Make the Air Colder in a Swamp Cooler Home

If you live in a dry climate, swamp coolers (a.k.a. evaporative coolers) are a great way to stay cool when the weather turns your home into an oven—and they are much less expensive than the typical hydro fluorocarbon-based air conditioner. Use these steps and tips to keep your home cool while using a swamp cooler.

Steps

Is A Swamp Cooler Right For You?

  1. Check the average humidity in your area. Evaporative coolers work best with very low relative humidity and hot temperatures. If the average humidity in your area is 40-50%, an evaporative cooler will not work properly.
  2. Check your water supply. Your swamp cooler will need a lot of water—as the name implies, it works by evaporation, so make sure you have plenty to go.
  3. Assess your house ventilation. Swamp coolers will increase the humidity in your home significantly, so you need to have very good ventilation. Homes built for evaporative coolers will have the ductwork in place, but for most retrofit installations, you'll want windows opened. I know, you grew up with your dad telling you "close the windows, we aren't cooling the neighborhood," but with swamp coolers that's exactly what you want to do!

How Much Swamp Cooler Do You Need?

  1. Calculate your CFM rating. Swamp coolers are rated by how much air the cooler can move, and is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM).
  2. Use this formula to calculate the CFM needed to cool your home:
    • Determine the area of the space you want to cool.
    • Multiply this figure by the height of your ceilings.
    • Divide that number by 2 (120 for European measurements).
    • The result is the CFM rating for the evaporative cooler you need.
    • For example: If you have a 1,500 square foot home with {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} ceilings:
      • 1,500 square feet x {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. ceilings = 12,000 ÷ 2 = 6,000 CFM.
      • You need a unit rated at 6,000 CFM or higher.
    • Example 2, in CMS (cubic meters per second): If you have a 140m2 home with 3m ceilings:
      • 140m2 x 3m ceiling = 420 ÷ 120 = {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}.
      • You need a unit rated at {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} or higher.

Install Your Swamp Cooler

  1. Purchase an evaporative cooler. Make sure that it's rated at least the minimum CFM (CMS) that meets your requirements.
  2. Set it up. Different types are installed different ways. Your dwelling may be pre-fitted for installation, and if so—install there.
    • Swamp coolers are most efficient on the roof: cool air sinks, after all. But there may be issues with placement, leakage, or supply that prevent that.
    • Consider portable evaporative coolers. They are also available in-wall or window-mounted.
    • Make sure you follow the manufacturers instructions completely to maximize the output of your swamp cooler.
  3. Create a "vent" to direct the cool air through the house. e.g. During the day open a window in the living room an inch or two and close the bedroom doors to cool the space you're using and cool less space. At night close the living room window and open one in each bedroom that will be used. Remember open the windows just a crack to direct air out without letting hot air in. Venting also prevents moisture build-up in your house will not only reduce the efficiency of the swamp cooler, it could also cause indoor humidity to run out of control and damage furniture, books, or musical instruments. This is because swamp coolers use moisture to cool the air. When there is too much moisture, the temperature won't change as much.
  4. Wait until it's 85°F (30°C) or higher outside. Believe it or not, swamp coolers operate the best when it's warmer. The evaporation mechanism is most efficient when there is a significant difference between the cooling pads, the water, and the air, and as long as the outdoor relative humidity is less than 30%.
  5. Clean the filter regularly. The water filter for the swamp cooler cleans out any impurities for maximum evaporation. When the filter is clogged, these impurities will get through and evaporation will slow, or stop altogether.
    • If that's not enough to motivate you, consider why the evaporative cooler bears the euphemistic name swamp cooler. Early units had a problem with algae growth, and the resultant odor would make an alligator feel right at home.

Tips

  • Maintain, maintain, maintain. While swamp coolers have become much easier to use, they do require some maintenance. Make sure everything is clean and working properly, especially before an expected heat wave.
  • Some swamp coolers use dump pumps to remove the impure water from the filtration system. You can recycle this water on plants or grass that can take water with a high saline concentration (salt is the primary impurity in water). If you have nothing that will take high-saline water, try diluting the mixture with more water.
  • By the same token, high-capacity coolers are more convenient since you won't need to replace the water as often.
  • Some suggest using a swamp cooler and an air conditioner in tandem. This is foolish if you are trying to conserve energy and help the environment. Instead, on really hot days, use the swamp cooler to cool down your house at night. Turn off the swamp cooler during the day, shut windows and blinds to keep the cool air in, and run your standard AC as needed to maintain a comfortable temperature.
  • High-capacity swamp coolers are not always the best. Look for coolers that are efficient and use low amounts of water. Also, it may be difficult to transport large quantities of water from the water source to the cooler.

Warnings

  • Do not operate a swamp cooler and air conditioner at the same time. They use two different processes, and are essentially performing opposite tasks. Cooling may occur, but it will put unnecessary load on your air conditioner which will make your electricity bill much higher than it needs to be.

Things You'll Need

  • Swamp cooler
  • Water
  • Electricity
  • Hot, dry days

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

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