In the mind of the casual appliance owner, evaporative coolers and swamp coolers are much the same. The two labels are even shared, used interchangeably to describe different equipment. Differences do exist, but they’re based on thinly defined interpretations. That all sounds a little vague, so let’s just say that evaporative coolers are the industrial workhorses while their swampy counterparts, well, they’re toiling away in the domestic sector.
What’s in a Name?
The swamp cooler nickname isn’t exactly a disparaging term, but it’s obviously describing an appliance that’s underdeveloped. The words conjure up images of a boggy parcel of land, a place where a half-baked machine struggles to cool humid environments. Evaporative coolers, on the other hand, suggest an evolved design, a product that’s built to work unfalteringly in the most challenging industrial settings. Again, the two terms are interchangeable, but that habit is changing fast as the evaporative label continues to market a highly capable family of fully-featured water coolers.
Primary Mechanical Differences
A slew of advanced features fills the pages of the evaporative cooling data sheet. Bleeding-edge water absorption media and computer-optimized fan blades work in tandem to pass the warm air through a toughened plastic or metal housing. The swamp cooler appellation, meanwhile, suggests a reduced capacity and a basic set of features, an appliance that’s bound for a small office or home. It’s when the unit gains features and capacity that it earns its evaporative title. Sizable water tanks, multi-speed fans, and LCD display panels backed by micro-computer controls exemplify this design ethic.
Unblurring the Lines
A steady stream of freshly cooled air is discharged by both water cooling forms, so why not stick with the old swamp cooler name? Well, that term implies a narrow feature set, plus the image conveyed by the moniker is misleading. A fully capable evaporative cooler endorses a wider set of features, abilities that are wholly realized. This grasp of the functional differences puts a sharp line down between the two marketing labels, with the evaporative model adopting a more apt branding handle. From this platform, the features increase to include permanently plumbed water supplies, duct-installed variants, and much more.
It’s true that practically any water-cooled appliance can be called an evaporative cooler or swamp cooler, but that tendency does the equipment little credit. Swamp coolers belong in the home or shed, or preferably the past. Conversely, evaporative cooling technology belongs firmly in the present, in equipment that’s designed to cool with industrial-grade efficiency while delivering streamlined energy savings.