DoomsdaysCW

Looking into a #SwampCooler unit for cooling this summer. It doesn't dehumidify the air, but we already have a dehumidifier. Has anyone had experience using a commercial swamp cooler?

Edit: Yeah, I guess it won't work where we are. Too humid, and to use the dehumidifier at the same time would just undo what the swamp cooler is doing. Looking into a portable a/c unit instead.

Mar 2 at 2:26pmWeb
Show threadFrank HeijkampMar 2
@DoomsdaysCW
They work great in a dry climate as it uses water evaporation, and therefore is a massive humidifier, to create a cooling effect.
Show threadDoomsdaysCWMar 2
@alterelefant So, maybe not the best unit for when it's humid?
Show threadFrank HeijkampMar 2
@DoomsdaysCW Depends on how humid is humid.
Show threadFrank HeijkampMar 2

@DoomsdaysCW
The final relative humidity in the air should ideally be around 55 - 60 %. This is what we humans feel comfortable at. An evaporative (swamp) cooler will generate an air humidity around 70 to 90 %. If your ambient air is dry enough you can mix in warmer dry air to reduce the humidity.

Is your ambient air already close to lets say 45 - 50 % than this might not be the ideal cooling solution. It will work but won't be as affective as when the air has a relative humidity of 15 - 20%.

Show threadRichard RatheMar 2

@DoomsdaysCW

We had them in Wyoming. My understanding is they are best suited to dry environments. If you are already dehumidifying your indoor air--probably not the best choice?!

Show threadBiorreactivoMar 2
@nickrauchen @DoomsdaysCW as said above, not very effective for a humid environment. Maybe you already have them (they seemed ubiquitous when I went to USA), but ceiling/horizontal fans could help, combined with efficient dehumidification.
Show threadDoomsdaysCWMar 2
And yeah, we had ceiling fans in our old flat with high ceilings, but the ceilings are too low in our house. @precariousmind @nickrauchen
Show threadRobot Diver 🌊🌬️🍃🌿🌸🌱🌱🌱Mar 2

@DoomsdaysCW

When it was really bad here during the heat dome we just got a small ac and turned one room into the cool room and then had fans in the rest of the house. The best fan we have is one that fits in the window with reversible air exchange and would turn it on as soon as the sun went down to pull the hot air out and the cool air in. My partner also built a corsi rosenthal box on the outside (our window was under a large overhang. It made the forest fire season livable. Gonna try to make one with a little roof over it this year.

Show threadDoomsdaysCWMar 2
@RobotDiver I bought a fan with a slot for a Merv filter last year. That actually helped with the wildfire smoke.
Show threadDoomsdaysCWMar 2
@RobotDiver But yeah, I think we're going to go with a small a/c unit and have a "cold room".
Show threadRobot Diver 🌊🌬️🍃🌿🌸🌱🌱🌱Mar 2

@DoomsdaysCW

It was definitely the most cost effective. I'm pretty sure our old place had no insulation in the roof and south facing windows so the minute it got warm it was a perpetual greenhouse.

Show threadDoomsdaysCWMar 2
@RobotDiver The other "upgrade" we had done recently was repairing the "attic" window (it's actually only a step up from the 2nd floor, not a true attic). That way we can have the cold air coming in from the west (the mountains) and then use fans to direct it to the rest of the upstairs.