You may have heard about evaporative coolers and wondered why your home doesn’t have one. Evaporative coolers, known as swamp coolers, were once on rooftops of most homes in the Valley of the Sun to help keep homes cool. But what exactly are evaporative coolers and what makes them different from air conditioning units?

Evaporative Coolers vs. Air Conditioning Units

An evaporative or “swamp” cooler looks like a large metal box mounted usually on a rooftop. Coolers utilize hot outside air and pump it inside your home by way of a motor and rotating centrifugal fan and don’t require return air ducting. Swamp coolers work by exposing indoor air to a number of water-soaked pads made of paper or shredded wood in the cooler. The indoor air is chilled as it absorbs the pads moisture and then this cooler air is pushed inside your home.
An air conditioning unit functions by removing heat and humidity out of the air to produce cold air. This cold air is then recirculated over and over inside your home. The compressor raises the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant gas and sends it to the condenser coil where it’s changed to a liquid. As the refrigerant evaporates, it cools the indoor coil. The cooled air is circulated throughout your home and the heated evaporated gas is returned back outside to the compressor.

So, When Does an Evaporative Cooler Make Sense?

Evaporative coolers are ideal during spring and fall when it’s hot outside with low humidity. The evaporative cooler adds just enough moisture to the air to make your home cool and comfortable. These units don’t require nearly as much energy as an AC unit, and they’re easier to maintain.
When monsoon thunderstorm season arrives in Arizona, usually early July with high winds, rain, lightning, and dust storms, the significant increase in humidity and air temperature hinders the function of evaporative cooling systems. When summer humidity is high during monsoon season, an air conditioning unit is the best choice to cool your home.

Call Bruce’s

Whether you have an evaporative cooler, an AC, or both, it’s important to consider your options. Give your local professionals at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating a call today at 480-968-5652 to discuss your home’s cooling system.