Evaporative Coolers vs Air Conditioners

While heat pumps are the most energy-efficient cooling system for our local climate, many homes in the Valley are equipped with evaporative coolers. These units perform best when the outside humidity level is very low. 

Evaporative coolers and central air conditioners both serve the same important purpose: keeping us cool. But these two cooler systems operate very differently. Understanding the difference can help you get the most out of your system and minimize wasted energy.

An evaporative cooler works by passing warm air through water, thus lowering its temperature. As these evaporative coolers push large volumes of naturally cooled air into your home, they work best when windows or doors are open at the far corners to allow the constant replacement of hot dry air with cool moistened air. Such systems are relatively cheap to run and use less energy than air conditioning.

Refrigerative cooling is often referred to as “air conditioning”. It works on the same principle as refrigerators and moves heat from a cool place to a warm place. It provides the highest standard of comfort in almost any weather by cooling and taking humidity out of the air in the building. Unfortunately it is also expensive to run in terms of energy consumption. Air conditioners produce cold, dry air and work best in an airtight building (windows closed). 

If you have both an evaporative cooler and central air conditioning unit serving the same area, do not run them at the same time. Running your evaporative cooler in the morning and switching over to central air conditioning in the hotter part of the day does NOT save money or energy (which is a common misconception). Doing so would cause the two coolers to work against each other (your evaporative cooler spends all morning dumping humidity into your home and your air conditioner must remove the humidity to work effectively). You are simply making your air conditioner work much harder, at the hottest part of the day.

The major advantage of an evaporative cooler is that its operating costs are typically half those of a central air conditioner. However, during the Valley's monsoon season (between July and August) humidity often rises and, when combined with high temperatures, limits cooler effectiveness. For that reason, few Valley homeowners rely exclusively on evaporative cooling.

Disadvantages to evaporative coolers
•Reduced control over temperature in house
•Air is not cleaned as well as with an air conditioner
•Need to open windows or vents to outside
•Damp air can cause doors and wood furniture drawers to swell
•Requires more maintenance than an air conditioner

Call Aaron’s Mechanical Services for AC Repair That Is Fast and Fair!

You can also visit our AC Repair Info page at http://coolingaz.com/ac-repair.html

Looking for fast and fair HVAC service? Aaron’s Mechanical Services wants you to stay comfortable all year round.  Most important we want you to spend the least amount of money possible while you stay comfortable. If your air conditioning system or HVAC unit needs service or replacement please think of us and call at 623-388-4436 and we will come to you and solve your cooling Unit’s service needs.

Presented by;
Aaron’s Mechanical Services
623-388-4436
info@aaronsmechanicalservices.com
http://aaronsmechanicalservices.com