A/C in Evergreen (Denver, Evans: home, live in, marketplace)

[Josseppie]

And if can afford a "mansion" up there you should go ahead and get a/c.

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

Forget the swamp cooler, that's so 1960's.

Gee, another ignorant statement from a resource hog. Evaporative cooling is far more energy efficient than mechanical air conditioning (typically uses about 1/3 of the energy), and works superbly in Colorado's low humidity environment--if the user knows the few simple rules to use it correctly. As to the OP's original question, there would few days that any type of cooling would be needed in Evergreen. Weatherbase climate figures show that Evergreen only has 51 cooling degrees days per year ( Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Evergreen, Colorado, United States of America ). Compare that to, say, Phoenix, with 4,192 cooling degree days--just a little difference.

PS--Unlike some who THINK they know everything about everything, I have had nearly 40 years experience with evaporative cooling in Colorado--including using it to cool 10,000+ sq. ft. agricultural buildings. My father, who had masters degrees in BOTH electrical and mechanical engineering, designed evaporative cooling systems for use in Colorado's arid environment. "Swamp cooling" is energy efficient and it works quite well in Colorado.

[steveco.]

Wow I feel so inferior posting on this forum with you....

[Katiana]

Really, jazz, what haven't you done?

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Really, jazz, what haven't you done?

I've lived a pretty full life, and done a lot of different things over the years--partly as a function of being very inquisitive and interested about a lot of stuff, and partly because living and working in rural Colorado (and Wyoming) requires one to be pretty "versatile" to make a living. I've also been blessed to have lines of work that have exposed me to a lot of different industries over the years. Life for me is never dull. I also do a lot of research, for both fun and as a critical part of my work--I probably read about 200 pages of stuff on an average day. These days, I spend more and more of my work time training other people.

And, truthfully, a lot of my experience is just from longevity--I starting working in summer jobs when I was 12, and have been at it ever since.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

I've lived a pretty full life, and done a lot of different things over the years--partly as a function of being very inquisitive and interested about a lot of stuff, and partly because living and working in rural Colorado (and Wyoming) requires one to be pretty "versatile" to make a living. I've also been blessed to have lines of work that have exposed me to a lot of different industries over the years. Life for me is never dull. I also do a lot of research, for both fun and as a critical part of my work--I probably read about 200 pages of stuff on an average day. These days, I spend more and more of my work time training other people.

And, truthfully, a lot of my experience is just from longevity--I starting working in summer jobs when I was 12, and have been at it ever since.

Fair enough!

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Gee, another ignorant statement from a resource hog. Evaporative cooling is far more energy efficient than mechanical air conditioning (typically uses about 1/3 of the energy), and works superbly in Colorado's low humidity environment--if the user knows the few simple rules to use it correctly. As to the OP's original question, there would few days that any type of cooling would be needed in Evergreen. Weatherbase climate figures show that Evergreen only has 51 cooling degrees days per year ( Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Evergreen, Colorado, United States of America ). Compare that to, say, Phoenix, with 4,192 cooling degree days--just a little difference.

PS--Unlike some who THINK they know everything about everything, I have had nearly 40 years experience with evaporative cooling in Colorado--including using it to cool 10,000+ sq. ft. agricultural buildings. My father, who had masters degrees in BOTH electrical and mechanical engineering, designed evaporative cooling systems for use in Colorado's arid environment. "Swamp cooling" is energy efficient and it works quite well in Colorado.

I was just stating my personal preference, I grew up in Colorado and we had a swamp cooler then we got a a/c unit and personally I like how the a/c unit cools the air, the cold crisp air versus the more humid air of a swamp cooler. I never said anything about cost, it does cost more but again I think the a/c unit is worth the extra cost. That is something that every person has to decide for themselves.

I guess that makes me a know it all?

[jazzlover]

The problem with mechanical air conditioning in an arid place like Colorado is that it takes already dry air and removes even more of the moisture from it. Admittedly, in a humid location (Midwest, South, etc.), that is actually an advantage of mechanical A/C, but not in Colorado. That is why a lot of people in Colorado who live in mechanical A/C-cooled environments frequently complain about dry sinuses, etc. Evaporative cooling, on the other hand, cools--as the name implies--by evaporating water into the air. That effectively raises the relatively humidity in a house from say 10-20% to 30-40% when using evaporative cooling. When people complain of excess humidity in an evaporative-cooled house, it almost always is because they do not have enough windows or other outlets open to vent air OUT of the house. Unlike mechanical A/C, which recirculates and re-cools the same (often stale) air over and over again, evaporative cooling relies on moving the air through the house and out, introducing "new" dry air into the cooler that evaporates water that cools the incoming air. An efficient, properly operated evaporative cooler--with adequate exhausting of air from the house--can easily drop the temperature of incoming air by 20-30° with typical 10-20% outside relative humidity in Colorado--more than enough cooling for all but the hottest days in Colorado. Another advantage of evaporative cooling is that stale, allergen-filled air is removed from the house--unlike mechanical A/C cooled houses. The cooling pads on an evaporative cooler have been shown to be fairly effective air filters, as well, actually removing a lot of outdoor allergens from the outside air that the cooler inducts into the house. Since the relative humidity is also higher inside the house (optimum being 30-40%), most people have less sinus issues, too. I have BAD, BAD allergies, and I do much better in an evaporative cooled structure than I do in a mechanically cooled one. One of Colorado's major, major climatic advantages is that evaporative cooling can be used so effectively here--an advantage that people with mechanical A/C essentially squander. One reason that mechanical A/C is even as common as it is in Colorado is because so many moron builders from out of state--who have no clue to how build for evaporative cooling--have relocated here to build houses. And, of course, because so many ignorant buyers from out of state--who also have no clue about the advantages of evaporative cooling--don't know any better and buy a house with mechanical A/C.

[Josseppie]

I see it as a personal preference issue with no right and wrong answer. Some people like swamp coolers more and some people like "mechanical" units more. Also, I would never say a person is "ignorant" if he happens to like the "mechanical" unit anymore then I would call someone ignorant who happens to like the swamp cooler more.

As far as health issues if its better for someone to use the swamp cooler then use it if on the other hand its better to use the "mechanical" unit use that one, always do what's best for your health if you can.

As a side not because of the 80 degree plus heat today in Pueblo my a/c unit is on right now!

[McGowdog]

Originally Posted by steveco.

Uh if you could afford some of the mansions up there be my guest. Some of the homes up there are insane.

True that. That's why I lived in an itty bitty home up there and could have bought it for 160 gr. It was 2 br with a little back yard, well water with cistern, natural gas, two ponds across the road, and a NICE view of Mt. Evans. I was just 160 gr short of making that investment.

Originally Posted by Kat

Really, jazz, what haven't you done?

I thought Jazz was gonna break out with a bar of...

I’ve smoked dope, chewed rope,
danced, French romanced, #$%ed,
farted, fought, shot the moon and
drove big trucks. I’ve been to
Janesville Maine, Spain, Spokane and
Fort Wayne, seen three world fairs,
been around the world twice, looked
danger in the face and seen goats bleep in the marketplace, but I ain’t never
seen no $#%# like the $#%# that goes on
around this place