When it comes time to replace their old units with newer, quicker, shinier versions, homeowners in hot, dry areas have two basic options for climate control equipment: evaporative swamp coolers or standard air conditioners. Each has distinct advantages. The following are the most essential considerations:
Costs Incurred Up The Advance: Because they are less intricate pieces of equipment, evaporative swamp coolers are far less expensive to acquire and install than typical air conditioners. If you’re seeking to replace an existing air conditioner, they’ll need a water line and a 110 outlet run to the unit’s position, which may come as an unexpected cost. If you’re switching from an evaporative cooler to an air conditioner, you may require more ducting for your new unit to function properly.
Energy Conservation: Swamp coolers may save up to 75% more on power than a standard air conditioner, but they frequently offset the savings by using a lot of water. Although the purpose is to recycle the water in the system, the usage of a swamp cooler results in high water demand. If your location must seasonally ration water or water costs grow enormously in the summer, this might put you at a major disadvantage in desert areas, where swamp coolers function best.
Air Quality In The Home: Air conditioners wins hands down when it comes to indoor air quality. Because they function with your home’s windows and doors closed, drawing indoor air through a filter before returning it to the room, air conditioners often provide significantly superior indoor air quality (depending on your home’s climate and filter selection). People who have allergies or live in locations where there is a lot of dust or pollution may not want to have their windows open all the time, so an air conditioner is an ideal option.
Humidity In The Home: When it comes to interior humidity, air conditioners and evaporative swamp coolers function in different directions. During the cooling process, air conditioners remove the majority of the humidity from your home. Evaporative coolers rely more on the weather to perform effectively. They increase humidity to keep you cool. An evaporative swamp cooler may be beneficial in homes that are extremely dry or have persistent static issues.
Maintenance Period: Day-to-day maintenance for your air conditioner is mainly restricted to changing the air filter once every 30 to 90 days, clearing plants from the outside unit as needed, and washing it down with a hose a couple of times a year. A swamp cooler needs more frequent changes of the absorbent pad that retains moisture in front of the blower, as well as regular cleanings to avoid mold buildup. If you can’t devote a few hours each weekend to the upkeep of your cooling unit, a swamp cooler isn’t a viable choice for your house.
The Environmental Impact: Modern air conditioners utilize far safer refrigerants than in the past, but they still employ potentially harmful compounds to keep your home cool. These refrigerants might leak out through stress cracks in the system as they age. A tiny bit of leakage from one unit isn’t hazardous, but if every unit started leaking at the same time, you’d notice. Evaporative swamp coolers have a considerably lower environmental effect because they simply use water and power to chill the air in your home. Evaporative coolers produce less noise pollution and release less CO2 than air conditioners, making them an excellent alternative for homes concerned about their environmental impact.
The choice to update your climate control system might be intimidating. Keep in mind what is most important to you, such as the efficiency of your unit, its capacity to remove pollutants and allergens from the air, and your environmental footprint, and you will find it much simpler to choose between an evaporative cooler and an air conditioner.