Using an evaporative air cooler is one of the popular ways to keep cool during the hot summer days. It can perform as well as air conditioners in maintaining cool and comfortable temperatures. The weather in Perth can be incredibly unpredictable. One minute it’s sunny, and then it starts raining. But one thing you can count on is a heat wave, which you can beat with an evaporative cooling system.
How Does Evaporative Cooling Work?
Evaporative cooling imitates the naturally-occurring process of cooling involving evaporation. The technology is quite simple and can be summarised into three steps:
- The evaporative air cooler’s ventilation fan draws warm outside air in, passing it through the wet filter pads.
- Evaporation then begins, which then causes heat to be expelled. As a result, cooler air is created.
- The ventilation fan will deliver the processed air to areas of the room where you want to be cooled.
If you’re familiar with how our bodies regulate temperature, you can quickly grasp the concept of evaporative cooling. When we feel too hot, we perspire, creating skin moisture. Air then travels along sweat, making it evaporate, ultimately resulting in cooling the skin and lowering body temperature.
Evaporative Cooling vs Split Systems vs Ducted Air Conditioners
Evaporative coolers use water to lower room temperature by 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, split and ducted air conditioners use refrigerant gases to achieve the same purpose. A chemical process is also involved, which eventually helps push air conditioners to give a more powerful performance.
Many air conditioners are reverse cycle so that they can heat and cool your home without an additional appliance. This is where the limitations of evaporative cooling mainly lie since the system cannot provide heating.
Split air conditioners have an indoor unit and an outdoor compressor. The two parts work in tandem to make your home more comfortable all year round. They remove hot air from your home whilst the refrigerant gas cools down the incoming airflow, effectively lowering the temperature.
As for ducted air conditioners, they work using discreet and seamlessly installed ducts. Reverse ducted aircon can cool and heat your home according to your needs. The refrigerant cools external hot air to keep your home comfortable during the summer. Conversely, it will warm the cool air from outside, pumping it into your home to give you a warm winter.
An evaporative air conditioner can be ducted, as well, requiring you to install them on the roof of your home for the most optimal airflow possible. The units will work the same, drawing hot air from outside through a vent and delivering them through the cooling pads soaked with water from a cooling tank.
When hot air passes the pads, water evaporates, effectively creating cool vapour, which you will soon feel in your room. The internal fan is responsible for pumping cool air to your home through the ducts.
Are Evaporative Coolers Cost-Effective?
As you can see above, evaporative coolers work differently from air conditioners. So, if you’re contemplating whether to choose evaporative cooling or aircon, the cost would mostly be among your top considerations.
Evaporative coolers are indeed cheaper, typically costing about 50% less than window-type systems and up to 90% less than popular inverter-type aircon. Additionally, they are energy efficient. The coolers consume 50% to 70% less electricity than air conditioners. Installation and maintenance are also less complicated and inexpensive. They don’t have compressors and only use a water tank and a fan, making operations straightforward.
The great thing about an evaporative air conditioner is that it can cool your whole house using ductwork. It’s less expensive than ducted aircon, and there’s no need to zone any of your rooms.
Is Evaporative Air Conditioning Good for Asthmatics?
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, about 2.7 million Australians had asthma in 2020-21. This figure, however, is projected to increase to three million in 2030. If you have asthma, you’re probably particular about your home’s cooling system. After all, the goal is to reduce trigger exposure from dust, pet dander, and pollution.
The air in your home circulates and can even be more polluted than outside air. That’s why evaporative cooling is beneficial. As mentioned, it brings fresh air from outside to your home, cooling it and thus giving you relief on a summer day. You’re breathing cleaner air from the environment, which helps to decrease the risk of inhaling poor indoor air quality and pollution.
How to Service an Evaporative Air Conditioner
We understand the frustration of Joondalup homeowners and businesses that cannot find exemplary evaporative cooling service for their appliances. The answer is here. Joondalup Heating & Cooling has certified technicians that will help repair and maintain your cooler.
Just like air conditioners, regular checks and service will ensure that the equipment will run smoothly and live to its expected lifespan. Periodic evaporative cooling service can be done yearly, especially in Perth, where most people need cooling almost daily. New coolers can benefit from assessments once every two to three years.
It helps to keep your manual so you can refer to it when servicing may be required. Keep in mind that the recommended periods above are just the standard. It still depends on the usage frequency, brand, and age of your evaporative cooler. To ensure you get the most accurate answer, you can contact us, and we’ll have a technician over to check the appliance.
Evaporative Air Conditioner Installation
Installation is easy for smaller, portable units. We recommend installing them near your windows since they need a steady stream of fresh air, unlike a standard aircon where you keep your home tightly sealed.
However, if you want a ducted evaporative cooler, it will require labour, particularly with ducting and vent installations throughout your home.
Please note that Joondalup Heating & Cooling does not offer installation service. However, we can and do support local installers by providing you with our advice and know-how, so the installation process achieves the best result for your home or business.
If installed properly, the cooler can last for several years, requiring minimal servicing and occasional repairs. For all your evaporative cooling service needs, please feel free to contact us at (08) 6200 9718.