Topic
Types of Evaporative Coolers
Evaporative cooling covers everything from a tabletop portable to a two-stage rooftop unit. Start with how the process works, then pick the configuration that fits your building and climate.
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How Evaporative Coolers Work (Physics, Parts and Real Numbers)An evaporative cooler pulls hot outdoor air through water-soaked pads. Evaporating the water absorbs about 1,060 BTU per pound, so the air leaves the pads cooler and more humid. The supply air can approach, but never go below, the outdoor wet bulb temperature, which is why these coolers work best in dry climates.
All types of evaporative coolers guides
- Types of Swamp Coolers: Whole-House, Window, Portable, Indirect and Two-Stage
Compare every type of swamp cooler: downdraft, side-draft, window, portable, indirect and two-stage. Airflow, cost, water use and which home each one fits.
- Swamp Cooler vs Air Conditioner: An Honest Side-by-Side Comparison
Swamp cooler vs AC compared on running cost, install cost, comfort, humidity, water use and climate fit, with worked monthly cost math and a decision table.
- Direct vs Indirect Evaporative Cooling (and Two-Stage Systems)
Direct vs indirect evaporative cooling: how each works, supply temperatures, moisture added, cost, and when a two-stage system is worth it, with worked math.
- Pros and Cons of Swamp Coolers (With the Numbers Behind Each)
Every real advantage and drawback of swamp coolers, quantified: energy, cost, humidity, water, maintenance and climate limits, plus a home fit scorecard.
- Downdraft vs Side-Draft Swamp Coolers: How to Choose the Right Mount
Downdraft or side-draft evaporative cooler? Compare airflow loss, roof load, leaks, service access, noise and cost, plus a decision table by house type.
- Whole-House Evaporative Cooler Buying Guide: Size, Media, Motor and Install
Buying a whole-house swamp cooler? Size it right, choose aspen or rigid media, compare motors, cabinets and controls, and budget for install and upkeep.
- Portable Evaporative Cooler Buying Guide: Specs That Matter and Claims to Ignore
How to choose a portable swamp cooler: real CFM vs rated, tank size and refill time, pad type, humidity limits, noise and features worth paying for.
- Window Evaporative Coolers: Who They Suit, How to Size Them, What to Buy
Window swamp coolers explained: airflow ranges, room sizing math, window fit, water hookup, relief air, winter storage and how they compare to portable units.
- Swamp Cooler for a Garage: How to Size It, Vent It and Avoid Rust
How to choose and size a swamp cooler for a garage or workshop, with CFM math, venting rules, realistic temperature drops, and how to keep tools rust-free.
- Outdoor Patio Evaporative Coolers and Misters: What Works Outside and Why
How portable evaporative coolers and misting systems perform on patios, how far the cool air reaches, sizing by area, and when each option makes sense.
- Commercial and Warehouse Evaporative Cooling: Sizing, Equipment and Operating Costs
Plan evaporative cooling for warehouses and shops: air-change sizing, a worked example, relief air, water treatment, worker heat safety and costs.
- Evaporative Cooling for Greenhouses: Fan-and-Pad Systems, Fog and Sizing Math
How to cool a greenhouse with fan-and-pad, portable coolers or fog: airflow per square foot, pad area, water use, worked sizing example and common mistakes.
- Evaporative Cooling for Livestock and Poultry: Tunnel Ventilation, Pads, Soakers and Misters
How tunnel ventilation, pads, soakers, drip coolers and misters cut heat stress in poultry, dairy, swine and horses, with sizing math and humidity limits.
- DIY Swamp Cooler: How to Build One and How Much Cooling to Expect
Build a bucket or box-fan swamp cooler, see worked math on real cooling output, and learn why ice-chest air coolers are not evaporative and run out fast.
- Why Is It Called a Swamp Cooler? The Name, the History and the Smell
Where the name swamp cooler comes from, other names evaporative coolers go by, a short history of the technology, and how to keep yours from smelling swampy.