3 Hacks To BOOST that OLD SWAMP COOLER and SURVIVE SUMMER!

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SURVIVE SUMMER IN THE CENTRAL VALLEY SUN!! Many of our older houses of the Central Valley rely on a good old fashioned SWAMP COOLER to keep their homes bearable in our 110+ temperatures. The problem is... Once the temperatures hit 103-104 degrees These things basically become a useless hot air blower..
We at Family Home Improvement would like to share the 3 SWAMP COOLER HACKS that can bring the inside of your home to a livable temperature..Anybody who has spent the summer in our Central Valley Sun knows even a ten degree difference can be a HUGE RELIEF!
Hack-1 Start your swamp cooler EARLIER in the morning BEFORE the SUN has a chance to heat the inside of your house.. Starting the COOLER after its ALREADY hot makes it much harder to bring your house down to a comfortable level.. Start it early.. Leave it on..
HACK-2 Water the pads by hand with a WATER HOSE!! If it seems like your cooler is blowing hot or warm dry air chances are that temps are so high the water that cools the air inside the box is evaporating faster than it can be useful.. So a good way to fix this is to soak the cooler pads with a hose giving the cooler a boost of cool humidity to help bring down the temps a few degrees.
Hack -3 FREEZE WATER BOTTLES and drop them into the bottom water reservoir. The bottles cool the water that is being circulated through the box cooling the air NOTICEABLY!!
If you use these three gems of advice you may just survive the Central Valley SUMMER.. Every....Degree...Helps...
Use These HACKS let us know how they went!! If you have any comments questions or anything else to add go ahead and comment, Like, Share and Add yourself into our Family HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICE Facebook Group

[@ItsTheseMoments]

It worked!! Relief!

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

great! what did you try?

[@ItsTheseMoments]

Chuck Trujillo everything and our home is nice and cool. I put on a sweater! Everything you said we did and worked!

[@ItsTheseMoments]

Chuck Trujillo FYI we are out in the desert so this saved us! Thank you!

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Moniec Hayden I'm so happy that I could be of help!!! I hope you follow because seeing how many people I've helped has really motivated me to make more of these videos!

[@ItsTheseMoments]

Chuck Trujillo subscribed!

[@raulhodge3314]

I been in HVAC for over 40 years. Evap coolers stop performing good only when the humidity or dew point hit a certain level. There is a type of pad they tested back in the 80's that was a pleated cardboard type like the Munters mastercool material. I was involved in the installation of the prototype pad . It was in Phoenix. The ambient temp that day was 105 degrees with about 5% humidity. The air temp coming in the house was 63 degrees. Felt just like the A/C was on. Needless to say that pad never made it to market. The Munters master cool pad was the alternative? They aren't that great. The Aspen pad is the best media available. The prototype pleated pad worked so good it reminded me of the patented 100 MPG carburetor. That never made it to market either? Go Tell! Air volume and air distribution are the key to living with evaporative cooling. And actually the pad only needs to be wet enough to not become dry. I worked with manufacturers on this concept. Too much water, less evaporation. And yes, install a pumpout timer system to get rid of the swampy, mineralized water. I suggest every 2-4 hours, depending on the water in your location. Water your trees, shrubs or lawn with that water!

[@terryfugate3685]

What other pads can you use in a Mastercool? I live in Phoenix. The rigid media pads don't seem all that great.

[@connieory7024]

108 yesterday. Changed the pads, partially doubled them, and started the cooler at the coolest time...5AM. Really helped, thanks! Oh, and the cooler is on the roof!

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Connie Ory I'm so glad it helped. and I'm right here with you in this brutal heat let's just ride it out lol. stay hydrated!

[@djlennyb]

Doubling the pads actually hurts the cooling process FACTS

[@MichaelNewmanII]

@@chuckthebuilder3429 do you know where I can find the rigid honeycomb filters? I've checked HD/Lowes, they only carry the 8" thick. Looking for 3½" or is it possible to swap for Aspen pads?

[@-Only.Facts-]

​@@djlennybwhy?

[@MrSilvaworks]

A couple of upgrade suggestions: 1. Coat the water pan with liquid rubber instead of that black gummy stuff. It dries faster and doesn't crack/peel as easy. 2. The beige paint that is normally used on the outside of coolers is on the gray scale. White reflects heat better. So paint the outside white. And if you really want it to last, use automotive motor paint. It has a greater heat tolerance. The outside of the cooler will never get as hot as a car engine.

[@amandashelton1162]

I have both swamp cooler and mobile AC unit. I am going to get a new one this weekend. I live in Kern county and it gets too hot for the swamp cooler to help. It gets up to 100 degrees inside when the heat outside reaches 111. We have days sometimes weeks of 110 heat. Swamp cooler doesn't help. It causes health issues as well. I am very sensitive to heat, if I get into 89 degree heat for a few hours I start to get very sick. I have had heat stroke before when I was inside my apartment with swamp cooler on. It was 90 degrees inside. It didn't matter that I started the swamp cooler before the heat hit. It was 75 degrees before I turned the swamp cooler on. I also put ice inside the swamp cooler but it doesn't help but I ended up cooling down the metal box the swamp cooler is in and that helped a lot. I made ice packs that can hang on the box and it cooled down the whole unit. Even the pads were nice and chill. The ice lasted all day because they were large packs. Also, my swamp cooler is mostly in the shade all day. It helps to have a swamp cooler installed where the sun isn't directly on the unit. My family has a swamp cooler and they planted trees around it and it helps keep it functional. They also keep a hose nearby to wash it down in the morning. Swamp coolers are a lot of work and can be expensive. A AC unit isn't expensive because you don't need to replace pads and use water, they are capable of cleaning themselves. It's the electric bill that is expensive. Swamp coolers required maintenance through out the year even if you don't use it in the winter, they don't cost a lot to run.

