who else is running a swamp cooler?
- Thread starter jeep-N-montero
- Start date
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
We ditched the swamp cooler during our remodel, rebates nearly paid for it and the house is far cooler.
glockman
I hate Jeep trucks
- Location
- Pleasant Grove
Not really. 2600 sq ft slit entry. There are 7 people living here 3 of them teenagers who consume a lot of everything, food, power and money!
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UNSTUCK
But stuck more often.
My house has this ridiculously tall vaulted ceiling that I'm spending a small fortune trying to cool for no reason. I've never been a fan of swamp coolers, but I wonder if having both units in my next home would be the way to go. Alternate between both of them to keep it cool and dry.
Way off topic, but Cascadia, can you finish a basement? I want two large bedrooms, a nice bathroom, a gym and a family room/theater room?
Way off topic, but Cascadia, can you finish a basement? I want two large bedrooms, a nice bathroom, a gym and a family room/theater room?
Cascadia
Undecided
- Location
- Orem, Utah
Yes. I do basement finishes all the time. Pm incoming.
jeep-N-montero
Formerly black_ZJ
- Location
- Bountiful
At Lowe's yesterday a 4000cfm unit I saw can be had for under $500. CFM use is based on your square footage X 2, so if your home is 2000 square feet then a 4000cfm unit is what you would need, for a 2500 sq foot home 5k, and so on. The paint on our cooler matches the shingles and it's on the roof side away from the road, so you don't even know it's there. After all of the research I have done the last few days I will likely never even consider an A/C unit. At the moment I'm sitting here still in my dress clothes from church and am cool as a cucumber with the thermostat reading 76, even my wife said she can't feel any humidity in the house today and that's saying a lot.
Many folks do not know how to properly "tune" their home for a swamp cooler, they simply switch it on with the windows closed and complain it doesn't work well. The "toilet paper" test is a simple way to ensure proper airflow and keep the humidity down. You simply take a piece of toilet paper and put it up against the screen and open up a window in the rooms you want to cool off the most, once proper airflow is reached the toilet paper will just fall down.
jeep-N-montero
Formerly black_ZJ
- Location
- Bountiful
Another upside to swamp coolers is that they bring filtered air into the house and push out the old air, this is great if you have allergies. Plus if you are cooking it keeps airflow going and pushes any odors outside, this is not the case with A/C that recirculates the same stagnant air over and over.
jeepin4x4james
WAAAAA
- Location
- Bluffdale, UT
Our swamp cooler brings the heat... Literally. Yesterday it got up to 88 in the kitchen and 91 in our bedroom. Right now with a stand alone (small) a/c unit in the kitchen it is 85, and 87 in the bedroom. Way too hot.
I've tried all the swamp cooler tricks.... New pump, motor, filters, windows open proper amount.... Nothing helps.
I'm sure a lot has to do with the windows and insulation in our house (built in '93), and we are east facing with no shade in the backyard... The sun really radiates the back of the house in the afternoon.
After dealing with the swampy for 5yrs, I would glady pay the hefty power bill for a/c.
I think it would be neat to have both, or some type of hybrid unit. Even have a smart thermostat that monitors humidity as well and adjusts a/c and evaporative cooling accordingly.
I've tried all the swamp cooler tricks.... New pump, motor, filters, windows open proper amount.... Nothing helps.
I'm sure a lot has to do with the windows and insulation in our house (built in '93), and we are east facing with no shade in the backyard... The sun really radiates the back of the house in the afternoon.
After dealing with the swampy for 5yrs, I would glady pay the hefty power bill for a/c.
I think it would be neat to have both, or some type of hybrid unit. Even have a smart thermostat that monitors humidity as well and adjusts a/c and evaporative cooling accordingly.
jeep-N-montero
Formerly black_ZJ
- Location
- Bountiful
Our house is about 70% surrounded by trees, so it helps quite a bit.
jeepin4x4james
WAAAAA
- Location
- Bluffdale, UT
I think trees in our backyard would help immensely. There are power lines though, so that may be difficult. Maybe Poplar's would work....
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
We did all the tricks with our cooler too, but the house still got noticeably dustier which is a combination of filters and hard water in our area. Between the stale pistachios, the dust and the noise... it didn't work for us but I grew up in a house with one and with kids in and out of the house all day and night the swamp cooler was king. My dad actually had both swamp and central air but ran just the swamp as it worked so much more efficiently. When we upgraded to central air (again, hardly any extra between rebates and the new HVAC we were doing anyway) I debated leaving it on the roof. I've not seconded guessed it at this point and when I re-roof this fall I'll have them delete the hole and ducting 100%. I like the fact we can leave the house secure, locked and temperature controlled. Before if we locked all the doors and windows and came home after a week away in the summer the house would be 100 degrees and take several days to cool back down. Now we lock up the house and come home to a 70* interior 
x2, I've never heard of swamp coolers being noted for their air filtering capacities. Even the high dollar filters still suck through dust... worst is when there is a local wild fire. It would yank all that air into the house.
I am going to rock a swamp cooler in the shop, with the big bay doors opening and closing and the lack of food in the cupboards... it just makes sense. Thinking of a roller unit.
x2, I've never heard of swamp coolers being noted for their air filtering capacities. Even the high dollar filters still suck through dust... worst is when there is a local wild fire. It would yank all that air into the house.
I am going to rock a swamp cooler in the shop, with the big bay doors opening and closing and the lack of food in the cupboards... it just makes sense. Thinking of a roller unit.
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TJDukit
I.Y.A.A.Y.A.S.
- Location
- Clearfield
Our power just quit, swamp cooler our AC wouldn't matter its just plain hot in my house.