Topic: Swamp cooler tech!!!

[werty]

First things first water. Water is a main staple out here in the desert.
The water is sent from the local mercury/cyanide filled under ground water supply via piping to my house.
From the its teed off to the cooler on the roof.
 

The water enters the cooler via a toilet valve. Limiting the water from running over the edge of the coolers sides.
Water that dose run over is evaporated by the intense heat before it hits the ground.



This little pump sends an amazing 5 GPM to the top of the cooler to be dispersed by the the 8 spider legs of pissing doom.



It is pissing on the roof!


The water is dispersed thru little slots in in the top of each side. The water is then soaked in the the fibrous matting in each side.

Once water is flowing and the mat's are wet its time to move some air thru the house. On high this blower moves  4500 CFM
 Thats a lot of air. 
The air is cooled by the water in the mat's as its pulled thru from the blower.




On the inside is a 18''x18'' box that the air is pushed thru. Depending on what windows are cracked in the house, is where the air will fow to and cool

[unclejpl4x4]

so  it's a real install system  and not some redneck thing    very very informative


thx you for explaning it

but how much difrence in temps do U see 

[Willy Mammoth]

The water is being used as a refrigerant. It is OK to release this refrigerant as it is only water and as far as we know it does not effect the ozone layer.

It is the evaporation of the water that cools the air just like when your sweat dries off your skin it cools you down.

Now that works well except for when the air is saturated and can not hold anymore water, then it just blows wet air.

[baconator]

looks good.  have you experienced the sauna effect when you had no windows cracked?

[unclejpl4x4]

what about mold build up   from the wet mats and stuff ?

[79coyotefrg]

to make it  cooler  you need to keep the water going up there as cool as possible

runthe water line  thru the roof  not over it

also  if  you make yourself a  "water cooler"  you can reduce the temps even more

if  you took the pump  and  ran a line  that  goes from the  pump to the top of the swamp cooler,  run a 1/4 inch copper line  down into the house  with a  coil of tube ran into your refrigerator,  then  running it from there back  to the top of the swamp cooler

takes alot of tube  but  will really  reduce  the temp of the water

[werty [OP]]

It is the evaporation of the water that cools the air just like when your sweat dries off your skin it cools you down.

Now that works well except for when the air is saturated and can not hold anymore water, then it just blows wet air.

yep when its hazy out side and humid it dosen't work
 

You can see the Kat houses in the distance. Along with the heat haze over the mountians.

unclejpl4x4  the temp dropped  15 degrees when I tured it on. a cool 72 now

[werty [OP]]

looks good.  have you experienced the sauna effect when you had no windows cracked?

no lol that would suck we just turn it off when its to humid

[unclejpl4x4]

i still would like a dieagram  maybe someing  in MS paint

[unclejpl4x4]

but  do you guys still use reg AC units out there  ?      dose everone have a swamp cooler

[baconator]

looks good.  have you experienced the sauna effect when you had no windows cracked?

no lol that would suck we just turn it off when its to humid

i made the mistake of running the swamp cooler in our shop with the doors closed while i went to lunch and when i got back it was about 110* and 100% humidity.  sauna effect isnt fun

[werty [OP]]

but  do you guys still use reg AC units out there  ?      dose everone have a swamp cooler

nope out here its the best thing for the heat lots of people have ac but this is more cost effective.

[*** YELLER ***]

Now if it gets crazy hot and it feels like the cooler just aint workin' go to the grocery store and buy some blocks of ice and drop them in da coola and see how much that drops the air temp. (if you have an ice maker save some in plastic baggies and use it in da coola)


No this is not a joke it works and I do it every year when my fat ass gets too hot its like AC without da bill


 

[Tallchevy]

Now if it gets crazy hot and it feels like the cooler just aint workin' go to the grocery store and buy some blocks of ice and drop them in da coola and see how much that drops the air temp. (if you have an ice maker save some in plastic baggies and use it in da coola)


No this is not a joke it works and I do it every year when my fat ass gets too hot its like AC without da bill


 

X2

[werty [OP]]

i still would like a dieagram  maybe someing  in MS paint

[unclejpl4x4]

[werty [OP]]

what about mold build up   from the wet mats and stuff ?

