Evaporative air cooler Intro
When you see the words “evaporative air cooler” we are referring to a device designed to cool air through the evaporation of water. Though, these devices might produce similar results just like a typical air conditioning system but surely not the same.
A typical air conditioning system uses vapor-compression or absorption refrigeration cycles while evaporative air cooling simply refers to a process that uses the effect of evaporation as a natural method to absorb heat. We are going to discuss more this later.
A cool environment is highly desired especially during hot weather but thanks to modern technology that made it possible for us to work out and determine how warm or cooled our environment will be through various means.
We understand that you landed to this page with some important questions to ask or probably to find an answer to your questions but we surely have some answers. We are going to discuss the followings:
- What is an evaporative air cooler
- How does evaporative air cooler works
- what is a portable evaporative air cooler
- How to use evaporative air cooler
- what is an indoor evaporative air cooler
- what is the best evaporative air cooler
- when to use an evaporative cooler or air conditioner
What is evaporative air cooler?
Before we proceed it will be important to understand what evaporative air cooler is all about. However, let me remind you that Evaporative coolers can also be called swamp cooler, swamp box, desert cooler, and wet air cooler so don’t get confused when such name pops up.
Evaporative air coolers are one of the climate control devices that provide a friendly and healthy temperature relief in a commercial and industrial environment. In other words, evaporative air coolers are more economical compared to the traditional air conditioning systems.
It’s clear that swamp coolers can be of great help mostly in warm summer months but one simple truth is that they are not as effective as they are designed to be in some climate. The best way to determine whether an evaporative air cooling system will work for you is to first understand how it works.
It’s proven that swamp coolers work best in dry climates because these types of air coolers add moisture to the air while cooling. Obviously, when you live in a humid or hot climate then the use of evaporative air cooling system might add more humidity which actually produces hot temperature undermining the activeness of the cooling system.
However, any climate similar to the southwestern United States will be a perfect fit for any type of evaporative air coolers and yes the effectiveness of swamp coolers is greatly affected by the climate.
How does evaporative air cooler works
Whether you call it Evaporative cooling or evaporative air conditioning it’s a process of using evaporation to cool the air in an evaporative cooler. However, it involves pumps that help in circulating water from the reservoir directly to the cooling pad, making it possible for the pad to become wet.
There is a fan in almost every evaporative air coolers that helps draw air outside through the moistened pad, the air is cooled by evaporation as it passes through the pad. To maximize the effectiveness of any evaporative cooling system you must ensure that the cooling pads are well saturated. Moreover, a good evaporative cooling system unit should come with a perfect sized fan and motor that delivers appropriate airflow.
Basically, swamp coolers are mostly designed for indoor cooling purposes but their output is determined by the type, size and capacity. To determine the type and size of air coolers you need, you need to consider whether you are going to use it in a commercial or industrial environment.
To fully understand what evaporation is all about you can experiment how it works by following this method. When in a warm summer season and try to place your arm in a bucket of warm water at your own convenient time and simply remove your leg to feel a slight chill on the wet spot.
This is only possible due to the evaporation of the water on your arm and the real action of evaporation is the “energy” that produced the cooling.
The direct and indirect evaporative cooling system
An evaporative cooling system can be classified into a direct evaporative system known as an open circuit and indirect as a closed circuit cooling system. The direct evaporative is designed to help lower the temperature while increasing the humidity of air making use of latent heat of evaporation. This method made it possible to change warm dry air into cool moist air.
The indirect evaporative cooling system is another method that makes use of direct evaporative cooling to circulate the cool energy to the supply air. However, the main reason why this system is called indirect because the cooled moist air that comes from the evaporative cooling process doesn’t have direct contact with the habituated supply air.
What is the difference between an evaporative cooler and an air conditioner?
This question must be ringing in your head right now but I will definitely clear your mind. Sincerely both of them are good in their respective ways.
Cost and maintenance
If you are looking for a way to reduce the cost of cooling your home and save some electricity bills then evaporative energy is what you need because air conditioner are more expensive and as well require more energy to power it compressor. Evaporative cooler don’t need a compressor to perform it duties.
Swamp coolers can easily be maintained since its can be position anywhere inside or outside the room and offices which means it’s reachable at all time unlike air conditioners. Besides swamp air coolers doesn’t require much maintenance apart from cleaning the cooling media and refilling the water tank etc.
Installation and Ease of use
Evaporative coolers are still winning over air conditioners in this regard as most of them don’t require any installation while you need the services of an expert to install some air conditioners.
Both of them are easy to operate either directly through the panel or through remote control.
