Air cooler vs. air conditioner?
Question:What is the difference between an air cooler and air conditioner?
which is better?
I want something i can just plug in instead of having to install it on some window. I don't want too much hastle because i have to take it with me when i move in a year.
I live in a smaller studio apartment (pretty small) with my husband and 3 cats. It gets really hot in the summer (now). Our apartment does't have good air circulation and it is usually hotter inside than outside.
Answers:
An air cooler is basically a swamp cooler. It cools dry air by adding humidity to it. You'd have to have an open window for fresh air supply, because once its cooled (saturated with water) the air can't be cooled any more. They are most efficient when the relative humidity is 20% or below. The maximum cooling effect is around 20 - 25 degrees. Air conditioners cool air by vaporizing freon. They are much more effective at cooling but are much more expensive to purchase and operate. If the humidity around your area is usually below 20%, an air cooler may work, but you have to have an open window and live with humid air all the time. A/C is the best way to go.
I'd try getting a portable air conditioner, they run kind of expensive, but work well on small spaces, you just need a window you can vent out of- or a sink for the condensation. We've been looking into getting one for our basement apt (no central air!) and it seems to be the best way to go- it runs around $300 bucks from like Wal-Mart, might be a little more expensive from Target or another home goods store..
Good Luck, stay cool!
You need an air conditioner. Weather you get a window unit or the type you put a small vent into the window is your choice.
A cooler will turn you apartment into a sauna. Swamp coolers work well in dry climates and they need to pull hot dry air in from outside. If you just setup one in your place it will keep raising the humidity until the air becomes saturated.
We live in the same situation,cats & all.
We have a 5,000 btu air conditionner in the bedroom,&
A Honeywell tower fan in the living room.
It works for us.
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