How to Tune up Your Evap Cooler

Using an evaporative cooler was at one time, a great way to save money on energy bills. Today, evap cooling is still a good way to cool your home and enjoy fresh air, however A/C units with a SEER rating of 12 or higher are extremely efficient and seem to have come close to closing the efficiency gap between these two types of systems. Evap coolers cool space through the evaporation of water. The unit draws hot air through wet pads which cools the air and then blows air into the home. Evap coolers create constant air movement which makes people feel cooler. The evap cooler houses evaporative pads, a blower and blower motor, water lines, a float to regulate the water level and a water re-circulating pump. Once the dew point reaches 50 degrees or more, an evaporative cooler is not very efficient. Here is a great tip to remember; Rule 140. If the temperature plus the dew point equals 140 or more, then do not expect much out of your evap cooler. Here are some tips to make sure to achieve maximum efficiency from your unit during the time of year when it must work the hardest for you.