Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is an evaporative cooler / swamp cooler?
A. A swamp cooler uses the process of evaporation to cool the air. To understand this think about the last time you went swimming and the wind was blowing. When you get out of the pool the water evaporates on your skin and that is what causes you to be cold. The same process is used by a swamp cooler.

Q. Can a swamp cooler be used anywhere?
A. Not yet. Currently evaporative coolers / swamp coolers can only be used in dry climates. Due to the adding of humidity to the air in the evaporation processes.

Q. How do I make my cooler run better and cooler?
A. Keeping your cooler well maintained will go a long way. If you have a four sided aspen cooler, make sure you change your pads once to twice a year. If you have a single inlet cooler change your pads every five years. Keep the water pan, pump, drip pan, and spider assembly free of debris and calcium build up. Make sure you have proper ventilation.

Q. How do I know if I have enough windows and doors open?
A. If your home feels humid, you do not have enough windows and doors open. The trick is to open windows and doors in areas where you want cool air and away from the vents. Start by turning the cooler on, then go to a corner of your house. Open a window about one foot. Place a dollar bill on the screen. It will stick. Continue by opening windows and doors in the other corners of the house and in the areas where you want the cool air to flow. When the dollar bill drops you will have the perfect ventilation. This process will give you a good idea on how much ventilation you will need. You can avoid having to open windows and doors altogether by install up ducts and flex duct runs. (Calculation: every 1000 CFM needs 2 sq. ft. of ventilation.)

Q. When should I replace my pads?
A. If you have an aspen cooler (regular four sided cooler): once to twice a year depending on your water conditions. If you have a new style single inlet cooler: once every five to seven years.

Q. Is there a thermostat available for swamp coolers?
A. Yes, there are many different types from manual to digital and the higher end cooler usually come with the best thermostats that have time delays and drain options.

Q. Is there a way to add vents to my swamp cooler?
A. Yes, adding flex duct run can bring cool air right into the areas that you desire. Make sure to use a starting collar with a scoop on the main duct run.

Q. What is wrong with my cooler?
A. Check out our diagnostic to see if that helps. If not, simply call us and we can walk you through some tests.

Q. What CFM do I need?
A. Take your above ground square footage and multiply it by 4. If you have vaulted ceilings or ceilings above 8ft. take the above ground cubic footage and divide it by 2.

Q. How much more energy efficient is a evaporative cooler vs. an air conditioner?
A. Evaporative coolers can be up to 80% more energy efficient depending on the model.

Q. What brand of cooler is the highest quality?
A. In our years of servicing coolers Phoenix Manufacturing has always lasted the longest.

Q. Does an evaporative cooler help breathing?
A. Yes, evaporative coolers add humidity to the air and circulates fresh air. Which promotes healthy breathing.

Q. Is an evaporative cooler better for the environment?
A. Yes, evaporative coolers use a natural process to cool the air and does not use refrigerants like an air conditioner which has the potential of damaging the atmosphere.

Q. What is better an air conditioner or an evaporative cooler?
A. This depends on the person. If you like to keep your home extremely cold, 70 degrees or lower, an evaporative cooler may not be the best choice. If you're concerned with the environment, indoor air quality and electrical usage, an evaporative cooler is by far the best choice. Personally we think the best set up is to have both. Use the evaporative cooler as much as possible. Then if the air gets too hot or too humid outside, switch to using the air conditioner. A large majority of our clients that have well maintained evaporative coolers find that they enjoy evaporative cooling far better than air conditioning.

Q. Where can I find hard to find parts?
A. Call us, we can put in a special order for you. It also may not be available anymore, but we can assure you of one thing if it's out there we can find it.

Q. When should I start up my cooler?
A. This is weather dependent. What we watch for is that the weather is going to stay above 45 degrees for a full seven day forecast. If your cooler is serviced by SwampTech simply wait for our postcard.

Q. When should I shut my cooler down for the winter?
A. This is weather dependent. Rule of thumb is that it's never too early to shut down your cooler. I personally wait until I haven't used my cooler for five to seven days. If your cooler is serviced by SwampTech, simply wait for our postcard or email. You must always shut your cooler down before the first freeze. If your water line freezes it can burst and flood your home.

Q. Is a copper or Poly water line better?
A. Poly water lines don't hold up well to UV rays and spring leaks sometimes in as little as six months. Copper water lines can last indefinitely if drained properly before the first freeze.

Q. Is it better to run a water line on the outside or inside of the house?
A. We have found running the water line on the outside of the house can prevent flooding or damage to drywall and paint and slow leaks are more easily noticed. We always advise our clients to run their water lines on the outside of their homes.