An Overview Of Swamp Coolers: What They Are And How They Function

Swamp coolers are an eco-friendly and cost-effective way to reduce temperature and add moisture to the air. Swamp coolers use the natural process of cooling your area by using evaporation. They are more efficient than traditional fans and don't have the environmental and financial costs associated with air conditioning systems.

Where Did Swamp Coolers Originate?

The idea of harnessing evaporation, which is the conversion of liquid into the water, dates back to ancient civilizations. A device called a windcatcher directed wind across a water channel known as a Qanat, which was used to cool their homes. People who used fans to circulate cool and humid air in recent years slept outdoors or on porches.

Therefore, Why Are They Known As "Swamp Coolers"?

It is possible that you are wondering where the term "swamp cooler" came from. Aspen pads were used in the early day's mechanical evaporative coolers to absorb water and harness the cooling power of evaporation. Unfortunately, this led to a musty, moldy smell that was reminiscent of a swamp. Evaporative coolers are now much more advanced than wooden cooling pads.

How Exactly Do They Operate?

Evaporative air conditioners work through the evaporation process, as previously mentioned. Imagine yourself standing outside on a hot July day, sweaty and thirsty for a refreshing drink. Imagine yourself standing in front of a fan as the breeze cools you down and evaporates your sweat.

This is possible, but how? Evaporation is a process that uses heat energy to create a mixture of water and air molecules. The heat is then lost, leaving behind cold, humid air. Evaporative cooling occurs naturally around waterfalls and lakes. When dry air passes through water, it absorbs a part of the water and becomes moist, cold, and humid.

Evaporative coolers mimic this effect by using a fan, water tank, and pump to draw dry air through a cool cooling medium. This cool medium absorbs and retains water from the reservoir. These media (or swamp cooler pad) are usually made of corrugated sheets of cellulose that have been chemically treated and bonded together to prevent rotting. The fan blows cool air through the media. Evaporation converts water into water vapor. Honeycomb cooling media is used in Honeywell Evaporative Air Coolers. This allows for greater cooling efficiency due to its increased surface area. This promotes humidity transfer into the moving air.

Evaporative cooling is a process that causes the air to retain more moisture than normal airflow. Don't be alarmed if you get soaked by the extra moisture. It is not blasted out in a mist but instead increases the humidity level. The relative humidity and temperature of the air entering the cooler determine the temperature of the emitted air. This means that the temperature drop in hotter or dryer climates will be greater than in cooler, humid areas.

You should open a window or door to allow cool air to circulate indoors. Excess humidity can make indoor spaces feel damp. Ventilation helps to keep them from becoming damp.