Top Ten Reasons to Replace Your Swamp Cooler

There are a lot of people who initially think an evaporative cooler, also known by the colloquial term "swamp cooler", will give them the cool comfort they desire during the hot months in Utah. What they quickly find out, a swamp cooler can be a source of constant problems. There are several reasons why you should ditch your swamp cooler, but here is our top 10 list.

1. The Threat of Injury:
   At least twice a year – once in the Spring and once in the Fall – you have to risk life and limb getting on your roof to start-up or shut-down your evaporative cooler. Once you are on your roof, it's easy to forget what you're doing, lose your balance and end up in the hospital.
2. Roof Water Stains:
   Swamp Coolers work by putting water on pads and having the fans blow on the wet pads. And every swamp cooler has an overflow drain. The overflow drain streams a constant dribble of water on your roof, which often leaves a streak of unsightly discoloration on your roof which is impossible to remove without replacing your shingles.
3. Monsoon Season:
   Every summer, usually in August, Utah has a monsoon season. During the monsoon season, it is hot and muggy because the humidity goes up. Because swamp coolers work by adding moisture to the air in your home, they don't work When the humidity goes up. For about two weeks every summer, right when some of the highest temperatures hit, you will be miserable with no way to solve it.
4. The Surprise Fall Freeze:
   Life can get busy and its easy to procrastinate getting the evaporative cooler ready for winter by shutting off the water, draining the water pan and putting on the winter cover. And sometimes its just hard to gauge when the temperatures outside will finally shift from hot to cool and you want to wait to the last minute to put it away for winter. But in the Fall there can be an early surprise freeze which can damage your swamp cooler and burst the water lines. Home owners either have to risk their life getting on their roof with frost or risk having water damage.
5. Uneven Coolness:
   With a swamp cooler, you have one huge hole in your ceiling forcing in a high velocity of air throughout the house. The rooms the farthest from the cooler will be too warm, and often the room nearest the cooler will be too cool. Plus if your bedroom door is shut, the cooling does not get into your room.
6. Cold Hole In Your Ceiling:
   Despite your best efforts to winter-proof your swamp cooler, the simple fact remains that you have a huge hole in the ceiling and roof of your home and it will invariably allow cold air into your home.
7. Possible Water Damage:
   Because swamp coolers need a water line go onto the pads, constant water in an area that isn't seen by the home owner can result in problems. Leaks or the tray getting full can result in possible water damage that could cost thousands of dollars.
8. Health Concerns:
   Evaporative coolers blow off of wet pads. Allergies from pollen and possible mold from the pads can cause sickness within your family.
9. Water Conservation:
   Because Utah is in a desert, everyone needs to conserve water. Swamp coolers need constant water on the pads in order to operate.
10. Air Conditioning Is So Much Better:
    Central air is affordable, and high efficiency models cost as about as much to run as a swamp cooler. Your family will be more comfortable, your home will look better and be worth more, and you don't have to risk your life climbing on a ladder every other week.

Bottom line, you'll be surprised to learn how affordable central air conditioning can be, and it won't cost you a dime to find out. Call today to schedule a free whole-home assessment with one of our Home Comfort Advisors. They'll show you how you can afford to have the comfort you want from whole-home air conditoning and avoid the problems that come from using a swamp cooler.