What is an Evaporative Air Cooler?

When hot summer days arrive, it is time to think about staying cool. If you do not already have a cooling unit in your house or apartment you may be wondering what is an Evaporative Air Cooler and how is it different from an air conditioner (AC)?

An Evaporative Air Cooler uses the evaporation of water into the air to cool the air down inside. A common term for some Evaporative Air Coolers is Swamp Cooler. A Swamp Cooler pulls air through water-soaked pads in order to evaporate the water into the air.

An Air Conditioner on the other hand uses chemicals to remove the heat from the air instead of adding cooling water. These traditional air conditioners use more energy and require more maintenance than most Evaporative Air Conditioners.

What is an Evaporative Air Cooler?

An Evaporative Air Cooler is a machine like an air conditioner. It is used to cool the air when it is hot. Evaporative Air Coolers work differently than air conditioners. They cool the air by pulling it through some form of water or water holding thing. The water evaporates and cools the air down. 

Evaporative Air Coolers work best in dry climates where there is plenty of space to evaporate water into the air. While they are not as efficient in more humid climates, they are able to help a little bit. Depending on the climate and temperature Evaporative Air Coolers can decrease the temperature anywhere from 5 to 40 degrees.

There are many forms of Evaporative Air Coolers today. Some pull air through water-soaked pads. Others pull it through waterfalls or water curtains within the device. Some are installed in your house like an AC unit. Others are portable and can be moved around the house as needed.

What is Portable Evaporative Air Cooler?

A Portable Evaporative Air Cooler is a smaller unit that can be moved around as necessary. These are similar to portable fans or portable ACs. They can provide a high level of cooling with minimal energy use. 

If you do not need to cool your whole house, a Portable Evaporative Air Cooler will work best. You can move it to whichever room you are in, so long as the room has a window. Evaporative Air Coolers need fresh air to work at optimum efficiency.

How Does a Portable Evaporative Air Cooler Work?

A Portable Evaporative Air Cooler works just like a larger one. Only they work best for smaller areas. They also use less energy because they are smaller and are cooling smaller areas.

A Portable Evaporative Air Cooler will draw hot air in and run it though some form of water feature.

The Portable Evaporative Air Cooler will then release the air into the room, cooling the room down. Fresh hot, dry air is best which is why Evaporative Air Coolers work best when the windows are open. This allows for both fresh new air to be pulled in and the old hot humid air to be pushed out. 

The water in the Evaporative Air Cooler evaporates into the air cooling it as it goes through the machine. However, once the air is released it will begin to heat up again, with the water in it. This can lead to heat and humidity. Which is why an Evaporative Air Cooler needs fresh, dry air and the warm, humid air needs to escape.

Why is Evaporation a Cooling Process?

The Evaporative Cooling Process is one that we have all experienced. When we sweat in the heat, our sweat then evaporates into the air and cools our skin. If we get out of a pool, bath, or shower the air will evaporate the water on our skin making us feel cool or even cold.

So, why is evaporation a cooling process? Why do we cool down? The answer is one you probably learned back in science class. For water molecules to go from liquid to gas they need to get hot.

Heat is the transfer of energy from one source to another. Whether you are boiling water on the stove or watching it evaporate in the sun. When water molecules come into contact with hot air they pull the heat out of the air and use it to turn into a gaseous form.

The removal of heat from the air cools it down. The water molecules are now a part of the air, which adds a refreshing coolness, not unlike that of spritzing yourself with water on a hot day.

What is Evaporative Cooling?

Evaporative Cooling is the use of evaporation to cool the air. Evaporative cooling happens naturally. Whenever you get out of the pool and the water evaporates from your skin. Whenever you spritz yourself with water and the water evaporates. Whenever you get out of the bath or shower and the water evaporates. All of these are examples of evaporative cooling.

Evaporative coolers use the evaporative cooling process purposefully. They draw hot air across or through water in order to evaporate the water and cool the air down.

How Does Evaporative Cooling Work?

Evaporative cooling works through the transference of energy. Heat is energy. On a hot summer day, the sun’s energy shines down, light waves. These energy waves heat the air and everything else they touch.

When heated air comes into contact with water or a wet surface the heat energy in the air transfers to the water. The energy speeds up the water molecules and turns the water from its liquid state into a gaseous state. This is evaporation and evaporative cooling.

The heat leaves the air for the water. This makes the air feel cooler and more refreshing.

What is Evaporative Cooling in a House?

Evaporative Cooling in a House can refer to the use of a Whole-House Evaporative Cooling System. It can also refer to the simple process of having portable Evaporative Cooling Units in each room. 

There are some key things to keep in mind, whether you have a whole-house system or a portable one. Evaporative Coolers work best where there is space in the air molecules for the gaseous water molecules to join. You have probably heard the weather person talking about humidity percentages. The higher the humidity percentage, the less space there is for more water.

If there is less space for water in the air the Evaporative Cooling Process can only do so much to cool a space down. If there is more space for water, such as hot and dry climates, then the Evaporative Cooling Process can do much more. This is why there is such a range from about 15 degrees to about 40 degrees.

When using an Evaporative Cooling Unit – whether whole-house or portable – it is important to have windows open. This allows for air circulation and provides a constant resource of new hot air. 

Final Thoughts

The Blast Auxiliary Portable AC is a great portable version of an Evaporative Cooler.  This small unit can cool a room noticeably within a minute of being turned on. In addition, its form of water feature also helps trap allergens, such as pollen or dust. 

Check out the website to learn more. 

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