Evaporative air conditioning is a popular, cost-effective way to keep cool, especially in hot, dry climates. But like any system, you’ll get the best from it by using and maintaining it well. A few simple practices can make your evaporative cooler more effective and efficient through the summer.
Here’s how to get the most from your evaporative air conditioner this summer.
Know how it works
Getting the most from your evaporative cooler starts with understanding how it works. It cools by drawing warm air through water-moistened pads, with the evaporating water cooling the air before it’s circulated through your home.
Crucially, it relies on fresh air flowing through, which is quite different from refrigerated cooling. Understanding this helps you use it correctly, since the way you run an evaporative system differs from a refrigerated one.
Keep windows open
This is the big one that catches people out: evaporative cooling works best with some windows or doors open. Unlike refrigerated air conditioning, it needs airflow through the house to work effectively.
Opening windows allows the cool air to flow through and the warm air to escape, which is how the system is designed to work. Running an evaporative cooler in a sealed-up house, as you would a refrigerated system, stops it working properly.
Run it ahead of the heat
Evaporative cooling works most effectively when you get ahead of the heat rather than trying to catch up. Starting the system earlier in the day, before the house heats up, helps keep things comfortable.
Trying to cool an already hot house is harder work for any cooling system. Running your evaporative cooler proactively, ahead of the hottest part of the day, helps it keep your home comfortable more easily.
Keep the pads in good condition
The cooling pads are central to how an evaporative system works, so keeping them in good condition is important. Over time, pads can degrade or become clogged, which reduces the system’s cooling performance.
Checking the pads and replacing them when needed, as recommended, helps maintain good cooling. Well-maintained pads are essential to getting the most from your system, so they shouldn’t be overlooked.
Service it before summer
Like any cooling system, an evaporative cooler benefits from servicing before the season of heaviest use. A pre-summer service ensures the pads, water system, and other components are in good order and ready to perform.
Servicing helps the system run efficiently and reliably through the hot months, and can catch any issues before they become problems. Getting it done before summer means you’re not caught out when you need the cooling most.
Mind the humidity
Evaporative cooling is at its best in hot, dry conditions and less effective when it’s humid. On the occasional humid day, you may find it doesn’t cool as well, which is simply the nature of how it works.
Understanding this helps you set realistic expectations and get the most from the system when conditions suit it. In the dry heat that’s common through much of summer, it performs well, which is where it really shines.
Use it efficiently
Evaporative cooling is generally economical to run, and a few habits keep it that way. Running it when you actually need it, and using the airflow sensibly, helps you stay comfortable without wasting water or energy.
Being mindful of how and when you run the system means you enjoy its low running costs while staying cool. Efficient use is part of getting the most value from your evaporative cooler over a long summer.
Know when it suits and when it doesn’t
Getting the most from evaporative cooling also means understanding where it shines. It’s at its best in the hot, dry conditions common through much of a Perth summer, delivering comfortable, economical cooling.
On unusually humid days it won’t perform as strongly, which is simply how the technology works. Knowing this helps you set realistic expectations and appreciate the system most when conditions play to its strengths, which is most of the time.
Staying cool all summer
Getting the most from your evaporative air conditioner comes down to understanding how it works, keeping windows open, running it ahead of the heat, maintaining the pads, servicing before summer, and using it efficiently.
Follow these simple practices and your evaporative cooler will keep your home comfortable and economical to run through the hot months. A little know-how and maintenance go a long way toward a cool, comfortable summer.