How Evaporative Coolers Work
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How Evaporative Coolers Work
Evaporative cooler technology has been around longer than central air conditioning and is considered to be just as good or better at cooling rooms and buildings in arid environments. Swamp coolers work by the same process that's used to cool the human body: perspiration. Our skin feels cooler when sweat evaporates. Similarly, the air feels cooler when warm outdoor air is pushed, by a large fan, through moist pads. Distribution lines supply water to the pads, which is re-circulated by a pump. The cooled air is blown into a room or building through a window unit or ducted evaporative cooling unit. Ducted units allow an entire building to be cooled.
Here are some facts about evaporative cooling:
- Central air is a closed system that does not allow fresh air into a building. Evaporative cooling requires outdoor air and open windows (or doors) to operate.
- Swamp coolers can use between 15 to 66 gallons of water per day, depending on unit size and heat.
- The hotter the air, the better swamp coolers work.
- Swamp coolers can lower temperatures by 20 degrees.
