Swamp Coolers vs. Refrigerated Air (Albuquerque, Hope: lenders, cost, garden)

[Zoidberg]

Since we live in an area with little to no snow load, a pitched roof is often a very gentle 3/12 or similar pitch, which I wouldn't recommend breakdancing on, but is easy enough to keep your footing for repair work.

Also, since a swamp is just a huge mostly-empty metal box with removable sides, getting in there to adjust the float, pads, belt, or tubing is very straightforward.

[JDTH]

I live in Arizona and use my swamp cooler as much as possible. In June the dew point and temperature started to rise making the use of A/C pretty much mandatory.

I just received my June electric bill ($297). That hurts some, but the temperature stayed below 110 all the time. They are forecasting 116 by Saturday. I could be looking at a $400 electric bill the next 2 months. Ouch!! A/C unit is probably more than 20 years old and we are cooling over 2600 sq. ft.

Might be time to replace the A/C unit.

[_yb]

The breezaire is working great even when the humidity is up. The thremostat reads 70 degrees and the last bill was 62 bucks.

[JDTH]

I hate you, but I am happy for you! No I don't really hate you, just try to understand where I am coming from. Yes I did decide to live here on my own. I love it most of the time but as I get older I guess I am less tolerant of the heat. Spending the summer in Ruidoso is looking better and better.

[_yb]

Originally Posted by JDTH

I hate you, but I am happy for you! No I don't really hate you, just try to understand where I am coming from. Yes I did decide to live here on my own. I love it most of the time but as I get older I guess I am less tolerant of the heat. Spending the summer in Ruidoso is looking better and better.

I know were your coming from. When I worked at the nuke plant I lived out in Buckeye. We had both swamp and A/C system. Most times we only fired up the swamper very early in the spring or very late in the fall. Between keeping cool and maintaining the pool the utility bill was mostly over 400 bucks a month.
I never had to have any cooler when I lived in Rui. I would rather be in Rui this time of year even more with the moisture they have been getting. I still like Maricopa county in the fall or winter though.

[ABQConvict]

People think I'm crazy because I have not turned on my swamp cooler yet. In fact, I am attempting to go the whole summer without it. Of course it needs an overhaul, so that helps (if it would work at the flip of a switch I would've turned it on weeks ago) but so far I'm surviving with only fans to move air from outside to inside when the outside temp is lower than inside.

Anyone else tough (crazy) enough to survive an Albuquerque summer without A/C?


ABQConvict

[Mike Horrell]

We've probably used the swamp coolers (plural) 5 times so far this year;
usually when we come home beat and literally want to chill out. Most of the
time ceiling fans do the job but I'm not going to swelter over principle..

[ABQConvict]

I'm doing it only partly out of principle (our ancestors didn't need it) but also to push myself. I do a lot of things the hard way just to prove to myself that I can. Once I decided to walk from D.C. to New York instead of taking the train. I had a lot of free time. :-)


ABQConvict

[Mike Horrell]

Originally Posted by ABQConvict

Once I decided to walk from D.C. to New York instead of taking the train. I had a lot of free time. :-)
ABQConvict

Bet you still beat Amtrak

[Esoterica]

Originally Posted by norm

If we buy a house with a swamp cooler:

1. If we want a/c can a swamp cooler be converted or does it have to be taken out and replaced with central air?

2. Would we do just a well by keeping the swamp cooler and putting an a/c unit in our bedroom?

Okay, I'm a professional on this question. I moved to Belen, NM from Miami. Miami is hotter than hell. Ran refrigerated air 24/7 for the low low price of $300 a month for 1 bedroom apt.

Moved to Belen, NM.. run swamp cooler 24/7 in the summer for $30 a month.

I am not a nice person when hot, and I sometimes have to turn OFF the cooler in the summer for a few hours as it gets so cold.

Here is the trick for swamp coolers according to me:

-Been in friend's house w/ swamp cooler located in a wall. They have the size "recommended" for their size house and it's hot as hell in there all the time.

-My house- Cooler sits on top of house... no duct work as house is small... the landlord bought a size LARGER than recommended for this little house and it ROCKS!!!!

Make sure your cooler is a size larger than what you need and you've got it made. Also, sits on top of house and either has duct work for a larger home or you can have two coolers that sit on the roof at each end of the house w/o duct work.

Now, if you MUST have it freezing to be comfy in your bedroom. Shut your bedroom door and add a window unit small air conditioner.

That solves your problem and you'll save a LOT of money.

I LOVE Swamp Coolers!!!!!!