Evaporative coolers offer a constant flow of cool and refreshing air during the hot days of summer. Often called swamp coolers, these units circulate fresh air through a wet filter that has moist pads. The fresh air is then cooled and circulated throughout your home or office.
The cool thing is; they work best during the hottest part of the day when humidity levels are below 50%. In fact, the lower the humidity, the better the cooling system works efficiently and saves on your energy consumption.
Compared to the standard air conditioning system, evaporative coolers are much simpler in design. Even better, instead of pulling moisture out of the air and replacing hot air with cool, the system cools the air then adds humidity.
And when it comes to saving on energy consumption, the evaporative system is generally more economical to operate than air conditioning systems. However, it is most efficient in drier climates. So if you live in an arid region, evaporative coolers are a great advantage and the ideal system for cooling.
Immense Savings!
Although evaporative coolers work best in arid regions, they are effective even in areas that have some humidity. As a rule, 30 percent humidity is dry enough for the evaporative cooling system to work efficiently.
And to top it off, evaporative coolers consume up to 75 percent less electricity than the standard air conditioner. This is because they require only 120-volt electricity and do not need high-amperage circuits. In effect, an evaporative cooler can be plugged into a standard outlet anywhere in the home.
When it comes to budgets, evaporative coolers cost about half the price of an air conditioner. You will also save on installation materials because the system requires a lot less ductwork. Even large systems only need a short duct to guide the cooled air to the main living quarters of your home.
You can also save more if you have existing air duct systems. This is because the evaporative cooling system can easily utilize you current ductwork. For small systems, installation is simple; they can be placed in most windows.
Watt Usage
When referring to energy consumption, wattage rating is one of the most useful measurements. In fact, wattage can help you estimate electricity costs to run a system. You can estimate an evaporative cooling systems power by the amount of watts it uses. For example, a 60 watt light bulb uses less electricity and emits less light than a 100 watt light bulb. The same goes for a cooling system, a 60 watt cooler with consume the same amount of electricity as a 60 watt bulb.
In comparison, the average air conditioner consumes about 1200 watts of electricity. Moreover, a central air conditioner uses around 3500 watts. An evaporative cooling system uses between 400 and 700 watts, depending on the size of the system and the fan. As well, the power consumption can be as little as 60 watts. That in itself is a lot of savings on energy consumption.
If you are unsure of the watt of a system, look on the fan motor information plate, it generally lists power consumption. The fan is the major component. Although there is a water pump, the energy consumption is minuscule. You can also convert the amp to watts. For instance, 1 amp is equal to 100 watts. The numbers are not precise but it is close.