Summers are getting hotter and hotter each year. Without an effective cooling system for your home, it can be downright unbearable on sweltering days. While air conditioning has traditionally been the most commonly used cooling method for residential homes, it isn’t your only solution. In dry climates, evaporative cooling may be a more effective option.
If you’re researching cooling solutions for your house, it’s worth learning about evaporative coolers, also commonly referred to as swamp coolers. They provide a more energy efficient and eco-friendly option than air conditioning, and they deliver dramatic cooling benefits in arid environments.
Evaporative coolers rely on the scientific process of evaporation to cool your home. Hot outside air passes over water-saturated cooling pads, called evaporative media, triggering the evaporation process. When the water on the media evaporates, it releases a significant amount of energy, dropping the air temperature by up to 40°F. This cooled air is then distributed through your home to provide a more comfortable environment.
It’s important to have partially opened windows when operating an evaporative cooler. This allows warm indoor air to escape as the cooler air is circulated throughout the house. Unlike air conditioning, which recirculates the same air in a closed environment, evaporative coolers infuse your home with a steady stream of fresh outside air whenever they are in use.
In order for evaporative coolers to effectively cool your home, you need to live in a dry climate. If there is a high moisture content in the outside air, the evaporation process won’t make a significant enough difference in the air temperature. For humid climates, air conditioning is typically a better solution.
There are two different types of residential evaporative coolers:
Central location systems blow air into one area which cools the entire home. These systems work best in smaller houses that have a relatively open floor plan. Ducted systems connect to the ductwork in your house and then distribute cool air to each room via the ducts. These systems are typically needed with larger houses with multiple hallways and lots of rooms.
In addition, there are two ways to install residential evaporative coolers. They are most commonly installed on the rooftop. However, you also have the option to install a ground-mounted unit. This makes maintenance easier and eliminates the risk of roof leaks.
The most important consideration when installing an evaporative cooler in your home is to maintain proper air flow. Evaporative coolers introduce additional moisture into the air, making it important to keep windows open at all times the unit is running. This will prevent moisture from accumulating in your home which may cause mold to develop or wood items to warp. Open windows will also ensure that proper airflow is maintained for your evaporative cooler to operate at peak efficiency.
You should also keep the following considerations in mind when installing an evaporative cooler.
You must choose an evaporative cooler that is large enough to adequately cool your home. Your unit must have the power to push enough air through your home to maintain comfortable temperatures in every room. If you’re unsure of the proper size, it’s better to install a system that is slightly larger than you need instead of one that isn’t large enough. This will pay big dividends on the hottest days of the year.
Evaporative coolers are sized by the cubic feet per minute (cfm) of air they produce. There is a wide range of sizes, from 3,000 cfm to 25,000 cfm. It’s always best to provide a sales rep with the specifications of your house to ensure you select the right size for your needs.
Make sure to choose a unit that has at least two speeds as well as a vent-only option. The vent-only option allows you to use the evaporative cooler as a fan when temperatures are milder. In this setting, the outside air is circulated through the house without being cooled.
You can regulate the temperature and humidity of your house by adjusting the window openings. Opening windows wider will reduce humidity and allow for cooler air temperatures to be achieved when running your home evaporative cooler.
It’s important to keep the evaporative media clean. This will prevent the accumulation of pollutants and minerals in your system. Keeping your media clean will also ensure proper air flow, allowing your evaporative cooler to operate at peak efficiency. The frequency of cleanings will depend on the amount of dust in your air and the level of minerals present in your water.
Even with regular cleaning, your evaporative media will eventually need to be replaced. Refer to the care and maintenance instructions that come with your system to determine how often you need to replace the evaporative media.
In order to ensure your home evaporative cooler works at peak efficiency for years to come, you’ll need to perform some general maintenance. Sediment and minerals from your water supply can build up in the cooler, and this can cause it to break down over time without regular cleaning and maintenance.
To avoid this issue, you should drain and clean your evaporative cooler regularly, and give it a major cleaning once a season. In very hot climates where you’re running the evaporative cooler for the majority of the day and night, you may need to perform a major cleaning once a month. Make sure to clean the reservoir and pump during your deep cleaning. Evaporative media and filters should be cleaned at least twice a season, and possibly as often as monthly depending on usage.
If you decide on evaporative cooling to keep your home comfortable in the summer, Kuul’s industry leading evaporative media will deliver the effective results you need.
When air is drawn through the evaporative media, it creates a pressure drop due to resistance to the force of the air being pushed by the fan. This results in unnecessary energy consumption.
Kuul residential HVAC evaporative media uses a special design which results in 30% less pressure drop than other cooling pads. This helps you reduce your energy consumption for additional environmental sustainability benefits.
The pressure drop associated with your evaporative media also causes your evaporative cooler to work harder to achieve the same cooling benefits. This causes more frequent breakdowns and greater maintenance headaches.
Kuul media’s reduced pressure drop minimizes this stress on your evaporative cooler, helping you keep breakdowns and costly maintenance issues few and far between.
Kuul designs evaporative media for a wide range of industries, many of which require highly durable cooling pads to deliver their desired results. We’ve taken our knowledge from working with these industries and applied it to our residential HVAC evaporative media. The end result is the most durable, long lasting residential evaporative media products available. When properly maintained, your Kuul media can last as long as 5 years.
You don’t have to endure sweltering conditions at home all summer long, or blow through your monthly budget paying for costly air conditioning. In dry climates, evaporative cooling can provide a highly efficient, cost effective alternative to keep your home comfortable during the peak summer heat. With Kuul’s industry leading evaporative media, you’ll be able to leverage the cooling benefits of your evaporative cooler to its fullest potential.
Contact us today to find out how Kuul evaporative media can deliver the effective cooling your home deserves.
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