Surviving summer with a swamp cooler

[chaparrito]

Originally Posted by JAinAZ

Swamp coolers need large amounts of air exchange, so two windows just cracked isn't enough. I keep one window totally open when the cooler is on low and a window and a partial doorway open when it is on high. Right now, my cooler is still blowing cool even though it is raining outside.

It is important to turn the system to vent at night in order to lower the humidity in the house. As someone said above, turn it to cool earlier in the morning, before the house heats up. This way it will keep up with the rising heat outside.

I prefer swamp coolers to AC. You just have to learn the little tricks to make them efficient. They are MUCH better on the wallet, too. My electric bill only goes up approximately $20 in the summer time. Try that on AC!

Yep. Sometimes I think as I get older that I'd appreciate AC, but when I consider that my Arvin Mastercool costs about the same as two 100 watt light bulbs to run, well........

[jamies]

Check out "split system" AC units. They cost a couple of grand but are very energy efficient and don't require duct work.

[adventuregurl]

Thanks everyone, these were very good ideas - opening another window fully really helped, as did turning the cooler onto vent at night. Lately it's not too bad in here but maybe we're having a break from the humidity.

[JAinAZ]

Glad it helped.

[adventuregurl]

I must say that for the most part the swamp cooler is working pretty good, there was that bad spell at the beginning of the monsoon but after that I'm fine with it.