Summer is just a few short months away, and it’ll be here before you know it; so don’t wait until June to update your air conditioning system. Late winter and early spring are the best times of year to consider upgrading your Albuquerque AC, before the summer heat and after the rush of furnace calls that HVAC technicians deal with during the winter. If you’re thinking of installing a new AC system for the coming summer, consider a swamp cooler installation from Thompson Heating & Air Conditioning!

What is a swamp cooler?

Evaporative coolers, commonly called swamp coolers, can offer several advantages over traditional refrigerating air conditioners. The basic principle behind them was conceived thousands of years ago by the ancient Egyptians and Persians, relying on wind and groundwater, but today’s systems rely on electric fans to provide cooling comparable to AC units with much less electricity.

How does a swamp cooler work?

A swamp cooler draws warm air over cool water, which causes the water to evaporate and cool the air; the same effect is familiar to anyone who’s felt a cool breeze coming off the ocean. Most modern swamp cooler units rely on an electric fan to both draw in cool air and distribute it throughout the building. They also require a regular supply of water, since it is quickly evaporated; the constant evaporation will noticeably raise the humidity, making swamp coolers undesirable in many parts of the world, although many consumers in the southwest and other dry regions find them ideal for this reason.

Some coolers include a feature to capture and reuse evaporating water, which both controls the increase in humidity and uses less water. Small home units may require users to refill water by hand, but larger commercial units will have a dedicated water connection and pump to take care of this themselves. Depending on the duct structure and air flow, swamp coolers can certainly cool large buildings such as schools or department stores.

Why choose a swamp cooler?

Swamp coolers offer several major advantages over traditional air conditioning systems. They use a fraction of the electricity while operating and require no spike in consumption at start-up like refrigerators that need compression. They also cost significantly less to install, especially for larger commercial units. Furthermore, they require no toxic refrigerant chemicals, only water. The only significant drawback with swamp coolers is their impact on humidity; customers concerned about this, however, can look for models that capture the evaporating water as it rises.

Don’t wait until it’s too late to get your home ready for warmer weather. We’re well into winter, with spring just around the corner. The new year is the ideal time to start making home improvements, and at Thompson Heating and Air Conditioning, you can rest assured we have been serving Albuquerque since 1963. Contact us today to learn more about swamp coolers or any of our other products and services.