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© 2008 by Kelly Smith all rights reserved
Air Conditioners and Swamp Coolers 06/08/08
Since its summer, one of the topics Isve been writing on is air conditioners. If
yousve got one, its time to tune it up. If its too far gone, its a great time to
install a new one. The SEER ratings are high, Energy Star abounds, and if you live in the U.S.,
youve probably got a tax rebate.
Another thing to do in the spring or early summer is tune up the thermostat. Hardly anyone does this.
The thing about A/C units is that theres many options. Do you want to cool just the living room
during the day but the bedroom at night? Get a portable air conditioner. How about cooling just one
room all the time? Consider a window-mounted unit.
During my research, I delved into the world of swamp coolers, or evaporative coolers, as theyre
also called. Ive never lived in the desert so I didnt have first hand knowledge of them. But I was
surprised to learn how closely they resemble the cooling towers that Ive worked with.
A swamp cooler is very simple compared to a central air conditioner. A central unit has a condenser
unit, evaporator coils, and a closed system with refrigerant and oil. A swamp cooler is just a box with
water soaked blanket pads hanging inside.
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