Anyone still use Evaporative cooling? (Phoenix, Tucson: sales, house, heat pump)

[kell490]

I installed one in 2007 been using it in the spring and fall. It's lot of maintenance and it's getting older thinking about getting rid of it since newer AC unit has higher SEER rating it will pull less power when it's cooler spring and fall season.

I can't stand hearing an AC unit running when it's 60F outside in the morning. That's where the evaporative cooler really makes a difference brings in cool air. I was thinking maybe I get a whole house fan in the attic just use that to move the cool air though the house open the windows when it's cooler. The evaporative cooler does control the dust better but not as well as an AC unit closed loop with a filter. I see lot of dust that makes it past the mastercool type pad.

[sunsick]

I have evap. Only been through 1 summer with it so far, moved into the place last year.

After doing the work to get the unit in good shape it worked awesome. Ran it until at least June before it stopped being effective and had to run the AC. Electric bills were nothing and it gets the house pretty dang cold. I love it.

Haven't noticed any obvious dust issues but I've been thinking about rigging up a pre-filter anyways.

[Pink Jazz]

I heard it is quite a bit more common in Tucson than Phoenix.

As for running the AC when it is 60 degrees outside, I would freeze, and I heard that might actually cause equipment damage since it could freeze up your coils since the unit isn't designed to cool in such low ambient temperatures. We are still running our furnace in the early morning.

However, as for hearing AC units running, you may be hearing a heat pump, which in heating mode is an AC unit running backwards. Many homes in the Valley are not equipped with natural gas service, and some even with natural gas service use heat pumps for heating, using gas only for water heating.

[kell490]

Originally Posted by Pink Jazz

I heard it is quite a bit more common in Tucson than Phoenix.

As for running the AC when it is 60 degrees outside, I would freeze, and I heard that might actually cause equipment damage since it could freeze up your coils since the unit isn't designed to cool in such low ambient temperatures. We are still running our furnace in the early morning.

However, as for hearing AC units running, you may be hearing a heat pump, which in heating mode is an AC unit running backwards. Many homes in the Valley are not equipped with natural gas service, and some even with natural gas service use heat pumps for heating, using gas only for water heating.

In the spring it warms up to 85-90 in the late afternoon early morning it's 60F. Run the AC just leave it on go to bed set it to 74F. In the morning it's 74F inside because of things running in the house all the windows are closed up. Outside it's 60-65F this is when you find inside is warmer the AC is turned on outside is cooler.

[grmi66]

Originally Posted by Pink Jazz

I heard it is quite a bit more common in Tucson than Phoenix.

I live in Tucson now and when looking at older homes (anything pre-1975) most had or did have evap coolers. Which meant looking to see if they changed the duct work when they upgraded to A/C.

Right down the street from where I work is the company that makes evap cooler pads. Stopped in there on a sales call and they have pictures on the wall when they were at peak capacity in the 1950's. Had 30+ employees, a small fleet and the proud owner standing in the middle of the picture. Now it's run by two people year round and a few temp laborers in the spring to build the pads.

[Pink Jazz]

Originally Posted by kell490

In the spring it warms up to 85-90 in the late afternoon early morning it's 60F. Run the AC just leave it on go to bed set it to 74F. In the morning it's 74F inside because of things running in the house all the windows are closed up. Outside it's 60-65F this is when you find inside is warmer the AC is turned on outside is cooler.

On average, we don't use our AC until April. Earliest we have used it was late March.

[maverick974]

I absolutely love my "swampy".
My place is around 2900sf with huge vaulted ceilings. Lots of cubic footage to cool. It's an older house and running the A\C costs a small fortune. The swampy cools this place for a little over a dollar a day even on the hottest of days. It adds moisture in the house and I love being able to leave open doors and windows and bring in some fresh air.

[kell490]

Got my evaporative cooler running today after replacing the pad and doing a good cleaning. We had been running our AC outside it would be 70 degrees inside it would be 80 degrees from all the computers and electronics. Even with the windows all open we couldn't get enough air though the house to cool it. All my neighbors running their AC units all night.

Doesn't feel swampy in here this time of year it was 90F outside 72F inside with the evap cooler running.

[sunsick]

All month I've been running mine early in the morning on the vent setting(no water pumping) to force that nice cool outside air through the house. Gets it down to 70 degrees or so then I close up the house and go to work all day.

Even on the warmest days it only got to 79 inside by the time I'm home. I'll run it with the water and it knocks the temps down until after sunset. Then I turn it off and go to sleep.

Last weekend I installed a bleed off kit and ran drip lines to some plants. Hopefully this will help minimize scale build up.

I just need to go up on the roof one last time and tape off the panel seams.

Evap coolers rule

[kell490]

I added a purge pump the thermostat has wires for it just add a 2nd receptacle inside the cooler than any cooler pump will work. I ran a PVC pipe off the roof down my patio cover toward the side of the house where can't see it at the end short hose runs on to the lawn. Hose runs on the lawn I remove the hose when not using the cooler in winter. It purges the water every 6 hours.