How to Repair Evaporative Air Cooler

    Evaporative air cooler 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 air cooler do require more maintenance than air conditioners. Fortunately, very little technical expertise or skill with tools is required to keep an evaporative air cooler operating at peak efficiency. Trouble shooting an evaporative air cooler is a simple matter of identifying one of several problems. An evaporative air 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.

   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.

   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.

   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.

How to Clean an Evaporative Air Cooler

    If you live in a hot, dry climate you know how important it is to keep your home cool in the summer. Evaporative air cooler, also known as desert coolers, lower the air temperature by blowing hot outside air over water. Cleaning the unit will keep bacteria and mold from growing inside it and infecting your home.

    Instructions

    ·  1  Turn off the power to the unit. Remove the unit's covers and open the drain valve.

    ·  2  Remove the filters and hose them off to clean them. Hose off all the waterways in the system. Run water through the bleed-off system and the sump.

    ·  3  Place the filters in the unit. Close the drain valve and open the water inlet valve Turn the unit back on.

    ·  4  Isolate the fan to only run inside the unit and not into your home. Make sure the pump is still running. Add 1/4 cup of bleach for every gallon of water in the unit.

    ·  5  Allow the unit to run for 30 minutes to disinfect it. Pour out the water and fill it with fresh water. Run the unit for 5 more minutes and replace the water again. The fan back on to your home.

Telegraphic equipment how to save energy

Evaporative Cooling vs Computer Room Air Conditioning for cooling Data centres

Traditional Data Centre Cooling

Computer Room Air Conditioners (CRACs)  use a refrigeration system to cool air and pass it to the void under the raised floor.

Evaporative Cooling Free Air System

How are the savings achieved?

An Aolan cooler free air system provides a constant flow of attemperated air between 25°C and 30°C.  No refrigeration is used – the air is cooled by evaporative cooling when ambient temperatures are high and is heated by recirculation of air from the server exhaust when the ambient temperature is low.  No refrigeration is used as all of the cooling is achieved using evaporative cooling.  This results in energy saving in excess of 90% compared with traditional Computer Room Air Conditioners (CRAC’s)

1 – Fresh air is brought into the system though primary filtration and wetted filter pads

2 – Evaporative cooling operates during warm periods 

3 – Low energy axial fan air distribution 

4 – Patented control system controls air supply temperature 

5 – Air flow is matched to density of cooling required 

6 – Hot and cold aisle arrangement of racks is preferred 

7 – Room is kept at a positive pressure 

8 –Ceiling void can be used for exhaust path

9 - No exhaust fans are used to reduce complexity and energy use

10 - Hot air is exhausted to atmosphere

System Design

The air flow required of the system is dependent upon the total IT load and the server design.  Using a typical ΔT of 10C a single Aolan cooler  CREC can support a load of 35kW.  The systems can be either fixed or variable flow.

The low energy air distribution system uses axial fans which can accommodate most applications.  Where raised floors are used, the overall design, in particular the floor grill numbers and position, should reflect the pressure drops and rack cooling load density.

Most systems are controlled centrally.  This allows fully automatic control and identification of any fault conditions.

Server and IT operating conditions

The following must be taken into account when providing a cooling solution:

Temperature:  In Europe an Aolan Cooler  can provide 100% compliance against the latest ASHRAE[1] standards and meet all manufacturer environmental specifications. Some early main frame systems require close control and evaporative cooling is not suitable.

Relative Humidity:  In Europe an Aolan Cooler can provide 99% compliance against ASRAE allowable conditions.  Older equipment such as paper tape and magnetic tape systems are less tolerant and evaporative cooling is not suitable.

Dust:  The filter pads provide an adequate level of filtration for modern IT equipment with sealed bearings and closed drives.

Redundancy – The required redundancy is met using the modular system.

BENEFITS

The key benefits of using Aolan Coolers compared with conventional refrigeration based air conditioning are:

Cost                                                                                                                                  

·Over 90% reduction in electricity usage

·Lower capital costs

·Lower maintenance costs   

·Aolan Coolers qualify for Interest free loans from the Carbon Trust and Salix schemes 

Engineering  

                                                                                                                 

· Low energy ventilation system                                                                                                                       

· Low cost spare parts holding                                                                                                                                                                                                                

· No F gas compliance costs                                                                                                                                                                                                             

· Simple technology                                                                                                                                                                                                               

· Ability to cope with very hot days                                                                                                                                                                                                               

· Allows release of available power for  other activities  

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Operational

· External access for maintenance                                                                                                                                                                                                          

· No internal space used                                                                                                                                                                                                               

· Modular system achieves required redundancy                                                                                                                                                                                                             

· Simple expansion through modular design     

                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Environmental Benefits

·No refrigerants                                                                                                                                                                                                                

·Less than 10% of the carbon footprint of conventional air conditioning                                                                                                                                                                                  

·Can fit into Carbon Reduction Commitment energy reduction scheme

                                                                                                                                                                                                                

[1] - 2008 ASHRAE Environmental Guidelines for Datacom Equipment

Where can Aolan Cooler be used?

Aolan Coolers require ducting from an outside wall or roof.  Modern data centres and server rooms can easily accommodate both data rack cooling and UPS room cooling.

1 – Aolan evaporative coolers are externally fixed

2 – Modular systems provide simple compliance with tiered redundancy levels

3 – Existing CRAC systems can be retained

4 – Air is supplied to the underside of the raised floor.

5 – Standby generators only have to support 10% of the electricity consumption of the CRAC systems.

6 – UPS rooms are cooled with simple ventilation systems utilising evaporative cooling

7 - Aolan Coolers are linked to all fire systems for controlled shut-downs.

8 – Typical roof mounted EcoCooler.

Useful links about new approaches to cooling of data centres and server rooms.

Intel’s proof of concept of fresh air cooling in New Mexico.

Note the following:

·Very little control compared with EcoCooling                                                                                                                         

·No significant filtration compared with EcoCooling                                                                                                                          

·No increased failure                                                                                                                         

·Recognition of changing standards of environmental standards for modern equipment                                                                                                                         

·Hot and cold aisles being important