# Evaporative Cooling?



## Flash (Jun 28, 2010)

Anybody use/know about evaporative cooling units?  What kind of job do they do? 
 How long do the pads last? 
 Pro/Cons


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## The Big Z (Jun 28, 2010)

Evaporator Coolers "Swamp Coolers" are more prevelent in the dry climates.  Living in Las Vegas for 20 years, I always had a couple going through the summer months.  They did a great job.  I would replace the pads every spring, oil the motor, clean out the cooler, check the pump and check all pumbling.  This took about 2 hours every spring.

In the desert it is very effective.  Here in Georgia with high humidity, I dont think that it would help very much.

My kids would freeze everytime they got out of the water when we went to the pool in Las Vegas.  With 110 - 120 degree temps in Vegas the water would evaporate immediately when they got out.  Here, they can get in and out all day with no problem.

I would think that on low humidity days that it would work.  Remember though that you are putting alot of moisture into your home.


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## Flash (Jun 28, 2010)

I wondered how it would do with our humidity. 

 It's not for a house, need to cool a metal building.


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## fireman401 (Jun 28, 2010)

You will get a 15 to 20 degree drop.  Takes a lot of air flow to spread the temp difference across a large area.  The Pottery Barn up in Commerce used them to cool the buildings if I remember right.  Go visit a greenhouse and see what you think.  Many of the local high school Ag Ed departments have them.


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## Pat Tria (Jun 28, 2010)

I totally agree with The Big Z. I lived in Tuscon for 5 years and they were certainly an inexpensive way to cool. Don't expect to create a real comfort zone in a metal building in Georgia.  Air flow is the key to swamp coolers. You must keep windows and doors open while the unit is running and the air is saturated with moisture as all of the air passes across a water wall. I would be concerned with the building and equipment corroding as a result of the moisture in the air. The only places I see these in use are at the local dry cleaners. Check out a few in your area and get feed back from the folks who work at those locations.


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## gunny542 (Jun 28, 2010)

We used these things in NC and they did a good job


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## shakey gizzard (Jun 28, 2010)

That is how chicken houses are cooled here in Ga. Trickel tube above a pad, sitting in a trough with exhaust fan blowing out. Cool cell! Dont forget antibacterial solution.


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## Flash (Jul 9, 2010)

shakey gizzard said:


> That is how chicken houses are cooled here in Ga. Trickel tube above a pad, sitting in a trough with exhaust fan blowing out. Cool cell! Dont forget antibacterial solution.



Can you buy the pad material to make our own on a smaller scale? I have some ideas I want to try.


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## shakey gizzard (Jul 10, 2010)

Flash said:


> Can you buy the pad material to make our own on a smaller scale? I have some ideas I want to try.



You can cut them dowm. Whats your idea?


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## tdw3684 (Jul 10, 2010)

Check out the giant man cooling fans from Macroair or BigAss fan company.  These fans can move hundreds of thousand cfm and make warehouses and livestock paddocks comfortable.


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## Flash (Jul 10, 2010)

tdw3684 said:


> Check out the giant man cooling fans from Macroair or BigAss fan company.  These fans can move hundreds of thousand cfm and make warehouses and livestock paddocks comfortable.


     It's limited space so I don't want a large fan. We have multiple small fans that move enough air. 



shakey gizzard said:


> You can cut them dowm. Whats your idea?



 If I told you I'd have to....      I did a search on home made air conditioner and thought about trying that (tubing on a fan) and/or a mini version of the cool cell principle with a mod.


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## HALOJmpr (Jul 10, 2010)

Instead of the full scale you can go with a PortaCool version.  Made to be portable on wheels so you can move it around the shop to where you're working.  They sell them at some TSC's.


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