Looking for a way to beat the heat? If you do not have a central air conditioning system in your home — or if you do but are researching more environmentally friendly or affordable options — you might be wondering if evaporative air coolers are right for you.
The answer is … it depends.
Understanding how evaporative coolers work is a crucial part of figuring out if one will work well in your home. If you are new to evaporative cooling, there is a lot to learn. Here is everything you need to know about how evaporative coolers work — and how to decide if you should invest in one.
What Are Evaporative Coolers?
An evaporative air cooler is a type of air conditioner that works by harnessing the power of evaporation to cool air temperatures. When water evaporates, it turns from liquid to gas. As it does so, the highest-energy particles leave the water first, and this leads to a drop in temperature. This is why a moist cloth on your forehead feels good on a hot day — it is actually helping to lower your head temperature as the water evaporates.
The same scientific principles apply to the evaporative cooling process when it comes to your home air. In a dry environment, the simple process of evaporation can help lower the temperature of the air. You may have felt this for yourself if you have ever misted the air around you to feel cooler on a hot summer day. An evaporative air conditioner uses the same idea, but it adds technology to make the process more efficient — and less messy — than just spraying a room with water and hoping for the best.
How do Evaporative Coolers Work?
An evaporative cooling system takes basic evaporation and automates it to efficiently lower the temperature of the air in your home. In general, the machine will consist of a fan, a thick pad, a water reservoir and some additional controls for fine-tuning the results. The fan draws dry, hot air into the machine and across the cooler pads. These thick pads absorb water from the reservoir and have many layers to increase the surface area. As the hot air crosses the pad, the water molecules on the surface evaporate, which causes the air temperature inside the electric air cooler to drop — often by as much as 20 degrees. The fan then blows that cold air into your room, where you can enjoy the chill on a hot day.
Evaporative coolers can have other useful parts built into them as well. Many utilize air filters and pads that are designed to improve air quality by reducing allergens and minimizing mildew growth — an important consideration for anyone with allergies or other respiratory concerns. A water pump, while not strictly necessary, can streamline the absorption into the cooling pad. Some models offer the option of adding an ice pack to further cool the air the fan blows out into the room. Varying fan speeds, oscillating functions and remote control are also useful features.
A portable air cooler is a great way to see if evaporative cooling will work in your home without making a big investment upfront. Portable coolers come with wheels to easily move them from room to room for a little extra chilling exactly where you need it. You can also use these outside as long as you can reach an outlet to plug them in. This makes portable evaporative coolers welcome accessories to a picnic, pool party or any other outdoor gathering where people would appreciate a cool breeze. They still work best in dry places, but you won’t have to worry about any special venting (as with portable air conditioners) or humidity build-up (as with indoor evaporative cooler use). If you’re interested in experimenting to see what evaporative coolers are all about, a portable version is a fine way to get started.
