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Maybe relocating to ABQ and have never heard of a swamp cooler up until now. Everywhere I have lived has had hot humid summers (midwest, southeast, etc.) and I grew up with central AC. I wanted to inquire about the pros and cons of renting/owing a place with a swamp cooler.
It depends on your tolerance for a few hot days if humidity rises or whether you have serious allergies. You leave your windows open a little with a swamp cooler so pollen or dust will come in. I moved here three years ago from Missouri and was skeptical but I love mine -- it works great and the cost is a fraction of AC. I turn mine on around 11 AM and back off at sunset at a little later. There are a couple maintenance tasks in the fall and spring because of the copper water line...you don't want it to freeze and split. That probably means getting up on the roof or hire someone to do it. It
Pro: Brings in lots of fresh air. Houses with swamp coolers (with clean pads) generally don't smell as stuffy as houses with conventional A/C
Con: Brings in pollen, smoke, or anything else that might be in the atmosphere. If you need to live in a hypoallergenic bubble, get refrigerated air. It is no worse than a window fan, though
Pro: Cheap and easy to maintain. If you know how to use a screwdriver and flip a switch, you can pretty much keep a swamp cooler alive and running ad infinitum. If you do need help, a neighbor or handyman can get your unit up and running for beans. And fast as they are simple machines.
Con: They are not as efficient at cooling as refrigerated air. Humidity and scorching temps limit the effectiveness. That said, I have one cooler in my house, on the roof, and 2,000 sq ft, and I have never had my inside temp go above 70 when the unit was running even on the rare 98 degree day with its 2 hours of post thunderstorm "high" humidity. Most of the time, my house is in the mid 60s. If you need to go cooler, get refrigerated air.
Pro: Cheap to run. It is a large fan and a large aquarium pump in a vented metal box. A bit of electricity (which is cheap in NM) and water, and voila, you are cool.
Con: To economize, you may want to schedule your cooling to take advantage of immediate conditions. If you have good insulation, run your cooler when outside is cool and dry and keep it off during the hot hours. This may actually be a pro.
Refrigerated air is always the best choice. However if you have a well-insulated house or a house with lots of shade coverage a swamp cooler can be OK. I found in my house which I converted after about 7 years with evaporative cooling, that it just wasn't sufficient in July and August especially between 3pm-9pm. However I had a townhome in Rio Rancho that had low sun exposure and shared walls and the swamp cooler was fine. Refrigerated air is also generally quieter and doesn't have to run as long for cooling. My current condo where I rent has refrigerated air and even in the hottest part of the year my electric bills are under $100. I'd say just rent a place you like and if it has refrigerated air that's preferable, but if not consider getting a window or portable refrigerated unit for the bedroom during July and August. Also due to our low humidity refrigerated air feels very good here even at 74-75 degrees, whereas in more humid environments it feels better around 72.
It seems that there is definitely a trend now to refrigerated air and most house buyers prefer a house with refrigerated air.
We had our house cooled by swamp cooler and it worked just fine in spring and fall, but July and August always felt uncomfortable. We converted to refrigerated and now have both a swamp cooler and air conditioning. Summers are now very easy to bear no matter how hot it gets.
I have central air, but can't stand the stuffiness of the non-fresh air in the house. I may have to try this. But I wonder if it will work in a high humidity state like south carolina.
I have central air, but can't stand the stuffiness of the non-fresh air in the house. I may have to try this. But I wonder if it will work in a high humidity state like south carolina.
It will most likely not work. (I only said "most likely not work" for those who say "it works for them"). A swamp cooler is basically a humidifier... That is how it works, it adds water vapor to low humidity air...
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 02-05-2017 at 10:48 AM..
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Pros and Cons of Swamp Cooler
