Evaporative Coolers

An evaporative cooler, which is also known as a swamp cooler, uses evaporation technology to cool the air. An evaporative cooler has a fan at one end, which pulls air into the unit and then pushes it through the house after sending it over the cool, damp pads that have been kept moist by a small pump.

A portable evaporative cooler is most effective in a hot and dry climate, because in very humid environments the water can’t evaporate quickly enough to provide significant cooling. The evaporative air cooler also works best in the presence of proper air flow, which can be achieved by opening windows.

A portable swamp cooler works by evaporating water into the air, which is why people use it for spot cooling.

Since it works by evaporating water into the air, an evaporative cooler is not designed to lower a room’s ambient temperature like an air conditioner, which removes hot air from the area, leaving behind cooler, drier air. A swamp cooler is also different than a humidifier, which adds moisture to the air, but does not cool it. The bottom line is that an evaporative cooler cools the air better than a humidifier, but not as well as a portable AC. 

When you’re deciding which eco-friendly portable evaporative cooler is best for you, it may be helpful to start by determining the size of the area you want it to cool. At Best Buy, the description for each evaporative cooler informs you of the square footage the unit will service. Some units can also be used inside and in semi-outdoor areas like a screened in patio. While most evaporative air coolers can be quickly moved from room to room, you can also select one with an oscillating design to help spread the cooled air throughout the area.

You’ll also want to identify which features will add convenience to your swamp cooler usage. While most evaporative air coolers can be moved from room to room, you can also select one with an oscillating design, which helps spread the cooled air throughout the area. Other evaporative cooler features include a timer, auto shut-off and sleep mode. If you’d like to be able to control your portable swamp cooler from across the room, choose a model with a remote control. You may also want to consider a better-safe-than-sorry approach and get a surge protector, This can help prevent the unit from frying during a large power spike and protect it from damage caused by smaller electrical surges.