[@Stonefoxxloxxz]

I live in Bakersfield I have a older home with to swamp cooler systems it’s been a nightmare this summer

[@shoot1forme]

I've found that by cutting the amount of water flow from the pump to the pads when ambient outside humidity is very high helps immensely to FEEL cooler in the house. I put a small valve in line with the water supply pump DISCHARGE line and voila-cooling improved dramatically on humid days. This trick is easiest to do on coolers that aren't roof mounted. ALSO MAKE SURE you are relieving the home of EXCESS pressure. The easiest way to do this is with the cooler running on high then close all the doors and windows completely in the house. Then go to a door that exits the home to the outside. Open that door about 4 inches or so and then let go of the door. If the door closes rather forcefully on it's own you need to "balance" out your system. Leave that door closed and go to a few windows and open them each an inch or so. Continue opening and closing windows until when you go back to the door, with the cooler still on high, it no longer closes by itself. Wherever you want the most cooling in the home open those windows closest to the area you want the coolest. You will reduce to a large extent that "sauna" feeling in the house after your system is balanced!

[@raulhodge3314]

You are on the right track, read my comment here! I been in HVAC for over 40 years. Evap coolers stop performing good only when the humidity or dew point hit a certain level. There is a type of pad they tested back in the 80's that was a pleated cardboard type like the Munters mastercool material. I was involved in the installation of the prototype pad . It was in Phoenix. The ambient temp that day was 105 degrees with about 5% humidity. The air temp coming in the house was 63 degrees. Felt just like the A/C was on. Needless to say that pad never made it to market. The Munters master cool pad was the alternative? They aren't that great. The Aspen pad is the best media available. The prototype pleated pad worked so good it reminded me of the patented 100 MPG carburetor. That never made it to market either? Go Tell! Air volume and air distribution are the key to living with evaporative cooling. And actually the pad only needs to be wet enough to not become dry. I worked with manufacturers on this concept. Too much water, less evaporation. And yes, install a pumpout timer system to get rid of the swampy, mineralized water. I suggest every 2-4 hours, depending on the water in your location. Water your trees, shrubs or lawn with that water!

[@txlonghorn0728]

@@raulhodge3314ASPEN FOR SURE!!! Until?? I would love to experiment locally and examine data from that 80s design. I've a few of my own I'd be willing to share. As we've found, many factors affect temperature difference. We've achieved a consistent 22-37 degree drop through our Southern NM summer.

[@Mtb-TrailTime]

I freeze 1 gallon water bottles (I use 2) and place them inside the swamp cooler and I can feel the difference right away.

[@D_Dowg626]

Like a gallon jug? Jus place it in the cooler? Thx

[@Mtb-TrailTime]

D DOWG Yes. So I buy the 1 gallons water to drink and once I finished them I fill them up with water, freeze them. Then crack them open from the water container and dump them in the cooler.

[@raulhodge3314]

Short Lived!

[@SVMSICE]

@@raulhodge3314 extremely short lived 🤦🏻‍♂️ I tried this and 30 minutes later all I’ve was melted and I didn’t see the temp in the house drop at all!

[@djlennyb]

@@Mtb-TrailTime then you just waisted that bottle One use and that's that

[@psygn0sis]

I have an indoor portable cooler. I keep gallon jugs of water in the fridge during night, then come morning I fill up my cooler with that water + ice cubes. It really helps.

[@oliversmith9200]

With ice the indoor portables kick it. Grandma had one.

[@jfox9572]

Very good tips for all us on a fixed income HVAC system use a lot of power

[@shaere1]

If you're on well water and your cooler lines are too far from the source, the water should be cooler. We're up in the high desert where it's super dry and hot in the day, coolers lines shaded as much as possible, cooler on southeast side of the with early shading that protects the cooler from direct sunlight helps with an extra 10° or more cooler airflow. You can get a larger water pump and extra spider lines so there's 2 or 3 lines soaking each pad instead of just 1.

[@hanovergreen4091]

Thank You! Great tips. Best Regards and Best Wishes!

[@abdulazizalhumaid3305]

I love the smell of it . Remember the location of cooler is a major player. Always locate the cooler to the north and south. Also make sure the cooler under shade to prevent from the sun 🌞. When the salt builds up Don't clean it very well coz the salt gives more cooling because help the woods on cooler doors to stay wet most the time.

[@orangecountyheads2644]

good advice chuck! I live in New Mexico where we get a little heat too. thanks, larry

[@DSkinManBears4Life]

I also live in NM… with this EXTREME heat we're having, Chuck's tips have worked out great!

[@MichaelNewmanII]

Central Valley heat sufferer myself... Here to support local guy 👍🏿

[@lillymarie7587]

I use the water bottles, spray my pads, and leave it on all the time. Works like a charm, and I have both windows and roof mounted coolers. My word of advice: use 2L bottles for roof mounted, and water bottles for window mounted. Works wonders for your house

[@amurican35]

My grandmother had a huge wall fed evap cooler , it was fed straight from a garden hose.

[@markknight6910]

If your pads aren't fully wet. Buy a higher rated, gallon per minute (gpm) water distribution pump. Wetting the with a hose as in the video is only a very temporary fix.

