Cooling with a "swamp cooler"?
Question:We live in the high desert of Calif. where summer temps. are 110 or greater. Humidity is relatively low. Our only source of cooling is an evaporative (swamp) cooler. I've heard that it's best to leave a window open to help cool the house when using and evaporative cooler. Is this true? Will it affect the power bill?
Answers:
Yes, you need to have airflow when using a swamp cooler. You want to establish air flow that incorporates as much of the house as possible. If you have a ducted rooftop unit, that has already been addressed and you only need to have airflow through the rooms you want cooled. The windows do not have to be all the way open. If you have a window unit, you want air to circulate to the farthest point from the cooler.
I live in Brawley ( near the mex) and i used a Swamp Cooler before and basically its better if you leave the windows closed because its not a A/C you will need all the cool air you can get . So try it for a month with the windows closed then If you feel muggy try it and see if there is a difference in the air, your bill etc. JUst please make sure you change or wash the cooler pads because the can get mold on them.
I too have a swamp cooler. Yes, you need to have windows open. There is an amount of square feet your cooler is powered to cool, in order for it to work properly, the air has to have somewhere to go. My cooler is fairly large and can cool the whole house (not as well as I would like)...each room should have a window open at least 1 - 2inches wide. It will not affect your bill. That is how it works. It is much different than a central air conditioner..and a whole lot cheaper.
Our California heat is not as much fun as other people think it is. The last few days have been miserable!!
Cooling with an evap. cooler is the reverse of a whole house fan, however, both require the movement of air and are most efficient when the air they are moving is replaced proportionately.
A 6500cfm evap. cooler will work just fine with a max. of 65sq. inches of opening, preferably at the top.
Directing the flow will cause the cooling to be more effective.
Its a learning process.
With a swamp cooler you should leave windows open in the house. Only a few, and only open a few inches. Open windows will help to draw the cool air into other rooms. It should not really impact your electric bill. Given the choice, I would choose central air! Grrrrrrr .. I hated my swamp cooler!! They can smell really bad, they don't run on a thermostat and they are a constant problem and seem to always need repairs.
More Related Questions & Answers...