They are cheep .. like 5 bucks or less a piece... like heater filters on steroids.
They were new 2 years ago. So all I do is wash them off before the first time they get used in the spring.
mold There no stinking mold, just calcium build up. thats easy to get rid of when its dry with a broom.

[Stocker]

Great descriptions, and love the diagram!      Haven't heard of using ice cubes, I'll have to try it.

That looks just like the one that's been cooling my house since 1990.  Starting to rust out though, it'll need replaced before too long.  Lots cheaper than A/C!   

[werty [OP]]

Great descriptions, and love the diagram!      Haven't heard of using ice cubes, I'll have to try it.

That looks just like the one that's been cooling my house since 1990.  Starting to rust out though, it'll need replaced before too long.  Lots cheaper than A/C!  

you pulling 5lbs of stuff out of the bottom in the spring too?

[Stocker]

you pulling 5lbs of stuff out of the bottom in the spring too?

Are you talking about minerals etc from the water, or all the junk that breaks away from the pads?

Our water isn't bad, very little stuff from that.  I do get some pad material, but I always clean it out, then drain it and dry everything before covering the cooler for the winter.  In the spring I usually just oil the bearing blocks and turn the water on, and it's good to go.

[Lady Di]

OMG!! He really did a thread!! 

Your diagram is excellent!!   but that would not work in our FL. humidity!  

A swamp cooler doesn't cool swamps!



I kill me! 

[werty [OP]]

Are you talking about minerals etc from the water, or all the junk that breaks away from the pads?

Our water isn't bad, very little stuff from that.  I do get some pad material, but I always clean it out, then drain it and dry everything before covering the cooler for the winter.  In the spring I usually just oil the bearing blocks and turn the water on, and it's good to go.

junk that builds up in my'n is rust, calcium, dirt, cause its windy in winter time, shingle rocks :: .

[Stocker]

Sorry to hear it -- mine stays a lot cleaner inside.  Also, I got a heavy canvas cover for it (~$30, iirc) for the off season...

[werty [OP]]

Sorry to hear it -- mine stays a lot cleaner inside.  Also, I got a heavy canvas cover for it (~$30, iirc) for the off season...

I need to get one of those.

[kneedownnate]

Haven't heard of using ice cubes, I'll have to try it.

You haven't??  I could have sworn I told either you or mom about putting ice in mine at the last house.  Cubes melt off too fast, blocks work better.  You should have plenty of space in that big freezer since you don't have it stocked with bear meat anymore

Swamp coolers work pretty well around here.  I got home from work about 11 tonight and the house was WAAAY hotter inside than it was outside.  Ran the pump for 5-10 minutes before turning it on and it's blowing cold within a few minutes.  Worst part of it is it makes me congested and snotty, which is now made worse by my stupid summer flu . 

[Stocker]

Nate, you probably told me about the ice -- but I'm getting forgetful in my old age!!      
And yeah, I meant 'block', but typed 'cubes' instead 

Sorry to hear you caught the crud, hope you get rid of it soon!   

[Cheesemaker]

I don't envy you guys!  We get a hand full of days that it's above 85* and the rest is very comfortable.  And the winter is just wet and cool.  And we get a hand full of days where it's freezing!  The rest of the year we're around 50-60* 

[Stocker]

cheesemaker, you truly do live in a beautiful part of the country!

[Cheesemaker]

Thanks!  Sometimes I forget until I go somewhere else.  Went to Fresno/Disneyland last summer and all I saw was brown!  I love how green everything is here!

[werty [OP]]

I miss brookings OR cause of the all the green. Hell the hottest day was like 93. Most the time its mid 60s. 50s in the winter and a few weeks in the 70s during summer.