Central Air vs. Swamp Coolers

In all the time I've lived in SLC, I've had either a swamp cooler or nothing at all. In fact, when I bought my house, the previous owners took a window swamp cooler with them, and we survived the first two summers with just a few fans, until that summer with 10 100 degree days in row compelled us to get a swamp cooler. At the time, though the thought of cutting into the roof was a bit troubling, it seemed like a no brainer. Much cheaper to purchase and operate than central air.

Been looking a bit more seriously and moving lately, and I'm quite surprised that even in the compact older homes you find in the Sugarhouse area, most homes have central air, and trumpet that fact. Central air costs probably hundreds of dollars of year more to operate (my electric bill in the summer is about the same as in the winter). A swamp cooler, while not as powerful as A/C, can keep temperatures quite pleasant on all but the very rare humid days. Sure, swamp coolers take a bit of maintenance each year, but am I missing something? Why the unceasing march to central air?

Comfort, Central air is allot more comfortable than a swamp cooler, some people are just willing to pay more fore comfort. I have a window mount refrigerated unit, which cools like central air, but mounts in a window. It keeps my house cool enough, and don't cost as much as central air to run, but it is more than a swamp cooler.

Swamp coolers are cool until you get central air, and then you wonder how you ever got my on a swamp cooler.

The big thing to look into is how old that central air unit is.
THe newer ones are much cheaper to run.
THe next thing to consider is if cold air returns or vents are blocked off. IF they are restricted, you lose a ton of efficiency from your central air.
If the blower motor isnt big enough and the compressor is too small, you will also pay hell cooling that house! one too small to do it right costs more to run than one that is to big.
most important, if its humid, that swamper does NOTHING to cool your house. THey are only good when the humidity is down.

I will take cnetral air over a swamp ANY DAY. but only if the central unit is right for the house and you dont have vents and returns blocked. good insulation is mandatory as well as with out it your pumping all that cold air outside.

Last year took its toll. Doing any cooking other than BBQ kept putting the upstairs few degrees above my comfort zone so I had to quit cooking for what seemed like a month. I finally decided to put a swamp cooler in the window this year, just enough to take the edge off on the hottest days. It will be the first time in about three years that I've had any cooling at all. Of course I have a dozen mature trees shading the house, 20" of insulation in the attic, and a futon to sleep on in the basement. My electricity savings probably paid for that futon.

Another advantage of central air is complete thermometer control. I love being able to control the temperature both day and night. I also found that I don't suffer from the allergies as much either with central air. I have a small house with 2000 sf and the biggest increase in the summer I have ever had on my electric bill was $40. I am single, but I run the air all the time - if it even jumps to 75 in the house - the air is on. Just over a dollar a day for the ability to stay cool is very much worth it.

Perhaps the best reason of all, with the twist of a dial you now have the power to get your wife/girlfriend or whoever in a blanket year round!!, Plus if your parents had central and you move out, going down a notch to a swamper SUCKS!!!!

Swamp cooler defined?
A new vocabulary addition :haha: What is a Swamp Cooler? We have Central Air here and window/wall mounted A/C units here as well. I run two window units, but haven't in over two years.

We've had nothing but the swamp cooler since we moved into our 2800sq/ft house in 1995. We've only had a few days where the humidity prevented us from using the swamp without getting the house damp and sticky.

If I had my choice, I'd have both. I'd use the swamp for most summer days, then the central air for those few humid times.

Our swamp is a bit over sized for the house, and can get our house down to 66F if we allowed it to. For the most part, the swamp has worked fine for us.

Routine maintenance is the name of the game with the swamp. Keep the pads changed out, clean out the water at least twice/summer and use additives to freshen the smell (purchased at any home improvement store).

probably the same style as your air units, just mounted on the roof.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evapora...rative_cooling

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evapora...rative_cooling

There you go, they don't work when it's humid though, maintenance isn't that hard but its maintenance, all you gotta do with central air is not block your return air registers, unless it's over or under sized for your house. and change your furnace filters.

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Originally Posted by Jaxx

probably the same style as your air units, just mounted on the roof.

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Ahhh, thanks for the definition :2thumbs: This is why I never have heard of this type of cooling :haha:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Evaporative cooling is especially well suited for climates where the air is hot and humidity is low

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That humidity part is out the window anywhere here on the East Coast. We're plagued with humidity from Maine to Florida :lol8: Some worse than others, huh Stan :lol8:

Right, JP, but I'm not sure where it's worse. When I moved to NJ many years ago, an old woman says "I wouldn't live in Florida because of the humidity and mosquitoes". Well, I soon learned that NJ had plenty of both.

It's bad up here, it just doesn't last as long :mrgreen:

So true. Here it is almost year-round.

Thanks for the replies. Of course, an evaporative cooler will be basically useless much east of the rockies, or west of the Sierra/Cascades, so I understand why our east coast posters are confused. However, I think the companies making them simply need better marketing for regions like Utah where they are ideal. The electricity savings are massive, even compared to newer A/C's as far as I can tell, and comfort is nearly on par with A/C.

If electricity follows other energy prices skyward, I predict a renaissance for the humble swamp cooler.

Most people up here don't have any form of electric A/C. Open the windows and enjoy life.

I still have my down comforter on my bed. :2thumbs:

High today = 67
Low today = 44

Right now = 54


Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, summer................................... :mrgreen:

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Originally Posted by shlingdawg

Most people up here don't have any form of electric A/C. Open the windows and enjoy life.

I still have my down comforter on my bed. :2thumbs:

High today = 67
Low today = 44

Right now = 54


Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, summer................................... :mrgreen:

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Sounds good to me. This is my first summer in FL in 10 years, and I'm staying inside under the A/C.

I find my swamp works great until August when the monsoons come. But I'm cool with that. In order for me to buy central I would have to redo my whole furnace system as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MY T PIMP

I find my swamp works great until August when the monsoons come. But I'm cool with that. In order for me to buy central I would have to redo my whole furnace system as well.

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Just do it, it's worth it. Or buy a window mount unit, I just had to buy a new one last week, Home Depot has them for $399.

Well, a follow-up now that season in which cooling is needed is basically over in the Salt Lake valley. Again, the swamp cooler did fine this summer. Regarding the monsoon, this years seemed to fall into the pattern I remember. There were about a total of 2-3 days when the humidity rose enough to severely hinder the swamp coolers ability to cool.

A couple weeks ago I was up in the morning and the news anchors were commenting on how "muggy" the weather was. The dewpoint was up to about 60