Your A/C is vital on hot days. It’s also one of the biggest consumers of energy in your home. How do you keep your home comfortable in the summer without spending a fortune in cooling bills? One option may be to replace your A/C with a swamp cooler. Here’s a bit about how they work and the pros and cons of using one in your home.
How Swamp Coolers Work
The concept behind the swamp cooler is so simple, it’s been used to cool homes for thousands of years. Rather than using a compressor and refrigerant, the hot, outdoor air is simply passed through a wet membrane. As this happens, the water begins to evaporate, and the vapor mixes with the warm air, cooling it off. The air is then sent into your home, providing a nice, cool breeze.
Pros and Cons of Swamp Coolers
The biggest advantage of a swamp cooler is the cost. It’s cheaper to buy, cheaper to install, and has only about half the operating costs that a typical A/C has. They don’t make the air quite as cool, so they’re not as well-suited to extremely hot temperatures. In milder climates, though, a swamp cooler can be a great option.
The other issue with swamp coolers is humidity. Since it adds water vapor to the air, the system will be less effective in areas of high humidity. Instead of cooling the room, it just makes it feel muggy, raising the overall “feels like” temperature.
Finally, there’s the issue of air circulation. Unlike an A/C, which cycles and filters the same air through the system again and again, your swamp cooler is constantly bringing new air in from outside. Being that fresh, outdoor air is a great way to improve your indoor air quality, this can be a benefit. On the other hand, if your family suffers from allergies, it can mean more airborne particles in your home.
To learn more about whether a swamp cooler is right for you, contact us at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. Indianapolis trusts us for all its home comfort solutions.
