Q&A for How to Make the Air Colder in a Swamp Cooler Home

No. You don't want the house to be completely closed off. Open the window by just an inch in every room you want the cooler to affect. Air flow is a key component in making a swamp cooler work. Closing off all the windows will only make it very humid (and possibly hotter) in your house.

As part of your regular yearly maintenance, you should inspect the filter material (pads) to make sure it isn't plugged up with mineral deposits. I replace my pads at the beginning of each season as part of getting it ready for the summer. You should also inspect your blower (the squirrel cage) as part of the seasonal inspection to make sure it is clean and free of dirt and other buildup. I use a soft bristle brush or wire brush and vacuum to clean these as needed. Please note you'll want to turn off the breaker to your cooler before attempting any routine maintenance.

Yes. When the unit needs to cool, you need water on the pads and that means you need the pump to wet the pads. Otherwise, you're just bringing in outside air and not cooling the air.

It won't be effective. It's the evaporating water within the pad that creates cooler air. Use clean, quality pads and fresh water, you'll be good. These only work in dry climates.

It pulls outside air into the house, but does not wet the pads on the evaporative cooler. That can be good at night, for example, when it's cool enough outside.

Cool the living area first, then allow the waste air to flow into the attic for exhausting to the outside. This will cool the attic a little too.

Do you hear the motor humming, or is it dead? If it's dead then check your electricity flow. Check the fuse to your A/C in the fuse box. Disconnect your motor from the outlet and connect a lamp or radio to ensure your getting electricity through the outlet. Finally it could be that you're not getting enough electricity to run the motor. Use a voltmeter to measure the output from the outlet. This would also make motor hum but not run.

Turn it off until the ice goes away. If you have waited long enough, then it will magically work when you turn it on again. If this happens a lot, then you need a repair.

I turn mine on for about 15 minutes before starting the blower. The pads need some time to absorb enough water to create the cooling effect.

It probably needs more water. Check for corrosion or disruption in the lines from the water supply. Don't use the cooler if it's not getting enough water, it won't work.

I don't believe you will get air that will be "colder," you'll just get more of it.

Use the blue or green sponge type pads. They hold more water and cool a little better than the straw pads. They come in a roll or individual cut sizes. Just measure your panels, and cut with scissors to fit.

At some point, swamp coolers just don't cool very well. They become less efficient as the heat becomes more intense.

If the cooler whistles while water is flowing from the waterline leading up to the cooler, there may be a small hole in the line, allowing air to get into the water line. If no hole is found, then your next place to look is at the water distribution spider in the cooler itself. Again, it's highly likely that air is entering the waterline within the cooler, or even in one of the couplers.

No, it's not. Contrary to popular belief, if you block the airflow, you work the motor less because it's moving less air. Having said that, if you block the airflow so much as to have no flow across the motor, it could overheat.

To a slight degree, however there are negative trade-offs. If the pump is pushing too much water, it over saturates the pads and the excess can be pulled into your home. This also accelerates the oxidation or rusting of the blower fan (squirrel cage).

Experiment by opening and closing various combinations of doors and windows in your home, keeping in mind that airflow may depend on the direction of the wind, which can vary over time.

Regularly check for mineral deposits in the pads. Ensure that the cooler is placed openly and is not covered. As a bonus, place it in front of an open window, especially during the night time.

Install a higher speed motor. Check to see if your windows are open the right amount. If a dollar bill sticks to your window screen and barely moves down, the windows are open the correct amount.

You can use a dehumidifier to help lower the humidity a bit in a house cooled by a swamp cooler. Note, however, that using a standard compressor type dehumidifier is like running a standard AC, insofar as electrical usage. I've had a lot of luck with thermoelectric dehumidifiers that use a device called a Peltier cooler to draw water out of the air. They're quiet and electrically efficient.

The water shutoff valve could be set wrong. When you shut the cooler off any water left in the pads will drain into the sump. Measure the sump's water level when running, shut it off, and observe the water level. I'll bet you will see it rise and then overflow. Try adjusting the water valve.

Yes, it is. This is because outside air can be cooler when compared to inside air, and your swamp cooler can draw the cooler air inside. (Plus, outside air often has lower moisture.)

Nothing. It's not the water, it's the heat exchange process (and endothermic reaction) with the change of state from water to vapor. It takes heat to do this, so things end up cooler, if I remember my chemistry correctly.

Get new pads. They're not expensive and if you have older pads, you may have more than calcium in them, you could have mold spores. If you're desperate to clean them, soak in vinegar.

Weaker air flow, but less strain on the motor. A smaller pulley on the squirrel cage will give more air flow, but with more strain on the motor.