[@monicawilson842]

Have a swamp cool and that's exactly what I do with the pads soak them 😉gonna have to try the water bottle tip❤️thanks

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Monica Wilson you're very welcome!

[@hassangoli8080]

I put the whole freezer inside my swamp cooler,It worked very well and now I'm freezing to death inside my home

[@babytroll559]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 better to be cold then hot

[@MrSilvaworks]

What do you mean by "put the whole freezer inside my swamp cooler"? You installed a complete freezer unit in the evaporative cooler?!

[@hassangoli8080]

@@babytroll559 yeah yeahhhhhhhhh. specially in winter

[@hassangoli8080]

@@MrSilvaworks Oh Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[@gianniformica8235]

You built an air-conditioner...the long way. lol

[@edwardbrewer3247]

My swamp cooler is on top of the roof. The metal frame collects a lot of heat as you can well imagine. TI have a Phoenix cooler that only has intake air vents plus a 6" cardboard looking filter. We are in the process of coating everything but the intake with sheets of styrofoam to reduce the heat on the cabinet. I bet it could help the top of yours too unless it stays in the shade all day. I live north of Fresno so I'm in this central valley oven with you.

[@transforminggravity15626]

wow you are so smart you should have your own TV show

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Anglico Palazzi lol maybe some day. for now if I get enough subscribers, views and add clicks I'll be able to make these way more often.

[@brunog3207]

Thank you I didn't know how to use my swamp cooler now I know how and its alot cooler.

[@kbabygirlbigmon2001]

I love the water bottle idea! Great video Chuck! Thanks for the tips!

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Karen Herrera I'm happy to help!! you can find more resources and follow my work here! facebook.com/groups/806743426012584/

[@coreybeaty8528]

The ice bottles will not save water due to the displacement. the same amount of water will evaporate from the pads and the float valve will still compensate for the evaporation.

[@shoot1forme]

Exactly

[@raulhodge3314]

Does cold water evaporate better than room temp water?

[@SVMSICE]

Yeah, I immediately was like what the eff? That makes zero sense! The whole ice bottle thing was bunk too. Maybe if it’s not so hot outside or you do this in those small indoor portable ones but it had zero affect on my window unit. The ice was completely melted in 30 minutes with no temp drop in the house. Once I got home from camping and dumped in 2 bags of ice into it. It did have a quick blast of cooler air but that was extremely short lived 🤦🏻‍♂️. You would have to dump bags of ice in every 30 minutes or so for that to be effective all day

[@cheapskateaquatics7103]

That will do zero for your swamp cooler

[@snagh]

I have added another pump with another set of distribution pipes and really made a difference . Also make sure your cooler is leveled , if not water will tend to go to the tilted side , and this will allow hot air to go inside

[@flyinggoatroper1]

it must be perfectly level, it makes a huge difference when all 3 panels get the same amount of water

[@raulhodge3314]

I been in HVAC for over 40 years. Evap coolers stop performing good only when the humidity or dew point hit a certain level. There is a type of pad they tested back in the 80's that was a pleated cardboard type like the Munters mastercool material. I was involved in the installation of the prototype pad . It was in Phoenix. The ambient temp that day was 105 degrees with about 5% humidity. The air temp coming in the house was 63 degrees. Felt just like the A/C was on. Needless to say that pad never made it to market. The Munters master cool pad was the alternative? They aren't that great. The Aspen pad is the best media available. The prototype pleated pad worked so good it reminded me of the patented 100 MPG carburetor. That never made it to market either? Go Tell! Air volume and air distribution are the key to living with evaporative cooling. And actually the pad only needs to be wet enough to not become dry. I worked with manufacturers on this concept. Too much water, less evaporation. And yes, install a pumpout timer system to get rid of the swampy, mineralized water. I suggest every 2-4 hours, depending on the water in your location. Water your trees, shrubs or lawn with that water!

[@o0o-jd-o0o95]

Also soaking the pads by hand is a great idea but is also to help prevent any dry spots on your pad it allows your water pump to pump into the reservoir spread the water more evenly if you didn't do that the water may struggle to evenly disperse onto the pad at first. Especially if you're using a weak water pump. The water that drains on to the pads sometimes make a path and stay on that path. Not quite soaking the whole pad at least at first

[@daphne201239]

Every swamp cooler should be side mounted like that. Most in Colorado are on the roof, which is very inconvenient and unsafe for those nervous about heights. 😨 Thanks for the tips. 🥵 To 🥶

[@Solitude47152]

It worked!!! Much colder air.

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Happy to help!

[@Solitude47152]

Can I get a PO Box to show my appreciation

[@4991dalex]

Get a couple of water bottles. Half of the water bottles are just filled with water, the other half will be filled with 3 teaspoons of salt and water. Freeze them all. Add all of the water bottles to swamp cooler. The salt and water bottles will melt faster, but the ionization will keep the water and your other ice bottles colder for longer.

[@kerrsydotes]

Cant wait to try the ice bottle hack! Thank you. The manual will tell you to run just the pump for 10 to 15 minutes to prime the pads almost as good as the outdoor hose. Great video, thanks again.

[@erick8941]

all you need to do is double up the aspen pads for each panel, run pump like 10 min. before turning the fan on, crack a few windows in your home and your good no matter what point of the day you turn it on. I live in so cal desert in a mobile home with shitty insulation, it was 112F here today, my window mounted cooler kept it 74F no problem, plus the water comes from an above ground storage tank in the sun.

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Eric Kemp great suggestions!

[@Karebear89002]

Will double padding cut back on the airflow thru the house?

