Swamp cooler refresher 101
It's a new summer cooler season!
Swamp Cooler theory: The water and sunshine combine in the cooler to evaporate the water and this changes the temperature of the water as much as 20 degrees. The cooler works to push out the hotter air in the apartment and replace it with the cooler air. To make this happen, you must open a window about 1-2 inches in each room to help the cooler push out the warm air. You can control the cool air after about 40 minutes by then reducing the 1-2 inch opening in each room or closing doors to rooms you don't want to cool. Do not open your windows wider than 2 inches or the cooler will not develop enough pressure to force out the hot air.
It is important to turn just the pump on for 15 to 20 minutes to wet-out the cooler filters before turning on the fan to Low or High. Low and High with the pump on will wet cooler pads to make cool air in the day time. (on some switches Low Cool & High Cool includes the pump and water. The Low Vent & High Vent setting does not include water.)
Low and High Vent without the pump on, allow the cooler to blow air without wetting the filters and is good to use when outside air is cool especially at night. Swamp coolers work the best to deliver cool air to each room by opening a window in each room 1 to 2 inches. It works the best while the sun is shining. (Swamp coolers are different from Central air which re-circulates cool air like the furnace) So you'll want to experiment. Close a door to rooms you don’t wish to cool. Open a window wider to a room you want more cool air in and close Windows in other rooms. Raise your shades up a few inches to allow the air to escape.
A swamp cooler doesn't work well at night or cloudy days but turning the fan on without the water-pump will bring in cool night air from outside until late July and August when the temps at night are too hot. During the hotter months some people ask why their swamp cooler isn't cooling enough and are surprised to learn that swamp coolers only cool the air up to about 20 degrees lower than the sunny outside air. So on cloudy muggy days they don't work so well and when it is 100 degrees outside, that means they will only cool to about 80 degrees inside. I recommend getting an additional fan to help move the air in your apartment.
Let me know if you have questions and if there are problems and I will come by to help.
More details about how swamp coolers work
A Video about how Swamp coolers work
I have the best of luck using a 20-inch square fan to help move the air from the cooler into the bedrooms. They sell for under $20 at Walmart or Home Depot. You can also purchase a low-cost 20-inch furnace filter from Home Depot and place it in the back to catch dust.
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