Evaporative cooler VS Air conditioner
To help you know the differences, advantages, and disadvantages over evaporative air coolers and air conditioners I will need to show you the comparison table. This comparison table will explain everything you need to know about evaporative cooler and an air conditioner.
| Evaporative Air Cooler | Air Conditioner |
| Best in hot, dry climates | Can work in any climate |
| Produce Fresh, clean air | Produce Recirculated air |
| Economical to operate | Cost more to operate |
| Low Power consumption | Consumes more energy to work |
| Low or Zero installation cost | Higher installation cost |
| Minimal maintenance required | Regular cleaning needed |
| Adds moisture to the air | Removes moisture from the air |
| Works in an open windows and doors | Works best in enclosed space |
| Quiet operation | Can be noisy when running |
| Very low CO2 emissions | Higher emissions |
Where to buy evaporative air coolers or swamp coolers
Are you in search of a high-quality swamp cooler that offers best performance cost effective?
We have some good news and recommendations for you, there are many market places you can buy swamp air coolers but I believe you are here because you want to know more about the different type of air coolers and expert recommendations to avoid making the wrong choice.
The good news is that we have listed some top brands and models with their key features, feel free to check it out below.
Moreover, if you want to head straight to an online shopping mall then Amazon is the best place to start your shopping.
What is a portable evaporative air cooler?
A portable evaporative air cooler is those coolers made portable enough to transfer anywhere and as well easy to fit in your living rooms and bedrooms, they are portable in design and highly effective.
Just as I have explained earlier, there are different types of air coolers in different size and capacities. However, to determine what you need, you must be sure of the size of your space and what works in your geographic location.
Many people choose to go for a portable evaporative air cooler also known as a swamp cooler because they are the best cost-effective temperature controlling system. They are affordable to buy and rarely require any maintenance or installations but always ready to go out-of-the-box. The only simply important task is to plug them in a socket, add water to the reservoir and you are good to go, simple right?
There is no much different here, but a Portable evaporative cooler is designed to cool your environment while evaporating water into the air. The air conditioning system helps to pull dry hot air and allow the air to pass through a moist cooling pad. The pad also is known as rigid cooling media help to absorbs water from the available water reservoir or pan that you’ll fill periodically
How to use evaporative air cooler
In as much as swamp or evaporative air coolers are easy to set and use, you might still need a helping hand or guide on how to use them. The good news is that most of the evaporative air coolers come with a detailed manual that guides you through the process.
As you already know swamp air coolers use water to work and in most case, you might be required to plug in your air conditioning system (evaporative air cooler) and add water to the reservoir. As air passes through and comes in contact with water, it absorbs it and turns it into damp air or humid air.
Moreover, it might not be necessary to go into full details since there are different types of evaporative air coolers. The best option is to read the user manual and understand how it functions and how to set it up.
Indoor evaporative air cooler
Specifically, an indoor swamp cooler also known as portable evaporative air cooler are those air conditioning system designed to work indoor, (Inside the building) it could be inside your living room, bedroom as long as it’s inside the building.
Can portable evaporative air cooler be as effective as an air conditioner?
The answer to this question is simply yes as long as you have the right evaporative coolers with the position at the right place though; there are few things you must consider before going for swamp coolers.
- Size and capacity: To determine the performance of air coolers you must ensure that you use the right size and capacity at the right place for optimum performance, some residential Portable air coolers work best in one bedroom or living room but will be less effective when used in big spaces.
- Proper air ventilation: It depends on the type of evaporative cooler that you have but generally, some of them might require some amount of ventilation to properly work and produce cool air that reduces the hot temperature. In most cases, you might need to leave your windows or door open for good inflow and outflow of the air.
- Maintenance: in as much as evaporative air coolers are cheap to buy and maintain, it’s necessary to always take appropriate measure to keep it in a healthy working condition. Basically, it’s important to clean your swamp cooler’s cooling media on a regular basis for optimal cooling performance.
What is the best evaporative air cooler?
There are different types of air coolers from different manufacturers that deliver a refined friendly air cooling system in our homes and offices. Some are looking for the best evaporative air cooler while best to some people simply refers to the most affordable coolers.
We have some big players; I mean well-known manufacturers and brands like:
- Honeywell CO48PM
When you want the best evaporative coolers always remember Honeywell which offers real value for money. However, the Honeywell CO48PM is one of the best commercial portable evaporative air coolers that can be used indoor and outdoor.
If all you want is to buy a reliable air cooler for home use or for your working place at an affordable price. I suggest you go for this attractive model that will surely meet your needs. It has the following specifications:
- Weight: 29.3 pounds
- Water Tank Capacity: 12.6 Gallons
- Default Fan Speed Settings: 3
- Max Room Coverage: 600 sq. ft.
- Estimated price range: $379.99 – $399.99
- Honeywell CO60PM
Honeywell is a well-known brand when it comes to portable indoor and outdoor evaporative air coolers offering varieties of air coolers to choose from. Honeywell CO60PM is among the list of the best with the following features.
This type of evaporative air cooler is best designed for commercial use on a space up to 850 square feet space. It can be used indoor and outdoor but specifically, this swamp air cooler is likely to perform great when the humidity level is around 60% or less.
