The best swamp coolers are designed to work well in both humid and dry conditions. Whether you’re cooling a residential home or a large industrial facility, evaporative coolers are a cost-effective alternative to running expensive air-conditioning units.
Experienced evaporative cooling professionals, such as the folks over at Premier Industries, Inc. have, for many years, designed, manufactured, and installed the best evaporative coolers in Phoenix, Arizona, and the surrounding areas.
You may be wondering how well the best swamp coolers work and the impact humidity levels have on their effectiveness.
Here’s some of the science behind evaporative coolers and why they are worth considering if you’re on a budget or need to reduce your cooling costs.
How Evaporative Coolers Work
Evaporative coolers reduce air temperature through the exchange of heat between water held in the cooling pads and the air molecules passing by.
When the warm air contacts the water, heat flows from the air molecules to the water molecules, causing them to evaporate. This reduces the air temperature and cools the room or the facility into which the air flows.
The amount of water vapor in the air impacts the ability of the evaporative cooler to reduce the temperature of the air flowing through the evaporative media.
The Effects of Relative Humidity
Relative humidity is the term used to describe the amount of water vapor present in the air. It is described as the percentage of water vapor required to reach saturation at a specific temperature.
The relative humidity will affect the evaporative cooler’s ability to cool the air. A higher relative humidity means that less water vapor develops as the air flows over the cooling media. This in turn means that less cooling takes place, and you’ll experience less difference between the ambient outside air temperature and the air coming from the evaporative cooler.
By contrast, hotter, dryer climates with lower levels of relative humidity produce greater cooling effects. You’ll experience a greater difference between the outside ambient temperature and the air flowing from your swamp cooler.
In the past, evaporative coolers were only effective during hotter, dry periods. With the onset of hot, humid conditions, evaporative coolers have proved to be less effective at keeping spaces cool.
Facts on Humidity
Relative humidity levels can be deceptive as it doesn’t describe how comfortable you’ll feel at a given temperature.
For this, you are better off relying on the dew point.
The dew point is the temperature the air must reach to achieve 100% relative humidity. This is the minimum temperature at which the water vapor in the air stays there and doesn’t condense into fog or rain. If the air cools below the dew point, you’ll see clouds form, rain, and also possibly fog.
Generally, as the dew point goes up, more moisture is present in the air, and the less comfortable you’ll become.
However, if the temperature is 30° and the dew point is 30°, the relative humidity is 100%, but you’ll feel pretty comfortable. In contrast, if the temperature is 80° and the dew point is 60°, the relative humidity will be 50% but you’ll feel uncomfortable. This uncomfortable feeling is due to the higher dew point.
Evaporative coolers push more water vapor into the air, which in turn increases the dew point in the air that’s circulating in your home or office building. If the dew point is already high, the evaporative cooler will be less efficient and not reduce the temperature as much.
This is where technology comes in and provides the solution to the problem with Indirect/Direct evaporative coolers.
Evaporative Cooling Solutions
There are a variety of evaporative cooling systems that can be sized to your needs.
Portable evaporative coolers are best suited for smaller areas, especially in residential homes where the size of rooms is less than 300 ft2.
Large-scale commercial and agricultural cooling units generally require a professional design team to create a system specific to the client’s needs.
A professional from ac repair denver company must be engaged to perform this task. One with knowledge and experience not only regarding the equipment but also a company that understands the local conditions.
They will be able to help you decide on the appropriate solution for your needs based on the technology available and the local conditions.
Indirect/Direct Evaporative Coolers
Indirect/direct evaporative systems perform better than direct evaporative systems. They work better in humid areas such as along the coast and swampy regions.
The main difference between direct or swamp coolers and indirect/direct evaporative coolers is the latter does not introduce additional moisture into the air. They do not increase the dew point of the air circulating in the areas that are being cooled, so you’ll stay more comfortable.
Two-stage evaporative coolers can be supplemented with mechanical cooling to help deal with very humid conditions.
Ducted systems blow cooled air into specific areas, but they present some challenges. Ducting for evaporative cooling systems is bigger than mechanical cooling systems. The size of the ducting affects the efficiency of the system and the selection of the right installation for your building will have a direct impact on how well it works.
Evaporative cooling works best when the cooled air can vent from the building so that it can release its water vapor. With the best swamp coolers exchanging the air around 20-40 times per hour, you must use a company that has the experience to ensure the system is set up properly from day one.
For humid days, the use of a dehumidifier in conjunction with the evaporative cooler will help to reduce the water vapor in the air. This reduces the relative humidity and helps to increase cooling as the dehumidified air passes across the cooling material.
For more specific advice on how humidity affects evaporative cooling as well as how to install the best swamp coolers in Phoenix, AZ, and the surrounding areas, contact Premier Industries. The company has more than 30 years of experience manufacturing and installing evaporative cooling systems for residential and commercial customers. If you need replacement parts or accessories, then they have you covered too.
