Ten Things to Know About Evaporative Cooling

Evaporative coolers (also known as swamp coolers) can lower the temperature of outdoor air by as much as 30 degrees. Evaporative technology cools without the hassle or high costs of central air conditioning, but there are some things to know know before you buy:

1. Evaporative coolers cost half the price of air conditioners that cool the same size area.
2. Some municipalities and government entities offer rebates for use of evaporative coolers.
3. An evaporative cooler requires a constant supply of water and a 120-volt power supply to operate.
4. No Freon is required in evaporative cooling.
5. Swamp coolers create a complete air change every one to three minutes.
6. To cool a small space, a small cooler can be used in a window.
7. Evaporative coolers don’t need as much ductwork as a central air conditioning unit requires. Also, they can be used with existing A/C ductwork.
8. Evaporative cooling works best in dry climates.
9. At 50 percent humidity, evaporative coolers lower air temperature by 10 degrees. At 10 percent humidity, air temperatures drop between 20 and 30 degrees.
10. Evaporative coolers work best during the hottest part of the day, unless humidity is high.