Have you ever been out at the dam on a hot day? As you were sitting there at the water’s edge, or perhaps on the water in a fishing boat, did you ever feel a cool breeze come tumbling over the surface of the water? Well, that is the principal of evaporative cooling at work in nature. Let us guide you through the science of evaporative cooling.  Evaporative coolers have started to gain a lot of attention in the media due to its ability to provide cooling solutions for both residential and commercial applications. These coolers provide an alternative to traditional air-con systems and they are incredibly efficient and eco-friendly, saving you up to 70% of your seasonal cooling bill.

The science

Evaporative coolers, sometimes known as ‘swamp coolers’ work on the principle of evaporation causing cooling. As water changes phase from liquid to gas, it cools the air around it as the heat evaporates into the air. Evaporative cooling systems have taken this principle and harnessed it for use inside your home or business.

If you look inside the housing unit of an evaporative cooler you will find one or two, perhaps three sets of fabric or cardboard mesh. These pads absorb water that is poured over them by means of a pump that draws water from a reservoir at the base of the unit. The water saturates the pads and the electric motor operates a fan that pulls hot air inside the unit and through the pads.

The water then absorbs the heat and pushes the cooled air out into the room. The room should have windows or a door open to allow for the exhausted, spent air to be pushed outside as the cool air circulates. If the room is sealed and there are no means for the spent air to escape, then the room may start to become damp from the moisture that is in the cooled air.

This principle provides incredibly efficient cooling in a hot, dry environment. The only drawback about evaporative coolers is that they do not suit coastal areas with high humidity. In this environment, the cooler may only operate at less than 20% efficiency and there may be issues with excess moisture in the air.

Maintenance on your evaporative cooler is also a breeze. It only needs to be checked at the start of the season. Simply turn the system on and purge it to see if the water is still fresh, some units come with auto-dump units that refresh the water automatically, while other will need you to take care of it. The pads should be cleaned along with the filter to prevent any musty smells that may be lurking in the pads. Then simply wipe down the cooler surfaces inside the housing and you are ready for the summer season!

What you need to know as a buyer

Choosing the right evaporative cooler depends on your cooling applications needs. You must first determine your room size and them match that volume to the correct CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) rating as described by the evaporative coolers spec sheet. Evaporative coolers come in various sizes, with cooling solutions available for rooms up to 100 square meters.

If you are unsure of the right size cooler for your application, then email us, or call into our head office and one of our professional cooling consultants will help you determine which size cooler you need to get the job done right.

Your cooler should come with a two-year warranty and a service department that deals in readily available spares. Their installation should be guaranteed and they should be able to assist you with maintenance tasks, should you require them to do so, in the case of servicing a large, industrial installation.

Evaporative coolers have changed the cooling landscape due to their low operating costs and maintenance needs, they offer a cooling solution that can be very effective if operated in the right conditions and a good alternative to traditional air-conditioning systems.

Saving energy and staying Eco-friendly with Evaporative Coolers

Evaporative coolers are fast becoming the new industry standard in cooling solutions for the home and office, in fact, they are also gaining in popularity in the industrial market as well. The reason for their advancement over traditional air-conditioning systems has come from their ability to provide a cooling solution that is both energy efficient and eco-friendly.

Evaporative coolers operate on the principle of evaporative cooling that occurs in nature, all around us, every day. As water changes phase as becomes a gas, the phase change cools the air around the water. This principle has been harnessed by evaporative coolers to make for energy efficient cooling that works as well as a normal air-con.

Evap coolers vs. Air-cons

The key difference in evaporative cooling technology as opposed to air-con systems is that it draws in air from outside the building and then passes it through a set of moistened pads that cool the air down using the evaporative principle. The cool air is then pushed out into the room via means of a fan where it circulates and cools the air temperature.

It is this principle that allows for evaporative cooling to slash your cooling costs. In fact, it is possible for you to reduce the power consumption for your cooling needs by up to 80% when compared to traditional air-con systems. This saving becomes massive when you consider it over the entire summer season, it may save you up to a total of a staggering 80% of your summer cooling costs.

This is enough to convince any homeowner that the benefit is there but when you consider the application to heavy and commercial industry, the savings become absolutely astronomical, with most cooling systems paying themselves off in a few seasons.

Along with a lower Energy Efficiency Rating (EER), Evaporative coolers also have a much lower impact on the environment in terms of emissions produced and toxins such as CFC’s that are released in the process of air-con cooling. This makes them the perfect solution for any household or business unit that is looking to offset its carbon footprint and either gain carbon credits or reduces their carbon foot-print. In today’s modern era of shifting climate change, the evap cooler is the eco-friendlier choice to provide you with the cooling solution you need.

When operating an evaporative cooler, it is important to open the doors and windows in the room to allow the spent, stale air to escape and the new, cool air, coming into the room to circulate. If you fail to open any doors or windows, then you will begin to notice the surfaces in the room becoming damp as the incoming air contains moisture.

Opening the door will eliminate this moisture and give the fresh, cool air a chance to move around in the room. Make sure you choose the right size cooler for you room as a cooler that is oversized will also give the same problem of damp surfaces, while an underpowered unit will not be sufficient to cool the air properly.

If you are unsure of the size of the cooler that you need, then a good, reputable evaporative cooler dealer will be able to help you determine the size that best suits your application and cooling needs.

Evaporative coolers should be easier to install than a traditional aircon and contains very few working parts, making maintenance on the unit a breeze, just check it at the start of every summer season to ensure that the pump and fans are working and clean the pads and the filter to remove any stale odours that may be thereafter extended periods of no operation.

To conclude, we can say with certainty that if you are looking for the most effective, economical and eco-friendly cooling solution that is available on the market today, you should strongly consider what an evaporative cooling solution can do for you this summer season.

Got any questions or want to learn more about GMC Air conditioning. You can find out more about us here or why not contact us today and we’ll be more than happy to help with any questions you may have.