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?