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Karen Kent I'm Not sure about that, I could see the concern though..

[@GUARDIAN702]

Karen Kent I run double aspen pads with about 40* temp drop in a 2car detached garage in 110~ desert weather. It restricts flow a little but the air is passing through more water cooling the air more. Try it, they are cheap.

[@raulhodge3314]

Must have been a dry day!!

[@DidierBan]

the big square ones tha go in the roof are the best to cool a house, way better than the window version. even if you don't installed on the roof , I know they are more expensive but it will keep your house colder. I helped my cousin to replace one and now that thing is so strong that can keep the house on 70F , the house is in San Jacinto, California so you can check the temperatures there ; 100s are normal there. I quit and move to San Diego. ohhh the beach, I love it.

[@lonnie195]

Late to the party, but really appreciate the tips. I am thinking that old milk cartons, filled with water and frozen, might last longer, though I did catch the part where you stated you prefer to use the larger bottles. Just thinking. Thanks again for the tips. Take care and stay as cool as you can.

[@alext7667]

Perfect transitions.

[@nmpepper]

just now saw your advice in June 2021. Roof mount downdraft swamp cooler is what I have and many old New Mexico homes deal with. The hose wet may work on a side cement pond, I mean pad mount that you can walk up to and fondle, but on the roof...no way!

[@TheVauntedQ]

I looped a mister system around the top of the cooler using zip ties. Looks a bit hokey from the backyard (where no one can see it) but I can turn it on for a few mins to mist them with cool water and then turn it off. After a few mins, despite orienting the nozzles outward, the cooler pads will actually accumulate so much water in the drain pan it will leak from the overflow.

[@benjamincoetzer7611]

Put your cooler under shading...it helps..

[@KeeplookingUP777]

Geesh and I'am only dealing with 90° (so far) in CO with a swamper....mine is two stories up, I lease, and not able to wet pads with a hose. Starting swamp cooler early in the AM is definitely key! Stay Cool Friends! ❄

[@ramsesvelasco]

Thumbs up! I will try some ice packs , it might do what work too

[@jfox9572]

I also put a cup of fabric softener in the water it helps a little by softening the water flows better and smells nice too

[@biggredd1034]

good ideas. good hack especially the water bottles for a window or side mounted unit

[@brennen22359]

So what you are doing with the frozen bottles and watering the pads is cooling the water. I have since taken it down but plan on putting it back up. I ran the water from the pump directly into a modified icechest filled with clear plastic hose. Then ran that water directly to the pads. Then filled it with 20 lbs of ice.. what a difrernce on a 120° day in nor cal.

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Exactly. I was thinking about doing something similar and run about 40 feet of copper water line coiled through an ice cooler because the copper chills down.

[@brennen22359]

@@chuckthebuilder3429 it works. I live in Nor Cal 118° its a dry heat..

[@creagan1592]

How about bagging those brick type ice blocks that come in cross country food shipments? Hmmm

[@veragarcia7817]

To turn on your water line is it supposed to be straight are down it’s the little straight medal that makes the water go into the skinny line

[@murphyrp01]

Great tips thanks for sharing. Any tips to stop water leaking from outside of unit when running ??

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Sounds like your float needs to be replaced.

[@mattelfesso]

Good tips, but a little unclear on the concepts. Swamp coolers cool outside air to different degrees depending on the humidity. At 100F they can cool anywhere from 0-30F, in theory, depending on the outside humidity. One thing that limits them, is that the water in the cooler heats up to the outside temp, or hotter if the unit is in the sun. The hose tip is probably just just introducing cooler water onto the pads, like your ice trick.

[@MrReauxs]

Dumb as hell. He gave great descriptions, and you obviously don’t know shit.

[@1spiritproductions]

Thank you for the tips. Usually drag a bag of ice up to the cooler when it gets over 115 here in Henderson, NV. And I've used the freezing bottle trick for the kiddy pool but never thought to put them in the cooler,,,,, so, Thank youuuuuuuu...

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

you are very welcome! the beauty of the bottles there's no wasted water you can freeze them again and again.. very green 😉

[@HarleyQuinn-or1xl]

Chuck Trujillo i subscribed 👍

[@SVMSICE]

I don’t know if it helps but I noticed all the swamp cooler lines are black. Well black gets very hot in the direct sun, so I took a light colored garden and fed the line through that. Maybe it helps a little bit I’m guessing it’s a very negligible amount though. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@oliversmith9200]

Hey great video thanks for the tips! I just got my dream swamp cooler like Grandma and Grandpa had back in the 50's and '60's but there's was the hugest (or I was a kid). I'm saving bill money and liking the old tech. Here in Oklahoma it's only in mid summer it gets dry enough for a swamp cooler not to make your house a swamp, but, in these couple of months I'm paying the man less (I'm low budget so I obsess on pennies... I know I'm not a alone! ;) . The frozen bottles! That's my next game. You know if times get harder (and hotter) I think swamp coolers will have a come back.

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

They sure can do the trick

[@ashman0071]

the frozen water bottles is very Macgyver - works really well - great Hack......important to have enough venting to let the more humid cooler air Out of the Structure so more cooler air can come in and the humidity doesn't rise too much inside and make you feel hotter ismw.

[@SVMSICE]

How long does the cooler air last for you? I tried this and yeah maybe for a few minutes the air coming out is cooler but it never dropped the temp in the house, not even by a .1 degree.

