp cooler is running.
In addition, a lot of a swamp cooler’s parts will require regular inspection and replacement. For instance, every cooling season, the evaporative cooler pads need to be replaced at least twice. The cooling pads need to be changed at least once a month when the unit is running continuously. Additionally, the pump, reservoir, and filter of the swamp cooler should be cleaned at least once every few months.
Think about putting a filter on your unit if you suffer from allergies. For people with asthma or allergies, the filter can reduce the amount of dust, pollen, and other allergens that are drawn inside from the outside. When you swap out the evaporative cooling pads, don’t forget to clean your filters as well.
