Someone who finds cooling appliances a necessity and not a luxury can make the right choice. However, It is not always easy to make the most sensible decision when it comes to investing in expensive appliances. Hence, we made the selection process easy for you by showing both sides . So you can decide which one is better according to your requirements between Swamp Cooler vs Air Conditioner.
Those who experience severe summers especially with increased muggy air, and the scorching sun would know the importance of investing in the ideal kind of cooling appliance. Depending on your budget, needs, climatic conditions, you might come to realize that not all methods of cooling are suitable for every environment.
Evaporative Cooler Vs Air Conditioner
The two most common yet renowned cooling appliance options are Swamp Coolers and Air Conditioners. They make your living or commercial space comfortable by lowering the temperature. Their purpose of creation remains the same but these two appliances work in a very different way from one another.
For you to make a clear choice, let’s dive into the details of both the appliances.
What is a Swamp Cooler?
A swamp cooler is known by many different names in the market, for example, evaporative cooler, swamp box, etc. It is a different kind of air conditioner that works by controlling the power of evaporation to cool down air temperatures.
How does a swamp cooler work?
To understand how evaporative coolers work, you may want a scientific explanation. When the water starts evaporating, it changes from liquid to gas. When this change begins, the highest-energy particles are the first ones to leave the water. Hence, causing a drop in temperature.
Pros of Swamp Coolers
Every electrical or mechanical appliance has its own pros and cons. Similarly, swamp coolers come with many advantages. Lets us see how effective is a swamp cooler. Some of these are mentioned below:
- In areas where humidity levels are low, swamp coolers prove to be an energy-efficient way to introduce cool air into your space.
- Since they utilize hardly one-third of the energy, swamp coolers have proven to be a quite economical investment in the long term.
- The contemporary era is all about environment-friendly items and appliances. Luckily, swamp coolers do not make use of any harmful or chemical refrigerants in order to keep your area cool. In fact, they protect your ozone layer by using water as their only refrigerant.
- The interior and the spare parts of a swamp cooler are not complex at all. The good thing is that in most cases, the maintenance and repair of swamp coolers can be done by the owner. Even if he has little to no experience.
Disadvantages of evaporative cooling
Just like swamp coolers offer you many advantages, you need to be aware of some of their disadvantages as well.
- Swamp coolers are going to use a lot of your water. So if you have water restrictions in your area, things can get difficult for you.
- Since they are not made up of high-end spare parts, swamp coolers require frequent maintenance and cleaning. You will have to clean its parts every day for effective functioning.
- If the humidity levels rise even a little in your environment, your swamp cooler might just give up on you.
Types of Installation a Swamp Cooler offers
When it comes to swamp cooler installation, there are four best evaporative air cooler types we have seen most frequently. We have mentioned them below for you to choose the ideal one for yourself.
- Window Swamp Cooler: As the name suggests, window swamp coolers were made to be installed in between your window. They come in multiple sizes and have a considerably cheaper cost. The average estimate of the installation cost of a window swamp cooler ranges from $700 to $2000.
- Ground-Mounted Swamp Cooler: Ground-mounted swamp coolers are installed outside your living space, lower to the ground levels. This makes them more accessible for repair and maintenance. This type is known for being a powerful appliance that can cool down your entire home by joining existing or new ductwork.
However, their installation price is a bit higher than the window swamp cooler. The average estimate of the installation cost of a Ground-mounted evaporative cooler ranges from $1500 to $5000.
- Roof Swamp Cooler: This installation style is an ideal choice for commercial evaporative coolers. Roof Swamp Coolers are very efficient when it comes to quick cooling of an entire space. But, they come with some disadvantages as well. This type of installation increases the chances of roof leakages by 40-60%.
Moreover, they are trickier to manage and their maintenance and repairing cost is also double the normal swamp coolers. The average estimate of the installation cost of a Roof swamp cooler ranges from $2000 to $7000.
- Portable Swamp Cooler: The name of this type is pretty much self-explanatory. They are portable and freestanding coolers that can be taken anywhere you want to.
