Swamp Cooler Questions (fit in, how much, new home)
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I'm kind of surprised that this niche hasn't already been filled, i.e. that no one has designed a pre-swamp or post-swamp filter to eliminate pollens/allergens. We replace our furnace filter quarterly or semi-annually, and there's no reason I'm aware of that the same couldn't be done for evap. cooling. The specifics of the design would depend on the type of swamp cooler used, but my guess is this is something a good handyman could build. Probably the most obvious place to insert a filter would be where the damper usually goes for the winter.
I'm kind of surprised that this niche hasn't already been filled, i.e. that no one has designed a pre-swamp or post-swamp filter to eliminate pollens/allergens. We replace our furnace filter quarterly or semi-annually, and there's no reason I'm aware of that the same couldn't be done for evap. cooling. The specifics of the design would depend on the type of swamp cooler used, but my guess is this is something a good handyman could build. Probably the most obvious place to insert a filter would be where the damper usually goes for the winter.
Swamp coolers draw all their air from the outside with all its pollen and dust. To work efficiently it requires a large exchange of air volume. I'm guessing at the numbers, perhaps 3,000 to 5,000 Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM). You will find that a standard air filter might clog up frequently, perhaps daily...
We briefly had a vacuum cleaner with a cleanable HEPA filter and we took it back, it clogged too rapidly. There is a lot of fine dust floating around in New Mexico.
So the surface area of your Swamp cooler filter would have to be larger than the surface area of the pads in your cooler. They are pretty big to begin with.
Your furnace recycles your air and just reheats it. There is not a lot of fresh air being intentionally introduced into your house while in the heating mode, At least not intentionally.
A friend of mine in Arizona designed a system with refrigerated air and evaporative which can be manual switched via damper depending on the season.
But for those armchair engineers, if you feel there is a niche, go for it...
Rich
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 08-25-2012 at 07:07 AM..
Reason: Correct spelling
Since an open window is necessary when running a swamp cooler, you'll be letting in what the air conditioner keeps out (pollens). The air conditioner recirculates the same air, but a swamp cooler brings in new air from the outside.
If you are operating the swamp cooler properly, the open window should not be
letting in any outside air. It should all be coming in through the swamp cooler.
The idea is to maintain positive pressure inside the house, but keep it to a minimum.
I think that Poncho_NM is right that a swamp cooler would require a large air
filter to properly filter the air, but a mult-stage filter might be best ( using
a coarse filter upstream of the fine filter ).
I assume that the cooler pads would tend to trap some dust and pollen as it runs
into the wet surface, so it is better than just leaving the window open. Zoidberg
confirmed that in his post, so it is not just a simple transfer of air.
yukon: Did you use a swamp cooler during the last cooling season?
Zoidberg warned: And don't waste your money on a window A/C unit; they use
....................... twice the juice of central air units for the same cooling effect.
You *can* use a small window unit to keep your bedroom real cold if that is what
you require for a good night's sleep. If you are only cooling a hundred sq ft or so,
it doesn't cost 2x as much. It would cost 2x as much if you were using a bunch of
them to cool a whole house 24x7. Only for sleep would be a lot less, but still much
more than a dedicated window swamp cooler.
I like the swamp cooler, especially the fact that it adds indoor humidity. Unfortunately, my allergies are kicking into high right now whenever I turn on the darn thing, which is why I wondered if it was bringing small amounts of pollen into the house (symptoms considerably less in settings w/ A/C). Seems like our tree pollen season is longer this year than last year, but the cooler weather these next few days will help (won't have to use the SC, yay!). Poncho, I did try a search for swamp coolers but didn't find any threads that specifically addressed the issue of pollen and indoor air quality.
Swamp coolers bring in 100 percent outdoor air and vent air to the outside of your home through an open door or window. Ninety percent of the pollen and dust will be trapped in your pads, the rest enters your home. When you turn on unit without pump you help clean the pads by blowing pollen into your duct work. Air conditioning units are sealed to the outside and recycle air through your duct work and should maintain 2 inches of duct static, your swamp cooler staic pressure is about one and a half times higher than that. Most pollen that enters your home will lodge in your carpet and furniture and is most of your problem. Tile or wood floors and non-fabric furniture is recommended for people with allergy problems. When alergies are a serious problem, homes with swamp coolers can be retrofitted with refrigurated air. An average home with gas heat could cost between 4-5 thosand dollars, be weary if someone tells you it can be done cheaper. Also, the higher the SEER rating of an A/C, the more efficient. The cost will be more for a higher Seer unit and most times you will be better off with a lower SEER as the payback on energy savings could be 15 years. You must obtain permission from PNM as installing Refrig air will utilize more electric. The contractor will pull all necessary permits. Also check out the unit being installed. Some units are name brands (Carrier, Trane, York), and others are lesser models made by these same companies. Rheem (also the same as Ruud) is the biggest unit sold here. When someone first obtains their contractors license this is the brand they normally sell. Nothing wrong with this make, just compare apples to apples. Being the climate here is so dry the tonnage A/C you would need would be considerly less than in a humid climate where most of the A/C work is removing moisture. A typical 1600 sq ft home would need just a 2 ton A/C which would draw around 8 amps total of 240V. Being your A/C season is just 4-5 months you might consider just installing a couple of window A/C units. They use more energy, but are cheaper and easier to install. Trane has a good elctrostatic filter which has washable plates which can be installed with an A/C system. Also, infrared lights can be installed in your duct work to help kill mold and mildew in your duct work. A/C companies will clean your duct work, but when you see the price a good job of cleaning is, you could have half your duct work replaced. In a more humid climate with grass lawns most pollen is brought into homes from the bottom of shoes worn through home. Removing shoes before entering homes can also reduce pollen. As far as filters, they come in 1,2 and 4 inch thickness. I've seen some Home Depots carry 2 inch filters but they are expensive. Most HVAC supply houses will not sell retail, only wholesale to licensed contractors. Johnstone Supply will sell to the public and at about half of home Depot prices if you buy filters by the box (12). Once you are a regular custumer (new grilles, duct work, thermostats) you'll receive a better price.
> Unfortunately, my allergies are kicking into high right now whenever
> I turn on the darn thing, ...
One thing that just hit me is that whenever you first turn on the swamper, you kick up all the dust ( and pollen ) that has been sitting in the ductwork and are getting the pads "seated" in for another season of use.
I always liked the "fresh swamp cooler smell" of genuine shredded Aspen pads.
I wonder if your allergies would be as bad if you went out ( and up ? ) to the pads and soaked them with a garden hose really well. As for your ductwork, if you have such in your dwelling, vacuuming them out ( floor or ceiling ) would also be a really good idea. Feed in the vacuum hose as far as you can go and shake it all about ( do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around ).
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