Evaporative Coolers Arlington

Installing an evaporative cooler in Arlington generally costs between $1,000 and $3,500. This covers both the cooler itself and the installation. What you end up paying will depend on how large the unit is, how straightforward (or not) the installation is, and whether or not any extra work needed to be done on ducting or electrical connections.

Evaporative air coolers can be worth it in Arlington, contingent upon favorable climate conditions. Arlington has hot and humid summers that rather closely resemble the most uncomfortable parts of the summer in most of the Eastern U.S. But here’s the rub: Evaporative coolers work best in hot, dry climates. Indeed, many would have no idea what an evaporative cooler even was if they didn't see it in a few homes out in the attractive, dry communities of Santa Fe, New Mexico, or Sedona, Arizona, since most of the people who live there and travel to those places seem to enjoy art and outdoor activities. After all, those towns are pretty much the only places you'd find an evaporative cooler for some distance. Once you’re in the air conditioning realm, the next better option is a traditional air conditioner that uses refrigerant to actually change the temperature and get you to a comfortable 72°F, as energy-efficient as that may more or less be.

In Arlington, an evaporative air cooler has a major drawback when it comes to not performing well when it's humid. And that's not just the problem of the ambient air temperature. It's also about how an evaporative cooler works. These units use the principle of wind chill—the air is made to move, and when it does, you experience cooling. But the air in Arlington's climate, when it's not dry, is far less cool when it moves than it is in other parts of the country where the air is drier and cooler to begin with. So the units here might as well be window fans in wet climates in terms of what they're doing for you. AND evaporative coolers can raise indoor humidity if you're using one in a place that otherwise would not be humid (say, a closed-off garage for a woodworking project). That's like pouring more humidity into a situation that's not exactly humid-friendly.

In Arlington, people often use the terms swamp cooler and evaporative cooler interchangeably; there is no difference between them. Both defect to a device that lowers the temperature of the air using the process of evaporation. These devices work best in dry climates and aren't nearly as common in the humid climate of Arlington. Instead of using a traditional refrigeration cycle to accomplish air conditioning, swamp coolers draw warm air through water-saturated pads and use the evaporation of that water to cool the air before it is circulated into the space.

You can indeed operate your evaporative cooler all day in Arlington. However, you should be aware of a few aspects. Firstly, ensure that your cooler gets regular and mandatory maintenance that includes: (1) cleaning the cooling pads, (2) cleaning the inside of the cooler, and (3) refilling it with fresh water. This operation all day is effective, in fact, for truly cooling your domicile. It is especially effective on the truly dry, truly hot days that summer dishes out. But be that as it may, have some regard for the resources that you are using.

In Arlington, the labor expense associated with the installation of a swamp cooler generally falls between $50 and $150 per hour. Total labor costs can range from $200 to $600 for an average installation, but they can go higher depending on the types of special circumstances some installations might require and on the specific contractor rates. In any event, contractor rates and other labor costs can vary widely from place to place. And installation costs are not the total picture. Once the swamp cooler is in place, there is still a need for the unit to be wired and plumbed.

In Arlington, the duration of life for an evaporative cooler usually spans a range of 10 to 15 years. The number of years an evaporative cooler lives can be affected by maintenance, part quality, and how it's operated.

Compared to conventional air conditioning systems, evaporative coolers usually consume much less electricity. They work by using a fan to pull warm air through water-saturated cooling pads. This whole setup consumes far less energy than the compressor-driven systems in standard air conditioners. Because of this, evaporative coolers are often regarded as energy-efficient options that can lead to reduced electricity bills. This is especially the case in dry climates, like Arlington.

In Arlington, evaporative coolers should be cleaned ideally at the beginning and end of the cooling season. This typically translates to cleaning it twice a year—in the spring, before you start using it, and in the fall, when you shut it down for the season. However, depending on where you live and your environmental conditions, you might also need to do some routine maintenance throughout the summer. Checking the unit every month can help you figure out if you need to do some maintenance before the next scheduled cleaning.

When the outside air is humid—generally around 60% or more—and very warm, above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, evaporative coolers lose their effectiveness. This is because the cooler's efficiency drops substantially when the air is both hot and humid.