Since these are easy to manage and lightweight, their purchase cost is also affordable. It ranges from $150 to $1500. But this type is not as efficient as other types. So they can’t be used for big spaces.
What is an Air Conditioner?
Air conditioning is a system of cooling performed through an air conditioner. It does that by wiping out heat from the room and moving it to an external space. Simply put, it captures the warm air of the room and throws it in the outside area. This enables the cool air to effortlessly move throughout the room, making it a cool space.
Pros of an Air Conditioner
There is a lot more to an Air Conditioner than just providing you with a comfortable and cool environment. Some of its advantages are mentioned below.
- An air conditioner keeps your surroundings cool without making any sort of noise. Hence it is ideal for home and commercial setups also.
- Since there is no noise, an air conditioner allows you to work with full concentration. This automatically improves your work performance.
- Air conditioners have the ability to filter out dust, pollen, and unwanted particles from your air. This improves your air quality and makes it healthier.
- It will remove the airborne outdoor allergens, mold particles, etc. Since these particles can worsen your asthma, the air conditioner helps in removing them from your living space.
Types of Installation of Air Conditioner
Although there are several types of AC installation, we have listed down some of the most common ones along with their installation costs.
- Central Air Conditioning: Central air conditioner works in a way that it is installed at the center point of any space, and from there cool air is distributed all around with the help of its fans and ductwork. This type of AC installation is an expensive one but it is a smart upgrade that gives full coverage. The average estimate of the installation cost of a Central Air Conditioner would range from $5500 to $12000.
- Ductless Mini-Split: Ductless Mini-splits effectively provide cool air to a single room. These are wall-mounted units, installed inside the house with an outdoor compressor that releases hot air outside. The average estimate of the installation cost of a Ductless Mini-Split ranges from $3000 to $9000.
- Portable Air Conditioner: As the name suggests, this type is not to be installed instead you can carry it with you anywhere. A portable air conditioner works by capturing the hot air into its system and then with the help of its motor, that air is cooled down. This is an ideal choice for a small space as portable air conditioners are not as powerful as other types. The average purchase cost of a Portable Air Conditioner is about $350 to $650.
- Floor Mounted Air Conditioner: You might have seen this one mostly in commercial settings. For professional or commercial settings, Floor mounted air conditioner is the ideal choice. It sits just above the floor and is installed low on the wall.
The cold air comes out through the vents made on this AC. The average purchase cost of a Floor Mounted AC ranges from $550 to $700.
Comparison Swamp Cooler vs Air Conditioner
The question remains still; which one is better? The answer to this is very subjective. As the choice would vary from person to person depending upon their priorities. If we talk about swamp cooler vs air conditioner cost. The Running cost of swamp cooler in comparison to an air conditioner is lower. However, factors like humidity of a particular region may require air conditioning installation.
Some might have a limited budget while others can afford to buy the most expensive ones as well. Some of you might be looking for an ideal unit for their presentation room while others want one for their lounge.
All in all, it is hard to come up with a concrete answer. But we have made the selection easy for you by shedding light on some facts you might want to consider before purchasing either a Swamp Cooler or an Air Conditioner.
Evaporative cooler vs Air conditioner power consumption
How much power does an evaporative cooler use?
Power used by evaporative coolers is usually low that is 200 to 400 watts due to the reason that only the fan and water pumps are using energy in this case. But still it can differ widely and that too depends on the features and capacity of your cooler as there are some domestic units that even use up to 2kW or more. But due to the fact that they have low power use, evaporative coolers’ ability to convert electrical energy into cool air is also very limited. So, you will see that air conditioners are much more powerful in terms of converting energy into coolness.
How much power does an air conditioner use?
Well in case of air conditioners the energy efficiency of different air conditioner models would be available on each system’s energy rating labels. This would help you to compare the relative efficiency of different units at full load, but you still have to choose a unit that is based on your particular requirements such as room size, local climate, and position of outdoor unit. The star rating tends to decrease as size goes up. Small to medium 6- or 7-star units are now available. As a goal, aim as high as you can afford. Air conditioners use more energy than that of a cooler because there are many functions involved, but air conditioners are much more powerful in terms of converting energy into coolness.