[@missjeanferalcatsrmylife5335]

Ok...THANK YOU! So glad to find your channel. I am going to try the frozen bottled water as soon as I can. This heat in Cottonwood AZ as been AMAZING ensuring lots of suffering because the swamp cooler isn't in tip top condition. I will certainly let you know how that frozen water works. 👍

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Try all 3 to get best results. Thanks for visiting feel free to hit that follow button more content coming soon.

[@irishfusion423]

Thank you!

[@themaniacmower]

I have a portable swamp cooler been using it for about a year now keeps the shop decent have to dump water in it cause it has no pump. so I can say dumping watter in defenetly helps

[@cmfraga22]

My hack for roof top cooler: Place sheet metal in the downdraft shaft in home not only does it seal it to keep air from escaping in roof , it also cools down the air a little better. Just make sure you clean it every season because build of calcium can cause a film and not cool air

[@siege1979]

If you have a roof mounted cooler or one that is just in the sun for large amounts of time get some of the reflective roof paint and paint the outside of the cooler.

[@theresavalianti4781]

like those tips thanks

[@StickyDoll]

Thank you Chuck. We are in the high desert Inn Joshua tree and it's brutal. We have an old dog that is not doing well and it's really important we keep our house cool. Thank you so much man for these tips.

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Let me know how it works out. Hope your dog baby is doing ok!

[@charlesmasey6815]

for those of you that live in humid areas take the air in the attic and pipe to the swamp cooler enough to keep it operating at it's best..

[@synthiaseven9342]

Why not design your own with a geothermal loop to keep the rez cold. As the pump draws water it is forced through a closed loop, 4 feet underground. The water is cooled to 52F before entering the evaporative pad. Also, use a higher volume water pump and a larger evaporative pad. Make sure the pump properly saturated the entire pad or other evaporative material. This would be a cheap, low-tech geothermal/evaporative hybrid cooler. I'm going to beluilding one this spring... as I have built a 4,000 cubic foot greenhouse that will need to be cooled very soon.

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Cynthia Cahoe amazing idea!

[@mannys9130]

This cooler uses the transitional phase change of liquid water into vapor to cool the air that's blown into the house. The liquid water molecule absorbs kinetic energy (heat) from the pad and air, and uses that energy to make the jump in phase energy into a gas. Cold water has lower temperature (kinetic energy) than hot water. Cooling the water would actually decrease the efficiency of the evaporative cooler. It would cause the water to evaporate much slower and thus take less kinetic energy from its surroundings.

[@antonboutin692]

This is not how thermodynamics works, but the end result is about the same. Basically, since changing water to vapor absorbs way, way more energy (heat) from the air stream than 10 or 20-degree changes in the actual liquid water, precooling the water is not worth the bother. I suspect that adding the iced bottles to the swamp cooler's water pan may have made a temporary 1/100th of a degree change to the cooled outlet air stream... not worth it. Water absorbs hundreds of times more energy when it changes phase from liquid to vapor than when it simply changes a degree or so of temperature, so the beneficial effects of precooling the water are trivial in evaporative coolers, though it will make a small difference. When the water on a wet pad evaporates, the effects of the water's evaporation, "latent heat of vaporization" absorbs energy, first by dropping the water to the wet bulb temperature, and then absorbing energy from its surroundings, the air it is cooling. With swamp coolers, the ratio of the latent heat of vaporization contributing to dropping the water's temp to the wet bulb temp is always a small fraction of the overall energy absorbed cooling the water AND THE AIR. Even though precooled water would contribute a little bit of extra cooling by not having to cool itself to the wet bulb temp, it really is not worth bothering addressing. Plus, if one has the pads moistened with water at lower than the wet bulb temp, the warming of that water to the wet bulb temp contributes to the cooling of the air stream and then the much, much larger contribution from the latent heat of vaporization takes place at the wet bulb temp and absorbs a whole lot more, so it is a win, win, even though it really is not much of a win and not worth bothering with. Another way to look at this is, if just the swamp cooler's little low volume water pump was moving water through an enclosed radiator, like in a car, how much effective cooling would it provide, not much! Those pumps move a remarkably small amount of water, because they don't have to, unlike with an automobile's water pump, because a swamp cooler is utilizing the much, much larger effect of latent heat of vaporization rather than the weak effect sensible heat (temperature change) has that occurs in a car's radiator. Making sure no air passes into the swamp cooler without being 100% saturated with moisture and therefore cooled is the most effective swamp cooler mod. Plug up the holes and make sure the pad completely covers the inlet screens and that the water distribution system is working TO COMPLETELY SATURATE THE PADS AT ALL TIMES. Any dryish spots imply you are sucking uncooled hot air into your house. Consider a higher flow water pump!

[@MrGregroberts55]

What you're saying makes sense but yesterday it was 110 F with humidity at 25% and I dumped a bag of ice in the cooler water tank and it lowered the cooler outlet air by about 10 degrees for about 20 minutes.

[@Crayfish3D]

Presumably, if the cooler box itself is in a shaded area, the air around it will be also (slightly) cooler and help performance?

[@heidis.3699]

The air isn't cooler, but the metal will be, and therefore the water.

[@cowgirlsca5199]

I put a big board that is hanging off over the sides to keep in it the shade, changed the pads and made the holes bigger where the water comes in the trays at the top. Today is cooler, but yesterday before I did all that it was over 90 in my house. 104 outside.

