Swamp Coolers Vs Air Conditioning (houses, contractor, inspector)

[mwelker22]

Can you all please give me some advice on swamp coolers. Seems like most houses have them. Im coming from Arizona where they work about 3 weeks out of the year. Can you really get through the summer with only a swamp cooler. Any advice would be great.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Yes! If your house is properly insulated. Our summer humidity rarely gets above 20%. I added some more blown in insulation to my attic last year and it made a difference in my comfort both in summer and winter. The inspector had said I had the equivalent of R-38 but I was having some work done and the contractor said it would only cost about $600. A good deal - my bills are lower.

Use the "search htis forum" tool to search on swamp cooler. We had a discussion about them last Spring, I think.

[mwelker22]

So it only cost u about 600$ for the spray insulation then?

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Yes. I put it in the attic, which covers about 1000 sq ft (2-story house).

[dreameyes]

Personally I would never give up my a/c. I have spent time in many houses in the summer with only a swamp cooler (and I'm sure they were well insulated) and I was dying. I am not a hot person either but especially at night I would melt without my a/c. I'm sure another big factor is the size of your house.

[alexei27]

I wholeheartedly agree with southern. Swamp coolers are fantastic. But they do require a little more maintenance. You also have to remember that it is a big box with water in it up there on your roof. It needs to be sealed and kept clean (the water in Utah is nasty...lots of calcium deposits!)

If you do it right however...you will have hundreds of dollars a year in electricity. You will use more water.

There are a few weeks a year (monsoon)...when its nice to have an AC. Maybe you could get a window unit or two to supplement.

Good luck!!

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

I carry some personal insulation on me (i.e., fat) and I feel the heat. I used to use a window unit 4-5 nights per year until I added the extra insulation, don't need it now. My swamper is on the roof in the middle of a square house. As I posted earlier, it's about 1000 sq ft. The basement level stays cool all year with no problems. Depending on the size and layout of the house a swamper may or may not be efficient. My house is a 1921 bungalow with plaster walls, which are good insulation also.

[DP525]

As part of my personal green movement, I will be installing a small window-mount swamper next spring. My covenants won't allow a roof-mount. I have central A/C that I can use when needed but I anticipate the swamper will lower my power bills by at least half. My house is already a low water usage design, so the few gallons I use in the swamp cooler will be minor. Another benefit of the swamp cooler is it acts like a whole house fan. At night after it cools down, you can run it without water to force cool outside air into the house. I also like the increased humidity it adds to the interior of the house.

[DP525]

Originally Posted by mwelker22

Can you all please give me some advice on swamp coolers. Seems like most houses have them. Im coming from Arizona where they work about 3 weeks out of the year. Can you really get through the summer with only a swamp cooler. Any advice would be great.

Mostly only older homes will have them. I just read a story about power consumption in Salt Lake and it said in the early 1990's, 20% of houses were cooled by A/C and 80% by swamp coolers. Today that trend has reversed.

[Tim Tim Tim]

wow I guess I will have to make sure that the house I Get has an a/c.. living in fl my whole life I forgot some places dont have central AC.. crazy people lol