- Can be plugged into a standard household outlet
- Minimal set-up and less expensive to purchase
- No harmful refrigerants
- Improves air quality by pushing out warm, stale air

However, if you live in a more humid area, keep in mind that an evaporative cooler might just make you feel more damp. But if you live in a suitable area, the benefits of an evaporative cooler just can’t be beat. Here’s a video the Weather Channel recently created on evaporative coolers.

We decided that a portable dishwasher might be the answer for now.  Although not that well known yet, these handy appliances are great for apartment and condo dwellers.  Portable dishwashers are very affordable and easy to use. Instead of requiring any type of plumbing work, they connect directly to your faucet and drain into your sink.  The model we chose was the NewAir ADW-2600W.

This portable dishwasher has an excellent blend of features, design and price.  At less than $250, we found it to be a great value.  This portable dishwasher can handle up to 6 place settings and boasts 5 different wash cycles.  Design-wise, this countertop unit has a crisp, white finish with seamless doors, single door handle and electronic controls.  Additional features include a cutlery basket, speed wash cycle, automatic detergent/rinse aid dispenser and heavy-duty stainless steel interior.

Overall, the NewAir ADW-2600W portable dishwasher has great features at a very affordable price.  Since it just came onto the market a few months ago, there aren’t that many reviews yet, but so far it’s working well.

Pros:

• Attractive design
• No plumbing required
• Stainless steel tub
• 6 place setting capacity
• 5 wash cycles

Cons:

• No digital display
• No delay function

Swamp coolers keep you cool by using a very simple process we’ve all experienced but maybe never have thought about. Warm air is passed through water soaked cooling pads, and when the water evaporates, the air is cooled. Think of coming out of a pool on a hot day and feeling the wind hit your skin. That’s the power of evaporation at work!

NewAir recently asked me to review one of their newest portable evaporative coolers for this year: the AF-351. This residential unit covers larger areas up to 300 square feet, and it was more than enough for my large living room. Recent Southern California temperatures have been moderate for this time of year, but there were a few days last week where the temperatures reached well over 90°F, making it prime time to test this unit out.

Overall, the NewAir AF-351 portable evaporative cooler does a great job at what it’s designed to do. Since the area where I live has low relative humidity, I found this product to be an excellent way to stave off the heat on warm days. Since the unit holds a good amount of water (20 liters), I didn’t have to refill the unit often. There’s also a meter that tells you how much water is left in the tank. Here are some additional thoughts on the unit:

Pros:

• Sturdy design – the unit looks like it’s built well and should last several seasons
• Digital display – this shows the different fan speeds and timer (if you have this set)
• Remote – handy for controlling this from different parts of the room
• Powerful – you can definitely feel the cool air and it covers as much as it claims to

Cons:

• Sound level – since this evaporative cooler is more powerful than most compact air coolers you’ll find on the market, you’ll definitely hear it on high speeds, though it’s not louder than an air conditioner.

The NewAir AF-351 portable evaporative cooler is a great buy if you’re looking to stay cool for less this summer and is available for less than $200 at www.air-n-water.com.

After doing research online, I found that water filters generally fall into 3 categories: pitcher-type (like the Brita ones you’ll find at Target), faucet-mounted models and ones that install under your sink. Because I’m not very handy around the home and just need instant gratification, I opted for a pitcher water filter that I can pour tap water in and store in my refrigerator.

I found that a lot of the more popular pitcher type water filters found in larger chain stores were either expensive to upkeep or just didn’t really do much filtering at all. The only model that really stood out was the ZeroWater ZD-013, which I ultimately purchased. This pitcher filter is pretty cool in that it comes with a battery-powered meter that actually displays your water’s contamination level. I was also glad that it comes with a 5-stage filtration system, which is more comprehensive than what I found in other models in the same price range. But what really impressed me about this unit is that it’s actually certified by the Water Quality Association, FDA approved and provides water that’s comparable to bottled.

Here’s a short list of pros and cons:

Pros:
- Water is comparable to bottled
- Comes with neat little water meter to detect contamination levels
- Really easy to use

Cons:
- Replacement filters costs about 15 bucks and only lasts 20 gallons

In the end, because of the high filter costs, it just wasn’t that cost effective for me to continue using the ZD-013 since I drink about a gallon a day. But if you don’t drink that much water, this can be a great product.

The ZeroWater ZD-013 can be found in stores like Target and Air & Water Inc.

So two weeks ago, my 5-year-old swamp cooler broke and I started to look online and in stores for one that was better and would last me longer. I found the Symphony Sumo-J portable evaporative cooler, so I started to look for information on that. Air & Water provided the most information, as well as the most informative information. However, I found the lowest price on Amazon.com.