[@raulhodge3314]

I been in HVAC for over 40 years. Evap coolers stop performing good only when the humidity or dew point hit a certain level. There is a type of pad they tested back in the 80's that was a pleated cardboard type like the Munters mastercool material. I was involved in the installation of the prototype pad . It was in Phoenix. The ambient temp that day was 105 degrees with about 5% humidity. The air temp coming in the house was 63 degrees. Felt just like the A/C was on. Needless to say that pad never made it to market. The Munters master cool pad was the alternative? They aren't that great. The Aspen pad is the best media available. The prototype pleated pad worked so good it reminded me of the patented 100 MPG carburetor. That never made it to market either? Go Tell! Air volume and air distribution are the key to living with evaporative cooling. And actually the pad only needs to be wet enough to not become dry. I worked with manufacturers on this concept. Too much water, less evaporation. And yes, install a pumpout timer system to get rid of the swampy, mineralized water. I suggest every 2-4 hours, depending on the water in your location. Water your trees, shrubs or lawn with that water!

[@hastabyebye]

@@raulhodge3314 You don't think that the 5 percent humidity level had a lot to do with it? Even my smallest swamper will freeze me out at dewpoints below 10 percent. ?? Are mastercools that much cooler? If so why can't I retrofit a 3 sided. .. seal up the. two sides and. stick a piece of rigid media for the back. Isn't that really all a mastercool is?

[@raulhodge3314]

@@hastabyebye LOw humidity has everything to do with it. But I have never observed a 40 degree temperature drop before.

[@hastabyebye]

@@raulhodge3314 Neither have I. That is awesome. I always figured there should be a way to build a dry air zone around the swamp cooler. That way it would always perform at its coolest. Let me know if you come up with something, I'll be the first to buy shares in your company❗

[@piratechick3065]

Going to try these things today .. fingers crossed 🤞

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

How'd it work out

[@albertgomez7343]

My AC went out. I just hooked up a swamp cooler because AC guy we have warranty with can't come out till next week. Has anyone considered using an aquarium chiller to cool the water in the swamp cooler? I saw one for 99 bones that maintains a 12 gallon aquarium. My small swamp cooler holds maybe 5 gallons. The chiller can chill to 37 degrees f...although doubt this would happen in 100 degree heat.

[@robertdiamondoil2384]

Shade swamp cooler from direct sun with a canopy

[@nerfherder999]

my new favorite video on youtube. very practical. thank you.

[@mitch5077]

If it's humid forget it

[@psygn0sis]

Californian summers are REALLY dry.

[@mrsdrspencerreid5150]

psygn0sis facts I get hella nose bleeds for the dry air here

[@hughmann2686]

Thank you. Informative.

[@ElGuzman1]

You're the man Chuck

[@holdenthadass4242]

I don't usually like videos but you deserve it, I don't have a swamp cooler but you look like a cool dude, 👍🏾

[@SS-vp4eu]

He looks identical to Jeremy Cervantes

[@frankc6430]

tip; get shade for the swamp cooler so the metal is not under the sun .... put misters around the swamp cooler to help with the hot air even before it enters the cooler...

[@jasonshoraka1098]

here's another tip put in an umbrella or some tree branches with lots of leaves to shade the Sun away from the entire unit, and add like 10 water bottles or 12 ice trays full of ice in there twice a day that'll make it like a regular air conditioner keep the Sun away from the unit

[@iconaclastor]

that was what I was thinking, put a tarp or outdoor umbrella to shield the cooler from the sun

[@DSkinManBears4Life]

Those tips were awesome! Keep up the good work and thank you for your videos!

[@Mp1306-tm]

Thanks for advice..awesome

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

You're welcome thank you for visiting !

[@bunnybeautyjezeal5330]

thank you,I have been looking for some simple easy cheap shit to do for old was swamp cooler...

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Jezzy Bunny you're welcome! I'm happy to help!

[@ItsTheseMoments]

Thank you! we are going to see if any of it works. Let you know!

[@sinfakealexito2954]

Put air compressor in in and you will have a big air conditioner

[@elvism6140]

look at that handsome lookin' devil :D great advice bro. thank ya from Los Angeles Ca.

[@lorimarsh9506]

Can I do the same thing for a roof cooler? It's just like this but on the roof and the pump, and spider were replaced. It's just all in the sun seems like the water heats up before it can even cool.

[@veragarcia7817]

Ok when I turn on my cooler it’s running I go out side to turn on the water to get the pads wet it’s already to go are we supposed to open up the black nasal to let the water drip are close it

[@Mrkevi123]

I understand you use cold water but doesn't it have to reach a certain high temperature to evaporate? I'm not sure if this is effective as we like to think.

[@Cponyman49]

wind evaporates at any temperature

[@SVMSICE]

You’ve evidently never used a swamp cooler if you think they are ineffective 😆

[@nightmar3nation253]

Need help husband lazy last year we put a new pump this year I turned it on fells like there’s no water running threw can’t here the water line what should we do

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Remove the pads. Take the hose that runs up from the pump and disconnect it. Once disconnected from the pump use your water hose and spray it hard into the hose you disconnected that feeds the pads. If water falls freely from above where the pads are then the lines are clear. Sometimes they have a build up. Before you re connect the hose Rinse the basin clean and drain it. Rinse the pump. Fill the basin with water and turn your cooler switch to the pump position. Water should come out where the hose was connected. If water comes out and the pump is running. Re connect the hose to the pump and it should flow freely and fall from above where the pads go. It's either a bad pump or clogged lines or both. If none of thos work get a new pump.

[@Sociable_Graces]

Good tips, Chuck, thanks. I've got a problem where the blower is knocking against the frame making a clanging sound. At least I think that is what is causing the noise. I replaced and tightened the belt and lubed the bushings, didn't fix it. Seems to be a lot of play back and forth in the blower axle. I've tried some measures to reduce that play but failed to remedy the noise.

