How Does an Evaporative Cooler Work?

An evaporative cooler is a cooling unit that sits on your roof and cools air through the evaporation of water. It is also a cost effective method of cooling indoor spaces.

How does an Evaporative Cooler Work?

An evaporative cooler works based on the principles of evaporation. Hot and dry air from outside blows through water-soaked cooling pads. As the air blows through the pads, the water is evaporated and the heat in the air is absorbed, lowering the air temperature. The evaporative cooler’s fan then pushes the cool air through the ducting system and into your home. 

For evaporative cooling to work properly, doors and windows should be left open as to not dampen your floors, walls, appliances and belongings.

Benefits of having Evaporative Cooling

There are several benefits of having evaporative cooling in your home. These include:

• It is cost-effective. Evaporative cooling uses less water and less energy, therefore being cheaper to run.
• Eco-friendly.
• Provides better indoor air quality. As the air is not recirculated, you will have fresh air being pushed through your home every couple of minutes.
• Good in dry climates. Perfect for Canberra’s hot and dry summers.
• Easy to maintain. Evaporative cooling is easy to maintain as it only needs regular servicing. 

Evaporative Cooler Breakdowns

Even the most well maintened evaporative coolers can experience a break down. Break downs can be caused by the age, quality, and installation of the unit, as well as whether or not it has been regularly serviced. A break down can include water leaking from the unit or pipes connected to it, it making unusual sounds, not running as well as it should be, not blowing cool air, or it has stopped working completely. 

If you are experiencing any issues with your evaporative cooler, it may be time to call an experienced professional plumber.

Evaporative Cooling Servicing

Having your evaporative cooler serviced is important as it enhances the coolers performance and ensures that it is operating at its optimum level. Servicing your evaporative cooler also helps to keep the air inside your home fresh and clean. Dust that blows around Canberra – especially during our Summers – can either get clogged in the evaporative cooling unit, or your home may end up with dust blowing around it. 

Ideally, evaporative coolers should be serviced at the beginning of each season – around mid-late Spring. Evaporative cooler services can include:

• Cleaning and testing all working components,
• Cleaning and testing all electrical components,
• Cleaning and testing the fan blades and fan motor,
• Cleaning and testing the circulating pump, and
• Cleaning the pads.

At the end of each season, it is advised that you prepare your evaporative cooler for winter. This includes turning off the water supply to the unit as well as draining it down. This will help to prevent the pipes freezing over Winter and potentially causing cost damage to your evaporative cooling unit.

Prepare your Evaporative Cooler for winter

Draining down your evaporative cooler before winter is an important task as it helps to prevent any frozen or burst pipes during Canberra’s colder months, preventing potentially costly damage to your evaporative cooler.

Below are the steps to take to drain down your evaporative cooler:

1. Turn off the water supply to the evaporative cooling unit.
2. If possible – drain down your evaporative cooler. This depends on the type of unit that your home is equipped with and its installation. Near the unit’s water supply, there should be another tap which can be turned on (after you have turned the water supply off). This will drain down any remaining water from the pipe and unit.

If you do not have a drain down valve, it may be time to call a plumber to install one for you to prevent any potential issues throughout Winter.

Would you like to install an evaporative cooler at your home? Do you have an evaporative cooler that needs servicing or has stopped working as well as it should be? Canberra Plumbing and Drains is here for you! Give our friendly office staff a call on 0474 488 899 to book in your evaporative cooling appointment today.