How Can You Make Your Swamp Cooler Smell Good?

    In dry, warm climates such as the southwestern United States, swamp coolers provide homes with a cost-friendly alternative to central air conditioning. A downside to using a swamp cooler is the filtered pads that retain the moisture tend to get a stale smell to them. To make your swamp cooler smell fresh and aromatic, only a few simple steps are needed to be taken. Freshening your swamp cooler improves the air quality in your home and adds another benefit to choosing one over an energy consuming air conditioning unit.

1. Fill a large plastic freezer bag with about a pound of cotton balls.

2. Create a 2 oz blend of essential and fragrant oils in glass dish. Such home freshening scents include lemon grass, eucalyptus and lavender. Experiment with as many scents as you want to create your own.

3. Add the essential oil blend to a spray bottle containing a half ounce of polysorbate 20.

4. Aim the nozzle of the spray bottle into the zipper bag and spray a liberal amount, about half the bottle, over the cotton balls. Close the bag and shake the balls around.

    

swamp cooler

5. Open the bag and spray the remaining scented oil blend into the bag. Close it and shake it again.

6. Pour the contents of the freezer bag over the surface of a disposable swamp cooler pad.

7. Layer a square of cheesecloth measuring to the same dimensions of the pad, on top of it.

8. Staple the corners of the cheesecloth to the corners of the disposable swamp cooler pad. This contains the scented cotton balls so that they cant escape.

9. Insert the modified pad into your swamp cooler. When it is switched on, the cool air released into the home will be infused with the scent you created.

What Is Evaporative Air Cooler & When Does It Occur?

      Evaporative cooling is a process where liquid evaporates from a surface, making the surface cooler. This process occurs because the evaporating gas is hotter than the other parts of the surface, so the gas draws away heat energy when it rises off the surface. Evaporative cooling occurs in sweat, panting, air conditioning, hot drinks and lakes.
 Sweating

• Sweating is one example of evaporative cooling. Humans, as well as some other animals, perspire, producing liquid sweat through pores on their skin. The sweat is mostly water, which has a high heat of vaporization. Heat of vaporization refers to the amount of energy that must be added to a substance to raise its temperature. Metals have a much lower heat of vaporization than water, so even a smaller heat source raises their temperature rapidly. This makes water very useful for evaporative cooling as the vapor can contain a lot of heat energy. When the sweat evaporates, the rising vapor is hotter than the sweat remaining on the skin, so the person feels cooler.

Panting 

• Dogs have sweat glands, although they do not have enough sweat glands to cool themselves with sweat alone. They must pant to take advantage of evaporative air cooler. A dog sticks out its tongue into the air, allowing the saliva on its tongue to evaporate. When the saliva evaporates, it cools the dog down. Putting a muzzle on a dog risks overheating the dog if it cannot stick its tongue out.

Evaporative Air cooler Pads

• Evaporative air cooler pads are a method of adding air conditioning to a building. A machine is set up that pulls in air from the outside of the building, using a fan. The air is blown across a wet pad that is continually soaked in a stream of water. The pads are often made of substances similar to paper. As water evaporates from the pads, the vapor is blown back outside by the fan.

                                                                                  

Evaporative air cooler

Hot Drinks

• Evaporative cooling takes place in hot drinks. The liquid in a cup of tea is mostly water. After the tea is poured out of the teapot, it evaporates and takes some of the heat energy with it. As with the other examples, the water molecules that are leaving as hot vapor contain more heat energy than the water molecules that remain behind in the teacup.

Wind

• Wind strength and humidity affect the evaporative cooling rate. Air that is already humid contains lots of water vapor already, so sweat does not evaporate as quickly and it will feel hotter to a person. Dry air allows more evaporation, so a high temperature in a hot desert may feel more comfortable than the same temperature in a wet swamp. According to Montana University, water sources, such as lakes and swamps, often have a layer of water vapor over them. Strong winds will blow this vapor layer away, increasing the evaporation rate of the lake or swamp.

    

How to Use an Evaporative Air Cooler Float Valve

Evaporative air coolers are simple but efficient, and it is an economical way of cooling buildings in dry climates. There are few parts and mechanisms in an evaporative air cooler (swamp cooler or desert cooler), but they do need occasional maintenance and upkeep. The float valve is important in controlling the water coming into the unit. evaporative air cooler.

1. Attach the float valve to the cooler by sliding the threaded end through the water inlet hole, leaving the float facing inside the cooler.
2. Slide the rubber washer over the threads on the valve.

                                        

3. Insert the water line into the float valve inlet and fasten by tightening the nut.

4. Turn on the water supply and check for any leaks. Refasten the water line securely if necessary.

5. Finally, adjust the float valve so that the float causes the valve to close when the water level in the cooler is full, but not overflowing.
Most float valves are designed to be adjusted by bending the metal arm.

How to Troubleshoot & Repair Evaporative Coolers

     Evaporative coolers work very well in hot dry climates such as the desert Southwest. They are less expensive than air conditioners and cost less to operate. However, evaporative coolers do require more maintenance than air conditioners. Fortunately, very little technical expertise or skill with tools is required to keep an evaporative cooler operating at peak efficiency. Trouble shooting an evaporative cooler is a simple matter of identifying one of several problems. An evaporative cooler has three main components: the water pump supplies water to the cooler pads to cool the air and the fan motor distributes the cooled air throughout the house. Follow this guide to troubleshoot & repair evaporative air coolers

      1.Use a flashlight to check the fuse or breaker box if the cooler does not start or does not blow air. If the fuse is tripped or blown, either reset or replace it as necessary.

      2. Determine where the problem lies if the air is not cool. If the air is warm, check the water pump to be sure water is circulating to the filters. Examine the filter pads to see if they are scaled over with mineral deposits, which inhibit the flow of air. Finally, check the water reservoir to be certain the float is keeping the water at the proper level to supply the pump. 

      

Evaporative cooler

      3.Examine the fan motor if the cooler is not blowing air. If it is not running, the motor may need service or replacement. Also, examine the fan belt to determine if it is broken and needs replacement. The belt could also be too loose to turn the fan blades properly; the belt should be able to be depressed about an inch when it is pressed down upon with a finger about midway between the motor pulley and the fan blade pulley. If it is too loose, it will need to be tightened or even replaced if it is worn out.

     Drain the water reservoir and scrub it thoroughly with a stiff brush and a solution of one cup of vinegar to one gallon of water. Also, check the filter pads to determine if they are scaled over with mineral deposits.
Assemble a workbox that contains the basic tools needed to troubleshoot and work on the evaporative cooler and keep it conveniently at hand to deal with problems as they arise.
     Always turn the switch in the house to the off position and also turn off the power switch located on the underside of the top of the cooler.
      Have an assistant on the ground while evaporative cooler(swamp cooler) work is being done on the roof so that, in case of accident, someone is available to assist.