[Trash Can]

Originally Posted by Jukesgrrl

Even if you can lower the temperature in your home from 105 to 90 ... that's still too hot in my book.

Very true! We had a system in SoCal that worked very well as long as the the temps stayed below the mid 90s. Once it approached 100 and above, our home just wouldn't cool down enough, so we ended up running the AC anyway.

[winknod]

If you can't stand the heat...
Personally, I don't mind being hot and the desert heat is nothing compared to the hot MN summers of my childhood, humidity is a killer! AC units remove moisture from the air. I have a portable unit in NY now that shuts off when the water reservoir is full, I have to run a hose out the window to drain it so it will run overnight. Even then I leave it at 85 and only use it to cut the humidity at night.

I was in LV for 9 days in July working on the house with no AC, I used a fan at night to sleep... The only problems I felt was that I drank water non-stop and had to force myself to eat food. My house is shaded and there was a nice breeze with all the windows open, though the indoor thermometer read 105.

The climate was one of the things that motivated me to move to the SW. I guess once I start complaining about the heat, it's time to leave!

[yourbasicmom]

we have a central down draft swamp cooler that i absolutely love many months of the year. spring and fall times of the year it is just a super nice fan, blows out the house. when it starts to warm up, we turn on the water and we are cool for very little $$. then july comes. we shut off the swamp, close it up, and turn on the ac. i cannot beging to tell you how much i enjoy the swamp cooler and how comfortable it is for several months of the year when the temps stay under 100.

[winknod]

"Coolerado" has just come out with a line of closed system swamp coolers (don't raise the humidity) that have won numerous awards. The smallest unit (for a 1500 ft2 home) runs on 450W max, and 0 net water usage!

"Cooling capacity increases as outside temperature increases — not typical of other systems."

"The result, the Coolerado H-80 delivers a stunning near 80 percent energy-use savings and over 60 percent peak-demand reduction."

Popular Science product of the year award for 2009.

It costs about 50% more than a similar CAC unit, but will probably pay for itself in 2 years.
It cost less to run than 4 ceiling fans!

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by winknod

"Coolerado" has just come out with a line of closed system swamp coolers (don't raise the humidity) that have won numerous awards. The smallest unit (for a 1500 ft2 home) runs on 450W max, and 0 net water usage!

"Cooling capacity increases as outside temperature increases — not typical of other systems."

"The result, the Coolerado H-80 delivers a stunning near 80 percent energy-use savings and over 60 percent peak-demand reduction."

Popular Science product of the year award for 2009.

It costs about 50% more than a similar CAC unit, but will probably pay for itself in 2 years.
It cost less to run than 4 ceiling fans!

Don't get carried away...hybrid AC has been around for a while with a european unit. And it does not use zero water. That is a calculation they do by claiming a power savings that offsets the water usage.

I don't think I would really trust such a unit until they have been in operation for 10 years or so. I would worry about corrosion and mold build up and all of the things that bother a swamp cooler. It will certainly need maintenance at a much higher level than a conventional unit.

A generic question for the desert. Should evaporative coolers be used at all? Does not sound rational with a place that has a limited water supply.

[lyra33]

Originally Posted by winknod

I've been reading up on them (aka evaporative coolers), seems like a perfect low cost way to cool in Las Vegas.

Anyone use one? Thoughts?

I'm planning on buying a portable unit for up to 750 ft2 to try out.

My CAC is dead. If it works well I might replace it with a whole house swamp system. Cheaper to buy than CAC (2/3 the cost per unit) and cheaper to run...

I did not grow up in Vegas but I did grow up with a swamp cooler. They work great. We never had any issues with mold. The unit was on top of the roof so I'm not sure how it would work here. With the low humidity here you would think mold would not be an issue unless you have a leak.

[GreenScoutII]

I live in a similar hot and dry climate and use a swamper to cool 2000 sq ft of living space in my own home. I'm also a licensed plumber and have installed and repaired many evaporative coolers for others. I'll share a few thoughts I've had on the subject:

1. A central AC system will out perform an evaporative cooling system every time, hands down. BUT, a swamp cooler is a lot less money to buy, install, and operate and, under the right conditions, can drop the temperature in the house 20-25 degrees.

2. To get the best performance from the cooler, you must leave a couple of windows open to create a cross draft. This will also eliminate most of the mold concerns people mention. Also, concerning humidity, when the humidity in a given area is frequently less than 10% as it is here, I don't think adding some moisture into the house is a bad thing at all.

3. If it is possible to do so, mount your cooler in a shady spot or on the north side of the house. Usually the reason a swamper can't keep up is that it is mounted on a roof in the direct sun and the water just evaporates too quickly from the pads. I've seen and also experimented with a dual pump set up to deliver a greater volume of water to the pads, but have had mixed results. A guy can always use a garden hose to spray down the pads from the outside as well. This will help, but requires frequent repetition.

4. As far as noise, any swamper which uses a belt drive will be quieter than one that is a direct drive. Frequently smaller window mount units will be direct drive and there is typically no means of oiling the bearings as they are internal and permanently lubricated. This means you end up having to replace the whole motor when the bearings go bad.

5. Finally, the most important thing you can do is perform the required maintenance.

Use only aspen fiber pads and change them yearly

Oil the bearings and adjust belt tension every spring and re oil the bearings again half way through.

Keep the float valve in adjustment to avoid wasting water

Wrap the pump in a piece of window screen to keep stray fibers out of the distribution piping (spider).

In general, for those of us on a budget, a swamper will be adequate to cool your home to a tolerable level for a lot less money than AC. Just be prepared to mess with it more frequently.

[winknod]

Thanks GREENSCOUTII!
Finally an informed response! My current non-functioning CAC is located in a small side yard with no direct sun, so easy access for maintenance.

I really can't wrap my head around having to leave the windows and doors shut all the time like you do with CAC. Currently with no AC, I have a nice cross breeze and the house is shaded. Though the interior temp reaches 105, it doesn't seem that bad thought I drink water non-stop.

The zero net water does take in to consideration the water used to generate the electricity saved, but you can collect the run off from the swamp cool for irrigation, etc. I could run it into the pool to replace evaporated water.
My sister always plugs the tub when she takes a shower and then uses a bucket to flush the toilet with the excess. There is always some use for excess water.

[winknod]

Originally Posted by olecapt

Don't get carried away...hybrid AC has been around for a while with a european unit.
...
I don't think I would really trust such a unit until they have been in operation for 10 years or so.

Contradict much?

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by winknod

Contradict much?

Sorry - The european units have been troublesome. I would expect the same of the new unit...which appears to have a very limited history.

The problem is always the same. Anytime you have water available you have problems with corrosion and biology. Proper maintenance may make it workable but you need history to know that.

And again the use of water as a coolant in the desert may not be wise public policy.