Swamp coolers and central air conditioning are both potentially great ways to keep your home cool during the hottest months of the summer time. However, you shouldn't think that central air condition and swamp coolers are created equally. Just because they are both cooling solutions does not mean that they are in any way the same. In fact, they almost couldn't be more different from one another.
What Both Central Air and Swamp Coolers Should Do
The general theory behind any kind of heating or cooling system is that you take air and put it through a space that is either hotter or colder than the surrounding area. From there, you can distribute this heated or cooled air to where you want it. In the case of cooling, you can take hot air out or integrate cool air into your space. The theory is the same for both central air and a swamp cooler, but the methods are different.
Central Air
A central air conditioning system is a lot like a heat pump, and in many cases a system that has a heat pump also has a central air conditioning system built in. A central air conditioner takes the hot air out of your house and pumps it outside, preferably into a shaded place with good ventilation that isn't too close to your siding.
Outside your air conditioner is cooling air via coils inside the unit. The cooled air that comes from the coils of the air conditioner, after the heat has dissipated outside, can then be pumped into the house and released, rather like a refrigerator, only on a larger scale and to a lesser degree.
Central air conditioning systems carry the disadvantage that they need to be installed properly to work effectively, and this is both challenging and legally regulated. You need someone who is HVAC certified to handle some aspects of this, though a handy person with some electrical knowledge can take care of the bulk of this operation.
You also have a lot of electricity required to run this kind of setup, particularly because this is essentially the same as running your heating system in the winter time. You are fighting the outside climate to create a separate climate zone inside. You may also need to humidify the air if you start feeling too dry, as the process of cooling does remove a lot of the humidity.
The advantage to a central air conditioner is that they're safe and easy once they're installed. Central air conditioning systems also have the advantage of equally cooling the entire house. Meaning you don't have to worry about having one room of your home be really warm, while other areas feel like meat lockers.
Swamp Cooling
A swamp cooler is perhaps the easiest way to beat the heat other than a basement or a cave. All you need for the most basic version of a swamp cooler is a fan and a cold object, like a block of ice, to hang around in the area where your swamp cooler is installed. Swamp coolers are good because they're cheap and easy to build, and they can be remarkably effective in dry areas.
There are, however, several downsides of a swamp cooler. They aren't very effective in humid areas, for one. They can also be dangerous as there is the slight possibility of the ice melting and causing an electrical short or even a fire. Furthermore, they only cool a fairly small area -- which is fine if you have a small home or only want it for your bedroom. Unless you have a very small home or don't move around very much, this can start to limit you.
Choosing the best type of cooling for your home can be a difficult choice, but both central air conditioning and swamp coolers can provide some relief from the very hot summer day.
Share5 January 2015
Have you ever stopped to think about the general health of your air conditioner? Although it might seem like a silly thing to worry about, air conditioners need a little tender loving care just like any other home appliance. Unfortunately, it can be hard to detect issues until your system sputters to a halt one day. My blog is all about improving your HVAC experience by learning how to keep it on point. On my blog, you will learn how to check for air conditioning problems, troubleshoot your system, and even find the perfect replacement--should you need to upgrade your system.