Learn How to Prepare Your Evaporative Cooler for Winter

Are you contemplating purchasing evaporative coolers in Phoenix, AZ? First, let’s review what these pieces of equipment do. Then, since colder weather is on the horizon, we’ll offer tips on how to prepare your new evaporative cooler for winter.

What is an evaporative cooler?

An evaporative cooler is a piece of equipment that cools the air through the water evaporation process. Specifically, during the evaporative cooling process, which differs from traditional air conditioning systems that use a vapor-compression system, water vapor is added into the air, resulting in a lower air temperature.

An evaporative cooling unit can be especially effective in dry climates, such as what we experience in Phoenix, as it conditions the air with more moisture than a traditional air conditioner. An evaporative cooling unit is also more energy-efficient than an air conditioning unit.

How should I get my evaporative cooler ready for winter?

It’s likely you won’t need to use your evaporative cooler all year round. Take a look at the tips below to learn what to do before winter hits to ensure that your equipment will be in good working order once summer is here again.

First, turn off the power supply before you begin the winterization process. Then, follow these steps:

• Shut off the valve that provides water to your evaporative cooler: This will ensure that freezing does not occur during the winter. You’ll also want to disconnect the water line at the supply valve and the evaporative cooler. If you notice that the water line does not rest on one level plane, you will need to perform an additional step to drain the water. At the highest end of the slope, blow through the line to push the water out.
• Remove any debris: Drain your evaporative unit and leave the drain open so that any rain that falls during the colder months can escape through the cooling unit. You will likely notice that dirt and minerals remain in the bottom of the pan. You can clean these out by using a device such as a shop vacuum and then running fresh water through the pan to make sure all debris is gone.
• Replace the cooling pads: Performing this task before winter arrives will help prevent rusting from occurring during the winter.
• Install a cover for the evaporative cooling unit: A cover will prevent outside air from the evaporative unit from entering your home. While most coolers will have a damper, which you can close to stop air from entering the ducts and making its way into your home, not all coolers have this feature. Alternately, if your evaporative cooling unit does have a damper, it may not be tight enough to prevent outside air from coming in.

Ready to set up an appointment for installation, or interested in learning more about evaporative cooling in Phoenix, AZ? Maybe you’re looking to go ahead and get your existing piece of equipment serviced for winter? Regardless, the professionals at Premier Industries Inc. are proud to offer high-quality service and are ready to meet your needs and answer any questions. Contact us today for more information!

Why Should I Winterize My Swamp Cooler?

When winter comes around, you need to make sure that your swamp unit has been put in a position to survive the cold weather months. Think back to school for a few minutes and remember what happens if you leave water standing in a certain area for a long period of time. For example, there might be a neighborhood swimming pool that used to get puddles of water that collected on it from time to time and during the winter it was not clean. Then, you might swing by, look, and find that mold and mildew were growing in it everywhere.

This could happen to the swamp cooling unit as well. When water and metal are put together, this can lead to a tremendous amount of rust and corrosion. If this rust and corrosion take place with the swamp cooler, then this could cause it to fail. When this is combined with freezing temperatures (remember that water expands when it freezes, which is why ice floats), and this could lead to flooding and broken pipes.

The swamp cooler must be winterized to prevent this from happening. When the swamp uni is not winterized properly, then this could lead to:

• The growth of mold and mildew
• The developments of rust and corrosion
• Broken water pipes and leaks that take place

Therefore, to make sure that this does not happen with the swamp cooler, it must be winterized properly. When it comes to winterizing a swamp cooling unit, it is also important for everyone to know what this means.

What Does “Winterize” Mean?

First, it is important for everyone to know what is meant when someone talks about winterizing a swamp cooling unit. There are certain tasks that need to be carried out at certain periods of time. When people talk about winterizing a unit, they talk about preparing for the cold winter months to make sure that nothing bad happens to it. The process of winterizing a swamp unit means removing mineral deposits and preventing frozen water lines from taking place. The winterization process is important for preventing the development of rust and for preventing heat loss from the vent that is located on the swamp unit itself.

When homeowners go through the process of winterizing a swamp unit, they are going to shut off the water supply and disconnect the waterline. The goal is to remove water so that it does not freeze and crack the swamp cooler itself. Once this is done, the standing water must be removed, and the inside of the unit must be wiped down. It is a good idea to rely on trained professionals who can help with this process, which is why we are always available to help our clients!

What Are the Benefits of Winterizing a Swamp Cooler?

There are several benefits that will come with winterizing a swamp cooling unit. Some of the main benefits of winterizing a swamp unit include:

• The swamp cooler will be completely drained of all water that is either in it or around it, ensuring that the water lines will not freeze and crack, which could lead to major problems
• All the mineral deposits that are in the swamp cooling unit will be removed, which will prevent them from causing rust and corrosion to develop on the inside of the swamp cooler
• Because the water lines will not freeze and crack, there will not be any leaks in the home stemming from the swamp unit itself
• Because there will not be any heat loss from the vent of the swamp unit, this will help to keep the utility bills in the home as low as possible
• When people take the time to winterize their cooling unit, they will prevent serious problems from developing, which will extend the life of the swamp cooler
• The swamp unit is going to be kept in good working order for the summer, which will improve its efficiency when it is booted up in the future

These are just a few of the many benefits of winterizing a swamp cooler.

Are there Special Steps I Need to Take Once the Winter is Over?

Of course, once the winter is over, it is time to get the swamp unit working once again. There are a few steps that need to be completed to make this happen. First, the swamp unit must be dusted off. After this, the pads need to be changed, which are located underneath the swamp cooling unit. After this, the water line must be connected once again. The water line must be connected to the unit and the drain plug must be in place securely.

Finally, it is also a good idea to call the trained professionals for help with the swamp cooler. There is a lot that must happen to make sure that the swamp cooling unit is in good working order for the summer. A routine maintenance check of the unit is critical for making sure that you can get the most out of your unit when the weather starts to heat up outside once again. That is where we can help! Give us a call today to make sure that your swamp cooler is working well for the warm weather months!

Categorised in: Evaporative Cooling

This post was written by Mike Nicolini