Evaporative cooling can be your favourite purchase, providing the effective cooling your space needs on a hot day. That said, if you want to know how an evaporative cooler will support your chosen environment, you must first understand how they operate.

Do evaporative coolers even work in hot and humid atmospheres, the environments that many Australians are accustomed to? Let’s unpack how evaporative coolers work to find out.

What Is An Evaporative Cooler?

An evaporative cooler is an air conditioner that uses evaporation to lower the air’s temperature. As it dissipates, water transforms from a liquid to a gas. The temperature of the water drops as it does this because the highest-energy particles are the first to depart.

Evaporative coolers use the same basic concept as evaporation, a simple process that lowers air temperature in dry environments. However, evaporative coolers are outfitted with sophisticated technology to produce an efficient cooling process.

How Do They Work?

The blower draws dry, hot air into the apparatus and distributes it over the cooled pads. These thick pads have numerous layers to increase their surface area and their ability to collect water from the reservoir.

As the hot air moves over the water droplets on the pad’s surface, they vaporise. This brings the temperature of the air inside the cooler down. The evaporative cooler’s delivery of that chilly air will allow you to enjoy the pleasant breeze in your room on a hot day.

Do Evaporative Coolers Work On Hot, Humid Days?

In essence, because it circulates humidified air throughout your home, evaporative cooling loses its overall efficacy in already humid environments. Because of the air’s already high humidity levels, it is more difficult for it to incorporate any additional water vapour.

You can work around this by:

• Using it primarily when the weather is hot and dry with minimal rate of humidity.
• Assuring that there is enough water to keep the pads moist and capable of delivering the necessary cool air.
• If the air is already humid, operating your evaporative cooler with a partially open door or window to reduce unwanted moisture build-up will help it stay cool.

In conclusion, evaporative coolers will work on hot, humid days, but at a lower rate of efficiency. That said, in the right environment with enough ventilation, they can be very effective.

If you would like to know more about evaporative coolers, get in touch with a Fanmaster representative.