Any evaporative cooler users here?

[tridim]

I just got mine fired up for the first time this week and it's working well.. I dig the added humidity (living in bone-dry Denver) and have figured out that adding some peppermint oil to the water makes my entire house smell minty fresh!

I'm not quite sure which windows I'm supposed to open for maximum performance. I have the unit sitting next to a fully open window and have my other windows open. Am I supposed to close my other windows?

BTW, I got my unit for free. The power company gave out cash rebates for people who dump A/C for an evaporative cooler. It's a good thing since they use about 1/4 the power of a typical A/C unit.

[disgruntled_goat]

1. used to be

i used to live in the bone dry NM desert, where these 'swamp coolers' worked very well.

Actually I wouldnt mind having one again, but i think it's against the @#$@# condo board rules. bastards.

if you open too many windows, there will be lower resistance to airflow and the rotating drum inside the cooler will spin its fastest, which may actually make the moving parts *inside* the cooler a little hotter. but the main thing in opening too many windows is that you wont feel the air flow which means you feel hotter.

subjective cooling and airrflow is best when you balance the amount of open windows: open a couple, sit in your spot and test the cool. experiment. IIRC we used to only open 1 or 2 windows for a cottage. when it's balanced right you can get downright chilly. hooray!

also, i always thought that the was a good expository model for electrical impedance, but then again i'm a big dork. :P

[LDS Jock]

2. My parents tried it when I was in my teens

but we were living in NON bone-dry Arkansas. Bad idea. Every place in the house was wet. They gave it about two or three weeks before giving up. They were trying for the cost effectiveness too, but in humid places it just doesn't work.

[sundog]

3. I live in New Mexico,

and they really don't work except on days that it is exceptionally dry. When you get into storm season it can be really nasty... with any trace of moisture it just doesn't cut it...

Fortunately at my business I've got refrigerated air -- less temperamental, but the electric bill kills you (literally)...

No perfect road I guess...

[chaska]

4. Hmm, you write pretty well for a dead man.