Why Buy an Evaporative Cooler?

1. Is there an easy way to summarize how I should choose my evaporative cooler?

Yes! Buy a little more cooling power than you think you need and know that an evaporative cooler will not cool as well as an air conditioner will in most situations. Order an evaporative cooler for spot-cooling in hot, dry areas. Order a portable air conditioner for cooling hot, muggy rooms or offices. Evaporative coolers are great for cooling garages and areas that are too large for a portable air conditioner to cool. For spot-cooling small areas we recommend the AF-320 or AF-330. For larger areas consider the Sumo-J or the MMB-10. For really large areas consider a Port-A-Cool Evaporative Cooler. Read on for more detailed information!

2. Need relief from that dry heat?

Evaporative cooling is an ancient, tried and true practice. The ancient Egyptians would soak cloth sacks and hang them from their doorways or windows. The warm air would pass through the water soaked cloth and would be cooled by means of evaporation as it entered the home. A technology that has worked for so long can be trusted.

Evaporative coolers work wonderfully for dry heat by using nature's evaporation process. Evaporative coolers work similarly to your body's natural response to heat. When you start to get too warm, your body begins to sweat. The sweat on your body evaporates and cools you down. An evaporative cooler takes this process a step further and applies a fan to evaporate the water more quickly!

3. What are the mechanics involved within a basic evaporative cooler?

An evaporative cooler has a water pump that picks up water and drips it over a cellulose or aspen pad. There is a fan or blower in the cooler that then blows air through the soaked pad. The fresh air will be pulled into the back of the unit, and by evaporation, will come out the front of the unit at a much cooler temperature.

4. How about the maintenance for evaporative coolers?

Maintenance is also very simple. You should clean out the water reservoir after every season to remove dust and dirt build-up. The pads should be cleaned once or twice during the season and replaced every three years. Should your unit start smelling musty, simply run a capful of vinegar through the evaporative cooler and the smell will be gone. Also, attempt to run the fan by itself after each use; this will dry out the pads and prevent mold or mildew.

5. Okay, which one should I pick?

Evaporative coolers work best in dry climates below 50 percent average humidity and above 80 degrees Farenheit. For example: with a temperature of 90° and humidity of 40 percent, you can reduce temperatures up to 17 degrees. There are some instances where a higher humidity can still be helped by an evaporative cooler. Warehouses, commercial kitchens, factories, confinement farms, construction sites, or where spot-evaporative cooling is needed.

Evaporative coolers are extremely efficient! With an evaporative cooler you will be using 1/10 the electricity you would with an air conditioner. The typical air conditioner uses 830 watts, whereas the typical evaporative cooler uses 85 watts! This is 10 percent less electricity! Now all you need to do is find the right size for you.