We all want our homes to be cool enough in summer so that we can stay happy and relaxed throughout summer inside our homes. Basic fans for additional air movement are inexpensive, but they will only get you so far. You have two options for getting cool air on extremely hot days: a portable air conditioner or an evaporative air cooler.
There are many commercial evaporative coolers available today that can save you a lot of money in bills. Each has advantages and disadvantages, and you’ll need to know how they function to figure out which is best for you.
Air Conditioners vs Evaporative Coolers
Traditional air conditioners and evaporative cooling systems, also known as “swamp coolers,” are the two principal cooling methods.
AC systems cool the interior of a home, workplace, or workstation by removing the warm air and replacing it with drier, cooler air. The air conditioner circulates a chemical refrigerant via a series of tubes or coils to create a “loop” that connects the inside of the building to the outside. The refrigerant absorbs heat from within and releases it to the outside.
All air conditioning systems are “closed systems,” which means that the doors and windows must be shut for the system to work effectively. Air conditioners keep you cool in any weather, but they need a lot of electricity to do it.
Instead of employing chemical refrigeration, evaporative cooling systems use the natural process of water evaporation to cool. Evaporating coolers provide their cooling effect by circulating water and using a fan.
Evaporating coolers increase humidity in the cooled area during the process. As a result, while the interior airflow is being cooled and humidified, a few windows must be left open to allow an influx of dry, fresh outside air. In humid areas like those found in the Eastern United States and along the Southeastern coast, an evaporating cooler is ineffective.
What exactly are portable evaporative coolers, and how do they function?
Portable evaporative coolers are small, wheeled units that may be moved from room to room or even outside onto a deck if there is power. Portable devices, unlike built-in systems, are meant to chill a single room or a single person rather than a whole house.
They function similarly to built-in units. Warm outside air is drawn into the unit via an internal fan. Wet filter pads are inside the unit, and as warm air travels over them, the water evaporates. This produces humidified, chilled air, which is subsequently blasted into your room. When utilizing a portable evaporative cooler indoors, leave a window open to avoid condensation, just as you would with a built-in system.
How much does it cost to buy and operate them?
Portable evaporative coolers are reasonably priced, ranging from under $100 to over $600.
They are incredibly inexpensive to run, costing between three and seven cents per hour for power and less than one cent per hour for water. Make sure you have enough water because portable units need to be topped up with water at a rate of one to four liters each hour.
Are Evaporative Coolers Cheaper Than Air Conditioning?
Evaporative coolers are less expensive than air conditioning.
The cost of buying and installing coolers or air conditioners varies depending on the size of the space to be cooled and the geography of the country.
A roof-mounted cooler for a 1,500-square-foot home can cost anywhere between $500 and $1,500, with installation ranging from $700 to $1,000. A portable chiller can cost anything from $100 to $1,500.
For a 1,500-square-foot home, an air conditioner will cost $1,500 to $2,000, with installation charges ranging from $2,000 to $5,000. A small portable air conditioner costs between $200 and $700, while a window unit costs between $300 and $700.