Are swamp coolers ideal for hot summer nights in Denver, CO or!?
Question:would I be better off Portable Air Conditioner? And in either case where can I find one under 200?
Answers:
Depends on your humidity. I'm in Utah and a swamp cooler would be great because it provides a little humidity to our super dry air. If you get high humidity, get a portable a/c. I think you're pretty dry like us though aren't you? I don't know. i think that www.weather.com has current humidity as well as temperature and other interesting facts.
I live in Denver. We are using a humidifier to keep cool. It's because of the dry air that swamp cooloers work. Get one!
It also relieves dry skin and dry throats and will keep your wooden furniture from cracking.
Cover it in winter or you'll freeze.
You can get small portable ones at Lowe's or Home Depot.
Depending on your average humidity level if a swamp cooler will work for you, places that average high humidity (50% or more) probably would not benifit from swamp coolers.
They are not much (if any) cheaper to purchase than a refrig. unit, but usually more cheaper to run
"swamp cooling" aka evaporative cooling works best in hot, dry areas.
How it works:
Air is run over a wet "media" (media is like a sponge that air can flow through). When the moving air goes over the water in the media, a water phase changes happens:water into the vapor. This phase change is a thermodynamic reaction using the heat in the air (energy) to change the water into vapor. So, the air looses heat to the vapor phase change thus lowering the temperature of the air! Now, if the air already has vapor, like in Alabama, it won't work.
So,
You need hot, dry air. In Denver, Co, you should have dry enough air, but at night your air should be already pretty cool, so evap cooling would only provide a change in temperature of approx. 10 deg. max. If 10 degs is ok with you, go evap. If not, portable AC
Remember,
Portable AC units have an "exhaust duct" that is ugly and will need to be routed to the exterior of the home.
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