I guess it is time I chime in on this subject.
For 25 years one of the services I provided in my business, was installing and servicing evaporative (swamp) coolers.
As many have mentioned, they work most efficiently in dry climates. That said, I'd like to relate a personal experience. I was servicing a cooler on a mobile home and had to quit because it had begun raining. Since I was only a few blocks from home, it became "coffee time". Our own cooler was operating when I arrived there. This provided aa excellent opportunity for an experiment. Using two refrigerant
air conditioning thermometers, I placed one outside where the air entered the cooler. The other was placed where the air was blowing into the room.
Now it was time for coffee! About 1/2 hour passed while I was making a couple of appointments and enjoying my morning break. The steady downpour had not let up, but I was curious about the temps recorded by the thermometers. To my amazement, there was a 10 degree differential! Just to be on the safe side, I then reversed the thermometers. After another 1/2 hour had gone by, the outside temp was again 10 degrees warmer. I can't explain how evaporation was still happening during a driving rain, but the evidence was right there in front of my face. Some cooling was still happening!
As a matter of education, there is a major difference between operating a refrigerated AC and an evap. cooler. With AC, the area being cooled is closed up to contain the dry, cold air. With an evap. cooler,
windows must be open to allow the cold air to flow through the space being cooled. Since the air contains moisture, it will accumulate unless allowed to vent. A window, furthest from the cooler needs to be open. Would you rather be in a room where germs are contained so you can breath them over and over, or where the contaminents are continually exhausted to the outside? Just some food for thought.
I have 2 friends who have installed solar powered evap. coolers on there truck campers and they love them! These are "wretched excess" individuals who also have refrigerated AC units.
No
generator has to run when
boondocking and they are still cool! If one only wants air movement, you simply don't turn on the water! They are not reversible so they won't blow
out however.
But isn't that what kitchen fans are for?
Kurt & Ann K.