Evaporative Cooler vs Air Conditioner: Comparison, Pros and Cons

evaporative cooler vs air conditionerWe live in the modern world and most of us are already used to comfort so much that we rarely pay attention to where it comes from.

Very often, it seems so obvious that any house or office or store is supposed to have a conditioner inside, especially if it sunny most of the year in the area you reside. However, how often have you thought about the difference between various air coolers? There you go!

Therefore, today we are going to learn everything about evaporative cooler vs air conditioner so that from now on you will become an expert when it comes to these two air cooler types!

Conditioning Process Definition

Evaporative cooler (also swamp cooler) cools the air due to water evaporation. The air goes through a kind of a wet pad and while the water evaporates the air gets cooler. However, such a cooler needs constant attention since if you miss the time when water runs out – the device will stop working. It should be mentioned that this type of cooling is perfect for areas with low humidity levels.

The air conditioner cools the air by removing water in it, in its turn. There is a special chemical involved that transforms from gas state into liquid one and vice versa. This is precisely what happens when you use the AC unit to cool the room. It needs to be noted that such a type of conditioning is best to be used in the areas with high humidity levels.

What Does the Process of Installation Look Like?

To tell you the truth, both types of conditioners can be set on your own if we speak about window or portable ones. However, when you need central conditioning installed either air or swamp one – you are going to need some professional help with that.

Which Conditioner Will Cost You More?

It is not an easy question to answer since there are a lot of factors involved, such as type or model, the place it is going to be installed, the individual or central condition is required. This means that prices may vary greatly.

Which Type of Conditioner is More Energy Efficient?

It is safe to say that swamp cooler is more energy efficient. The fact is that it consumes up to 35 percent of the energy required by an AC, if you compare two coolers of the same size. Besides, the evaporative cooler does not need costly chemicals to work, while the air conditioner does. However, it should be mentioned that due to the fact the first one runs on water it can be a little difficult to provide it with necessary amount of water if you live in areas suffering from drought or water supply shortage.

What Should You Keep in Mind in Terms of Climate?

As it has been already mentioned swamp coolers are more than suitable for areas where the climate is hot and dry. Due to the fact that moisture is used to cool the area, in places where it is humid such a conditioner may result in mold and mildew.

The truth is that when it comes to air conditioners they can work in all the climates. However, the fact that they do dry air makes them a lot more efficient in the areas with humid climate. If you use such a conditioner where the air is dry, it will lead to over-drying and may result in some serious skin issues as a consequence.

Which Cooler is Simpler to Maintain?

Both types of coolers require yearly maintenance. However, swamp ones also require daily and monthly maintenance as well. All due to the fact that you need to check the water level all the time and change the pad occasionally. When it comes to AC, all you need is the change of filters and chemicals once a year.

What About the CO2 Emissions?

As you may already know – CO2 emissions are bad for human health. That is why it is essential that you consider the safer cooler if other conditions allow. To begin with, we already know that a swamp cooler runs on water and that means that there are no such emissions, while AC uses chemicals in the process and when they convert from one state to another – CO2 emissions happen.

Which Cooler is Noisier?

It is quite obvious that air conditioner makes more noise, since the process of conversion is not that silent, while a swamp conditioner is pretty quiet.

As you can see, both types of cooling appliances serve the same goal but are very different from each other. It is difficult to say swamp cooler it better than the air one and vice versa. Pick one that suits you personally judging by the information provided.