Swamp Cooler Operation (Las Cruces: apartment, homes, college)

[sjbasin]

Originally Posted by highdesertmutz

Is that a thermostat or is it one of those things that turns it on/off according to humidity? am asking because we're thinking of buying a swamp cooler, that is if they're more efficient than regular a/c.

Keep in mind that swamp coolers work by evaporation, so as the humidity rises they become less effective. Above a certain point they're simply blowing air around as the actual heat exchange is not enough to make it feel cooler. On a 90F day with 15% relative humidity you can't beat a swamp cooler. On an 80F day with 45% relative humidity you just have to break out the fan and sit on the porch with a mint julep, as it's not going to do much.

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by highdesertmutz

am asking because we're thinking of buying a swamp cooler, that is if they're more efficient than regular a/c.

Swamp coolers are less expensive to buy and operate.

We converted to Central A?C last year...


Rich

[highdesertmutz]

Originally Posted by _yb

I would bet it cost me 20% or less to run my cooler than it would cost to run refrigerated air. I will DM you more info.

TY, maybe you can help me save some $$$.

[JDTH]

My water bill goes up a little, but my electric bill stays way down. 20% is a good estimate. We save about 80%. I run mine for as long as possible, but when the monsoon comes I have no choice but to put on the A/C. It runs pretty much non-stop for three months straight.

[uggabugga]

swamp coolers are fantastic in environments where they work well, and they do work well in NM.
for as far back as i can remember, the only a/c my family had was an old monkey-wards window unit that my dad and i would shove up into my parents' bedroom window around fathers day every summer and pulled back out sometime in september. man, that thing would freeze you right out of the room.
the rest of the year it sat on the ground and got blasted by the sun. pretty amazing that it worked so well for so long.

[clairz]

We haven't had any a/c on yet and are quite comfortable. Overhangs that shade the windows, ceiling fans, and cool tile floors make the difference in this house. If we feel a little warm we just walk around barefoot and the floors cool us right off.

The electricity bill is going down, down, down. Hope I'm not speaking too soon, don't want to break the spell...

~clairz

[Merlander]

clairz, you might also consider coating your roof with a white or tan elastomeric coating, to reduce heat absorption. Another option might be to use a dehumidifier along with the swamp, when it gets hotter. Of course that would use more electricity, at which point you might as well get AC.

[rybert]

Or you could raid your local shoe store for all their silica packets.

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by Tim Rankin

Another option might be to use a dehumidifier along with the swamp, when it gets hotter.

A swamp cooler creates humidity by adding water to the air. A dehumidifier does the opposite.

I would like to see evidence that this does anything other than blow air around and waste energy. It could be hot air, or it could be cold air.



Rich

[Merlander]

Originally Posted by rybert

Or you could raid your local shoe store for all their silica packets.

That one made me laugh out loud, Rybert.