- Weight: 41.5 pounds
- Default Fan Speed Settings: 3
- Max Room Coverage: 850 sq. ft.
- Sound Level at high speed: 65dB
- 3-in-1 Cooling, Humidification & Fan
- Cools like a fresh & powerful breeze flowing across a lake
- Weather resistant – for outdoor use
- Large 60 Litre/ 15.9 Gallon* water capacity
- Non-compressor system cools naturally, efficiently and
- Estimated price range: $489.99 – $549.99
There are many other Honeywell air cooler models but we are going to take a look at other brands like.
- Luma Comfort EC220W
This is one of the top-rated Indoor/Outdoor Evaporative Cooler that works without any compressor unlike air conditioners, but still able to keep your home and working places as cold as possible naturally without any form of harmful coolants or chemicals. Despite the low cost, Luma Comfort EC220W is able to maximize efficiency and keeps your apartment cold with a coverage area of up to 650 square feet and lots more.
Luma Comfort EC220W has some interesting benefits which include the following:
- Adds moisture to dry environments
- Has Air vents on 3 sides of the unit for more cooling
- Can be used in greenhouses and agricultural settings
- Connects to a standard garden hose
- Cools larger areas up to 650 sq. ft.
- Economical & eco-friendly means of cooling
- Powerful blower design
- Simple assembly with no tools required
- Uses high-efficiency cooling pads
- Uses much less electricity than an AC
- NewAir AF-1000W
NewAir AF-1000W is one of the best portable evaporative air coolers that promise to cover up to 300 square feet rooms while adding more beauty to any environment you kept it, In other words, there various air coolers that claim to work best but this NewAir AF-1000W is a portable air cooler you can trust.
Another great advantage is that it’s lightweight and portable to be moved from one place to the other. If what you want is to cool a small room then consider this eco-friendly option and forget air conditioners and other larger air coolers. I have the following key features.
- Weight: 23.4 pounds
- Water Tank Capacity: 5.3 Gallons
- Default Fan Speed Settings: 3
- Max Room Coverage: 300 sq. ft.
- Estimated price range: $119.99 – $250.99
- Hessaire MC37A
This list will not be complete without mentioning Hessaire MC37A which is not just a CFM air cooler but one of the most powerful air coolers you can get that has the capacity to cover up to 750 square feet space while consuming lesser energy compared to air conditioners.
With MC37A 2200 CFM air cooler you will surely take care of the summer heat both inside and outside your house or office. However, Hessaire MC37A uses evaporation to naturally cool down the air in a particular area or environment. Though, it’s not an air conditioner that operates with the help of chemical coolants and compressor. But only requires cold water or ice to evaporate and remove heat.
This air cooler is so powerful that it can generate close to 2,200 cubic feet every minute making use of only the water and little electricity as it doesn’t consume more energy but uses less electricity than a regular air conditioner that has a compressor. To protect its self and your household, it has built-in overheat protection that can turn the cooler off when there is a shortage of water. See the key features below.
- Weight: 44 pounds
- Water Tank Capacity: 10.3 Gallons
- Default Fan Speed Settings: 3
- Max Room Coverage: 750 sq. ft.
- Estimated price range: $311.99 – $470.99
- SPT SF-612R
If you are looking for a portable evaporative air cooler that can fit in your rooms, kitchen and even the garage then you have SPT SF-612R, A swamp air cooler designed to lower the temperature in medium-sized space up to 250 square feet. It has the capacity to cool spaces with a maximum size of about 250 square feet without the need for an air conditioner.
More reason why this swamp cooler might be the best choice is that it can help you lower your household’s electrical consumption bills while maintaining excellent performance. With this, you have the privilege to cool down the temperature in your room during the hot summer season. Above all, its portable and lightweight which makes it easier to move the swamp cooler from one location to the other.
SPT SF-612R comes with other interesting key features and functionalities you might be interested to know:
- Offers Low, medium and high cooling speeds.
- Has 10L water tank
- Equipped with Spot cooling at 476 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of airflow at max speed.
- Built with automatic swing louvers you can turn on or off.
- Comes with 4 smooth-rolling casters that don’t scratch the floor.
- Has easy to use LED Control Panel.
- Comes with 3D cooling pads that offer an additional and faster-cooling effect.
Let’s not waste much of our time listing best evaporative air coolers because there are many of them to choose from but before we end the list there some great air coolers you should check out.
- Honeywell CL30XC
- Luma Comfort EC111B
- Honeywell CS10XE
- Honeywell 500 CFM
- Frigidaire EC300W-FA
Helpful Resources:
Industrial Coolers Ultimate Guide of 2019
Clean an Evaporative Air Cooler in 3 Minutes
Evaporative Air Cooler Repair & Maintenance Guide
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