[@arne6787]

Your belt drive pully might need to be replaced. It being made wrong in the first place (uneven and not properly aligned) can make it wobbly and shake the whole swamp cooler.

[@SpineChillingChronicles]

You forgot to add a shade for the cooler...and yes ice works great but I put gallon milk jugs in there 2 of them will last 1 day.....

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

yes I did forget that! someone also added that on our Facebook group! Good call!

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

hey guys please support my go fund me campaign to fund startup cost for my remodel business! every share helps! m.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gofundme.com%2Ffdsa7cvq&h=CAQH_Zo5L&enc=AZMEEwdDsVF_WdTl2y3z7FIrW-6rOHfC6Pmm8t1wsT7EFuCC8e-XkgzPie3kB2inFZw&s=1

[@HarleyQuinn-or1xl]

Chuck Trujillo

[@loriharding9248]

Thanks for the video. It's hot as he'll this week in the CV.

[@loriharding9248]

I'm up by Atwater.

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Lori Harding lol I'm dying in the south Valley! stay hydrated!

[@loriharding9248]

Chuck Trujillo you stay hydrated as well :) pets too😊

[@dorian3260]

Great video, but placing the bottles inside doesn't cause you to save water, the way a brick in the toilet does. The brick saves water per flush, where the bottles only changes the capacity of the reservoir. I have a window mount, so getting to the reservoir is hard. Has anyone tried putting a reservoir capable of holding ice and running it between the water source and the cooler? It seems easy enough, but I've only used a swamp cooler last season, so I may be wrong. Long as I'm at it, I made a cooler from a styrofoam ice chest. It worked, but not enough to lower the room temperature.

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Pat Benny great suggestion!

[@tonylopez9936]

It is a good idea to keep the sun from hitting the housing. Stand outside with one arm in the sun & one in the shade. The difference is incredible. So cover the top at least & your cooler won't become an oven

[@tonylopez9936]

Pat Benny actually, it does save water. Just as the commode loses water, the cooler loses water. It does it through evaporation. When the water evaporates it is replaced with fresh water. All day long. But saving money on the water bill is not the main reason for doing this.

[@danharold3087]

This is an evaporative cooler. It does not matter if the water evaporates on the pads or from the pan, evaporation cools.

[@SVMSICE]

@@tonylopez9936 it doesn’t save any water 🤦🏻‍♂️ 😆

[@mago7201]

so I live in 29 palms and it gets so hot here about 105-115 to where the water doesn't even come out cold from the pipes. will it work less if it's warm water soaking the pads? plus it's on the roof but I don't mind going up to try the ice water bottle trick so I'm not constantly living in a sauna lol

[@gearjunky63]

I live in Fort Mohave which is probably one of the hottest spots on earth, and I was also based at 29 palms as a Marine. Forget the ice bottles which are a waist of time no matter which (side draft/down draft) cooler you have. The warm water will get cold VERY FAST, as you are pulling air through the pads which bring the water temperature down (this is how the swamp cooler works). My recommendations are as follows: Use ONLY aspen pads. Do maintenance on the unit at least once a week (more if you are anal like me); this should include oiling the squirrel cage bearings (oil both sides of the motor every other month), replace pads each season with high usage (over 6 months of constant use). I get away with two years use, as once the humidity comes in, the swamp cooler is useless. Use vinegar (Lime and Calcium control), and 1 inch pool chlorine tabs (Mold control) in check. You should just run the pump for a couple of hours or more when adding vinegar, the 1 or 2 chlorine tabs are slow dispense, so can be added any time. I have been running multiple swamp coolers on my property for over 20 years, so I know what I am talking about. These steps may seem like a lot of work, but like anything else, once you get into the groove, you don't even think about it.

[@NITEGOD]

Gear junky knows what he’s talking about , I’m in the Central Valley, Manteca Ca. I run this cooler just like he does , it cools the air as the water evaporates.... hence the name evaporated cooler ???

[@shawnwallace2495]

Hello 29 palms, yucca valley here & im going to try these tricks, how did they work for you?!?!

[@4000marcdman]

great video and well put together. good job👏

[@nightmar3nation253]

If I wet the pads would that get the pump going

[@nightmar3nation253]

Chuck I wet the pads seem to work there’s water in it now but it still not cold what should I do

[@albertlisty]

How often do you change out those water bottles? My cooler is on the roof and I try very hard not to have to go up there. But the idea of water displacement and cooler water is intriguing.

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Albert Listy if you have to go on top of the roof. I'd say do gallons. However many you can fit. Probably twice a day. Especially with starting it early in the day.

[@badass1g]

Dump a bag of ice or two in the bottom of the tank for really hot days. I bet your ass you’ll see a huge change!

[@SanFranciscoFatboy]

cool video :) i grew up in the SJV and know those summers :)..... my question is about he feed water, does it warm up being exposed to the sun before the water even gets into the cooler? should i bury the 1/4 inch feeder hose to keep it cool? .................... i just scored a Brisa 3004 for my RV in clearlake..... 114 degrees in july :)

[@kristianduvall7326]

Chico Ca. Here.. Our feed line is copper tubing. Water cold and fill early. Then nighttime fill. And Blue Ice Camp Packs I use. Our unit on the roof. Will be getting a new EZ UP white canopy. To deflect the sun at least till noon. 108 next week May 2020.

[@banditobigmac5429]

Yeah!!! Central Valley!!!!

