Staying Cool with an Evaporative Cooler
Whenever I get emails from readers asking about energy-efficient cooling products, the first thing I recommend is an evaporative cooler if they live in a drier climate. Also called “swamp coolers,” these appliances combine the natural cooling properties of water with a powerful breeze to make you feel several degrees cooler.
Affordable, easy to use and very eco-friendly, evaporative coolers also add moisture to the air, which is why they’re great for different parts of the American Southwest. In fact, they use just a fraction of the amount of energy an air conditioning system uses. Here are some other advantages evaporative coolers have over air conditioners:
- 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.