Final verdict
Because evaporative coolers work through just a fan and water pump, it uses much less power than air conditioners. The refrigerated air conditioning system, on the other hand, requires a lot of power to maintain the refrigerated cooler. There are many ways to minimize this cost, such as solar power. So in terms of energy saving, an evaporative cooler is a clear winner here.
Swamp Cooler vs Air Conditioner FAQs
Who should not opt for Swamp Coolers?
Below we have shortlisted some categories of people who should select swamp coolers as their cooling appliance choice. Check it out to see if you fall in any of these categories.
- First things first, due to its structure and noise-making capacity, swamp coolers shouldn’t be installed in a professional or commercial setting.
- If you are someone who lives in an area where humidity levels are too high (approximately 30% or more), then swamp coolers are a no for you.
- swamp coolers aren’t right choice for you, If you often experience a shortage of water in your area.
- If you are too busy to take time out for cleaning swamp coolers daily or even monthly, then don’t go for them.
Who should not opt for Air Conditioners?
You might think “how can we not be the right candidate to buy an air conditioner?” Well, just like swamp coolers, you might want to go through some striking reasons before purchasing an air conditioner.
- If you are someone who has a tight budget, then we would suggest you not go for an air conditioner. As air conditioners not only have a higher purchasing cost but their installation, maintenance, and repairing are also expensive. In this regard, the spare parts of a swamp cooler are reasonable as compared to that of an air conditioner.
- AC maintenance is very important especially for commercial setups and restaurants. So you need to be proactive in order to save on repairs.
- An air conditioner is an ideal choice if you have high humidity levels as it takes away the moisture and humidity from your surroundings. But if you are someone with dry skin or skin conditions like Atopic dermatitis or Psoriasis, then you should definitely avoid getting an air conditioner.
- If you are an environment enthusiast/environmentalist, then you should keep in mind that the usage of an air conditioner isn’t eco-friendly. The harmful refrigerants it uses can directly or indirectly affect our ozone layer.
Do evaporative coolers work?
Well, an evaporative cooler can successfully reduce the ambient temperature by 5 to 15 degrees—but not to forget that this process only works in those areas that have low humidity.
How much can a swamp cooler cool?
Swamp coolers can efficiently reduce the temperature in a room by 5° to 15°F. Now there are also small and portable evaporative coolers available in the market as well. Even though swamp coolers have the advantage of portability, their cooling ability is limited by the humidity within the area that you want to cool.
Are swamp coolers cheaper than ac?
Generally people pay a lot to buy, maintain and install an AC and not to forget they use much more power than a swamp cooler, so, a swamp cooler is definitely a more affordable option in the long term. In general, swamp coolers do cost less to run that conventional central AC
What is a difference between swamp cooler and air conditioner?
An air conditioner unit only blows temperature-controlled air into your home. A swamp cooler, or an evaporative cooler, blows wet air into your home. This means that a swamp cooler will add humidity to your home to cool it down
Is replacing swamp cooler with central air conditioning a good idea?
The refrigerants cool the air and then the air is sent throughout your home. Centralized air conditioning gives you more temperature control over swamp coolers. It can also reach lower temperatures than swamp coolers. The greater control and simplicity makes it a popular option for many people.
What is better swamp cooler or ac?
Swamp coolers and air conditioners serve different needs. Swamp coolers are energy-efficient and work well in dry climates by adding moisture to the air. However, they may be less effective in humid conditions. Air conditioners provide consistent cooling regardless of humidity but use more energy. The choice depends on climate, energy costs, and cooling needs.
How much does it cost to run evaporative cooling?
Running an evaporative cooler is generally more affordable than air conditioning. It uses less electricity and is cost-effective, especially in dry climates where it adds moisture to the air efficiently.
