5 Fun Facts About Evaporative Cooling

Scientific And Historical Facts of Evaporative Cooling

The rule of thumb for evaporative cooling is that when there is the evaporation of 1 litre of water, it provides 0.7 kW cooling.

FACT #1: The Hotter It Is Outside, The More Efficient It Becomes

As evaporative cooling is the process of lowering air temperature by releasing water vapour, evaporation absorbs and holds onto latent heat and reduces the temperature.

What makes evaporative cooling so interesting is that it works more efficiently if there are higher outdoor temperatures. It means that sweltering operating conditions like in a desert area will lead to even better results. It is because warm and dry air can hold more moisture, making evaporative cooling a dream-come-true cooling solution.

FACT #2: Used As An Air Conditioner For Thousands of Years

Ancient civilizations employed evaporative cooling to keep themselves cool. They would cut employed fountains, and tunnels cut down into underground water resources. They used principles of air pressure to have hot air sucked down and become cool before drawing it up and out of the house by using the windcatcher. This constant flow of cool air would drastically decrease the overall temperature of the space. The windcatcher was first used in ancient Egypt and Persia.

History tells us that ancient China, Egypt, Iran, and India also used principles of evaporative cooling. Frescoes from about 2500 BCE show how slaves used fanning jars of water to cool rooms.

FACT #3: Invention of The First Evaporative Cooler

In 1908, Oscar Palmer invented the world’s first evaporative cooler (the first drip type) in Arizona. By 1933, there were thousands of homemade evaporative coolers in Arizona because two professors from the University of Arizona (Professor Paul Thornburg and Martin Thornburg) created mimeographed instructions on how to build evaporative coolers and circulated them among Arizona residents.

FACT #4: It Is Called Swamp Cooler For A Not So Good Reason

The exact origin of the name ‘swamp cooler’ is unknown. The fact of the matter is that no one knows how the swamp cooler got its name. A logical answer to this question is that your swamp cooler will begin to smell like a swamp if you don’t regularly clean it. If you don’t want your swamp cooler to live up to its name, you better have it cleaned and maintained regularly.

FACT #5: Evaporative Coolers Add Humidity To The Air, But Does Not Work In Humid Climate

If you live in a highly arid and hot area, an evaporative cooler will be the best solution for your cooling needs. However, if you live in an area prone to high humidity, an evaporative cooler is not the right solution to your cooling needs.

To some people, it may look ironic that a cooling unit that adds humidity to the air stops working in humid climates. Even if the humidity is at 50%, your evap cooler can drop the temperature by 10 degrees. If it is hot and humid, it might have no impact on decreasing the temperature at all. While you can find many reasons to choose an evaporative cooler over a power-hungry air conditioner, it is unfortunate that these systems do not cool appropriately in humid climates.

Why Choose Evaporative Cooling?

We know that the evaporative technique is not new and has been used for thousands of years. The technology behind the evaporative cooler is simple yet effective. If you are interested in going forward with evaporative cooling for your home or business and need just a little more convincing, here are some reasons for you to choose it:

REASON #1: It is Sustainable

What makes evaporative cooling a sustainable cooling solution is that only 1 kW electrical power is required for 10,000 m3-cooled air. If you use it as a part of natural ventilation design for your home, it can deliver impressive cooling results without consuming too much energy.

REASON #2: There is No Use of Refrigerants

Evaporative cooling is an eco-friendly solution that delivers excellent results without using refrigerants. It uses nature’s most efficient method of cooling: evaporation. It works on the principle of heat absorption by moisture evaporation.

REASON #3: It is Much More Energy and Cost-Efficient

The cooling capacity of these systems depends on water vaporization and the fans for distributing the cool air. An evaporative cooler can be 80% more efficient than other systems. They have fewer installation, maintenance, running, and ongoing costs. In fact, the initial costs will never go over your budget.

REASON #4: Better Air Quality

Unlike air conditioners, evaporative coolers don’t dry the air. The best part is that it does not re-circulate air but replace it with fresh air. If you have allergies or asthma problems, you should strongly consider getting an evaporative cooler.

The Bottom Line

Over the years, there has been an increase in the popularity of evaporative coolers in Melbourne. It is because evaporative cooling is the most efficient cooling method that has very little impact on your bank balance and the environment – You cannot say the same about other cooling solutions available on the market.

If you have any queries about evaporative cooling like “what size evaporative cooler do I need” or anything else, please feel free to contact us.