[@MrSilvaworks]

So will putting a canopy over a roof evap. cooler to shade it make the inside air cooler?

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

This has been a recurring thing and I shouldve thought to include it in the video. When you shade the cooler it does cool the metal which keeps the water cooler and the air because of that. So short answer yes lol

[@retr0r1ck7]

can you add dry ice inside the water to make it real cold ? I live in Arizona with 115 degree weather ..also it's been humming alot...is that a problem with the bearings?

[@carluvrsd9374]

Depends on the sound. See if there is a tiny hole near the bearing and add a few drops. Make sure your belt is not too loose or too tight. It should have some give to it but not flop around when running. Remember that pumps slowly lose effectiveness over time. If your pads have dry spots you might have a lazy pump motor or clogs. Make sure all water passages are free of clogs. Also, bear in mind that a cooler can only cool the air 15 to 20 degrees, so when it's 115 degrees outside, if your house is in the upper 90s you are doing good. i recommend buying a portable or window mount AC unit for each occupied bedroom for use when the dew point rises outside during monsoon. I use mine instead of the swamp when temps are over 110 or high dew point. I started with just one 14000 BTU rolling air conditioner for my master bedroom. Because the cooler still had to run for the rest of the house I keep the windows and doors to that room shut. Remember that the cooler is bringing massive amounts of air into the house and that air has to have an exit. Open windows part way in the rooms you need cooled. Imagine the area of the pads on your cooler iff all pads were lined up together. There should be about the same area of open window or more for air to escape your house. If you have to run A/C in a room though, that room should be as sealed as you can get itt. you don't want any air escaping from that room.

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Bud I have no idea what dry ice would do to the setup... if you're ballsy enough to try it let me know! and this guy seems to have your other questions covered so not gonna tell you twice hah..

[@machellekamrath2385]

NO to the dry ice thing!!! I thought the same thing, but turns out the dry ice puts off a chemical as it thaws, much like carbon monoxide that you will be blowing, intentionally, into your home. i'm no expert or chemist but the info and reaction i got was ABSOLUTELY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT!!!. if you find out otherwise, we desert rats in pahrump could use that info also. lol. good luck. We did, however, find that making a canopy out of a piece of tarp and some pvc or 2x4 for support over the top of your swamp cooler will help to keep water cooler longer. good luck!@

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

+Machelle Kamrath hey guys please support my go fund me campaign to fund startup cost for my remodel business! every share helps! m.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gofundme.com%2Ffdsa7cvq&h=CAQH_Zo5L&enc=AZMEEwdDsVF_WdTl2y3z7FIrW-6rOHfC6Pmm8t1wsT7EFuCC8e-XkgzPie3kB2inFZw&s=1

[@mannys9130]

+Machelle Kamrath Dry ice is simply CO2 ice. It's Carbon Dioxide that has been cooled until it is frozen solid. When it melts, it doesn't go to a liquid first like water ice does. It sublimates from a solid directly to a gas. The only thing that dry ice produces, is CO2 gas like what you exhale and find in soda pop. CO2 is inert and nontoxic, but it can kill you by displacing the oxygen in the space you're in.

[@babytroll559]

Thanks for the tip

[@natalycar4888]

I just got my swamp cooler yesterday and im having trouble with it i feel like it dosent help the heat im sweating and everything ughhh helllpp

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Nataliz Cardoza they can be almost useless in heat past 100. try the ice bottles if you can get to them also shade the cooler if possible.

[@SaltyReels]

Keep one window open only a couple inches at the furthest end of your home

[@GUARDIAN702]

Chuck Trujillo it gets to 110+ (117 last week) where I live and my garage stays around 70*

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

GUARDIAN702 you must have great insullation!

[@jamiep7322]

Nataliz Cardoza take it back and get a window air conditioner at Home Depot Works good

[@Rangerdude67]

Swamp coolers work by evaporating the water. If the pads are in good condition, ie., not all plugged with calcium/lime, then the hotter temp air from outside evaporating the water is how the darn things work better. High Humidify is what stops the evaporation process and leads to warm air. DUH?

[@nicolebaez768]

So I have a swamp cooler mounted in the back side of my house and the sum hits it when it's the hottest part of the day my question is would it be OK to wrap the swamp cooler in a tarp? or to just build something above where it is in the shade? I live in the desert

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

A separate shade would be best. Long term maybe plant trees away from the house that can eventually shade that area.

[@nicolebaez768]

@@chuckthebuilder3429 thank you so much

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

@@nicolebaez768 happy to help. Try the other hacks they do help especially If you do them all. Thanks for visiting feel free to subscribe have new stuff coming.

[@SauerkrautNCheese]

Water displacement isn't a factor in saving water unless you're talking about water evaporation inside of the swamp cooler itself. In which case, the water you save is negligible if there is any at all.

[@stevensteven8719]

Dude!

[@ronwerks]

Yo I got a desk swamp cooler recently and my room is kinda cooler than it used to b but it's super humid and there's been problems delivering my dehumidifier, anyone have any solutions while I get this figured out? I tried aborting the humidity w kitty litter but it doesn't seem all that effective

[@josebautista1292]

just changed pump swapping with same type pump but water pressure aint enough to make it rain why how do i fix

[@chuckthebuilder3429]

Grab the hose that takes the water up to the 4 way hose above the pads. The part that normally connects to the pump. Spray the water hose through it at high pressure. Sometimes there are clogs in the line.

[@josebautista1292]

already tried that think im gonna half to go with a bigger pump