I got it after about a week, and I’m pretty happy so far! The unit is working well. It says on Air-N-Water that the unit is best suited for areas approximately 300 square feet in size – which my room is. It comes with 3 speeds, too, so that makes me happy. I plan to use this as a humidifier only once the winter comes. It’ll be very handy. I don’t think I’ll see a huge spike in my energy bill, either, since the unit only uses 150 W. It’s also very easy to clean. The grill slides right out and right back in when I’m done. The only thing is that this unit is actually kind of loud. However, I’m rather used to it, seeing as my older one was louder. Great product!

Because I live in Southern California, the weather varies A LOT and I end up using an air conditioner and a heater all in the same week. And with global warming, it becomes rather difficult to keep up with switching the different appliances every day. Plus, it gets quite costly! Unfortunately (or fortunately, however you look at it), my NewAir air conditioner recently broke after more than 5 years of use, so I looked at Air-N-Water’s website to find a new one. Apparently, they just put up the brand new AC-14000H, which was perfect for my whole apartment (it’s pretty small, about 500 square feet).

The NewAir AC-14000H is perfect for my every need. It actually features 4-in-1 technology that includes an air conditioner, a heater, a dehumidifier, and a fan all in one. I feel like this unit was made specifically for me! Now, I don’t have to take out the heater all the time because I can just switch the portable AC into heating mode and I’m set! Plus, I live in a city where the humidity levels are off the charts. This PAC makes my apartment feel much more comfortable. Instead of the old R22 refrigerant that my old AC used, the AC-14000H uses the new R-410A, which is more eco-friendly (I’m all about going green!) and efficient. I’ve since noticed that my energy costs have gone down, which makes me extremely happy, of course.

I already recommended this super-awesome unit to a bunch of my friends. They all love the sleek and compact 4-in-1 design. One even purchased hers from www.air-n-water.com right away! Thank you for such an amazing product!

The unit works fairly quick; it makes 12 pieces of ice within about six minutes. And with a stainless steel finish, I’m not even worried about this unit giving out anytime soon. What I don’t like is that it can’t store ice, which can be a little inconvenient. But it’s not a big deal because I can just turn it off if it’s making too much ice too quickly. Plus, I believe it uses the melted ice water to make new ice, so I don’t have to worry about always refilling the tank! If I needed another one, I’d definitely get it from here.

I read through the entire air purifier guide, and let me just say that the people at Air & Water are really informed! I found the perfect unit for me while looking through the guide about allergies and asthma. I bought the Airgle 750 air purifier, and I love it. It doesn’t use up a lot of energy, so I keep it on 24/7. It’s not too loud, which is a common problem among air purifiers. Since using this air purifier, I am happy to say that I have been feeling much healthier and my whole house has been smelling fresher. And best of all, an air purifier doesn’t make me sleepy – that was something I had to deal with all the time when using over-the-counter allergy medicine. PLUS, ground shipping was free on www.air-n-water.com on all air purifiers! Nothing beats saving money. Overall, I’m a very happy camper. Take a look at the air purifier guide – you won’t regret it!

I grew up with Sparkletts water dispenser in my kitchen. My parents spent quite a bit each month to have the Sparkletts brand water jugs delivered to our house, and our delivery man would actually come into our kitchen and set up the jugs for us. Today water dispensers (or water coolers, as they’re also commonly referred to as) are becoming popular again as people realize the important of drinking clean, fresh water. In fact, I think the ubiquitous water cooler is pretty common in most offices in this country.

I’ve noticed that there are generally 2 different types water dispensers – floor standing and countertop. The freestanding ones are a little more expensive than their tabletop counterparts, but you can get a larger jug on the floor standing models which means less jug changes overall.

Since my wife and I still like the convenience of having hot and cold water at the push of a button, we chose to purchase a water dispenser for our apartment. We looked at several different manufacturers, and were surprised by the selection. Some of the more popular brands we found were Avanti and Vitapur on the low end side to super high end ones from Aquaverve that cost well over $1000. We did find a good mid-range model from a brand called Clover. But the next step was to decide whether we want a bottled or point-of-use model.

In recent years we’ve all become aware of the large waste associated with plastic water bottles and jugs, and seeing as we now live in super eco-conscious San Francisco, we decided to purchase a point-of-use water dispenser – specifically the Clover D14 hot and cold point of use water dispenser. Unlike bottled water coolers, this unit doesn’t use or reuse plastic bottles. Instead, it hooks up directly to your water line. Installation wasn’t that simple, though; we had to have our apartment maintenance guy come help us set it up. However, we can’t say enough good things about this dispenser. It looks sleek, works well, and is much nicer than some of the Sparkletts models I grew up with! The cost from air-n-water.com was less than $300 shipped, so not too bad at all.