Can This Device Actually Lower Your Air Conditioner Electric Bill By 30%?? Lets Find Out!

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[@ryanantrim5780]

I added a misting system earlier this year, simply because my heat pump couldn't keep up, and a hvac friend recommended I add that to help. And it really did....I have to turn mine on by hand though. Much cheaper than a new bigger pump.

[@diyhvacguy]

Thanks for sharing!

[@markl8423]

Make sure you have a calcium filter before the mister… you can get a fan activated switch to turn on.

[@ryanantrim5780]

@@markl8423 I just installed the filter.....hadn't thought of hard water and calcium build up at all.

[@JohnnyNukeEm]

Even with the filter I think in the long run you will destroy your unit with calcium build up and rust.@@ryanantrim5780

[@eharrell757ify]

Water quality first. condensing temp drops, evap pressure/temp is lower. Heat=$ This is a win

[@BrianW211]

I'm an engineer and I live in near Phoenix and the tubing and mist heads appear to be standard patio misting system components. I know it's effective because there are commercial air conditioning systems that use similar technology (and are designed to do so). I believe it would work well and would probably pay for itself with electricity savings in one season. However: 1. In some areas (like Phoenix), build-up of hard-water deposits is going to be an issue for both reducing the efficiency of the cooling fins and clogging the misting nozzles. You are naïve if you think that cheap filter is going to remove the hardness from your water. 2. In more humid areas, mold, mildew, and algae are going to be an issue for clogging the condenser fins because they will be wet all the time. 3. Rust and corrosion of the condenser is going to be an issue with it getting wet and drying out several times per day. Edit: Rust of the condenser cabinet is secondary to the issue of corrosion of the condenser tubes/fins. Additionally, some units may fair MUCH worse if they can pull even a small amount of mist through the area where the contactor, capacitor, and other electrical connections are located since that will accelerate corrosion of the electrical connections. On top of the above, I can just look at the components and tell that the quality is really poor. I.e. the plastic tubing and air flapper will be susceptible to UV deterioration and the valve controlled by the flapper will be lucky to last one season. Edit: all it took was a little bit of research and almost everything I expected it true. It has 31% one-star reviews on Amazon with hard water deposits, premature valve failure, and corrosion of the condenser being the main complaints. Oh, and a patio misting kit that comes with everything but the flapper/valve costs less than $20.

[@ChrisPBolsak]

patio misting kit I believe would be the way to go, but I do think that with the lowered head pressures and benefit of the compressor having less strain and less amp draw would pretty much pay for itself easy

[@kden1271]

Almost had it

[@docferringer]

@@ChrisPBolsak That flap assembly should be easy to bypass, but doing it efficiently is the issue. A float switch for something like a boat's bilge would make a nice switch. Pair it with a relay to open and close the water valve, connect it to power, and you should have something with low power draw. But I have a feeling that trying to out-engineer a cheap kit from China is a losing proposition.

[@MrTommyboy68]

I agree. The water in Phoenix is HORRIBLE. Using a mist system WILL clog the coils with calcium in short order. I did A/C in Phoenix for 25 years and the water was the bane of cooling towers and mist systems (and NO ONE wanted to spend the money for a RO system). Goettl (a local manufacturer for years offered a "swamp cooler" frame and pad to install on their units (they all were single inlet to the condenser so they were relatively easy to install. BUT you HAD to maintain them and have a CONSTANT bleed off or you would trash the pads in short order AND then they would deteriorate the coils. And all the little gimmicks out there promising to take care of your scale build ups are GARBAGE. THEY DON'T WORK. And we had a LOT of evap coolers and again you had to have a constant bleed off OR a separate pump on a timer to pump the water out at a set interval and that helped a LOT in keeping the scale down. So there is no "quick fix" for helping your A/C unit working especially in the hottest parts of the country with LOW HUMIDITY. I wouldn't use any kind of misting system anywhere on the east coast.

[@seetheworldfrommyharley]

​@kden1271 Come on man!!! 😜🤣

[@petersiegrist7844]

I did this and by the end of Summer the coils were all clogged with minerals. This is even after a water softener. It was a terrific job getting the coils cleaned. They're still not completely clean. I urge everyone to consider this possibility.

[@Skydiverjoe2871]

This was/is my worry too. Having minerals build up over the coils will reduce efficiency of the cooling fins. If you had a good filter before the nozzles may help and then just change the filter?

[@garyK.45ACP]

That is a legitimate concern and will vary by local water conditions. An in-line filter on the water line to the misters could solve the problem.

[@mikegrok]

So maybe I should find some way of pressurizing my condensation water..

[@AllAmericanGuyExpert]

Yeah, I will never do this unless I get a reverse osmosis ... or I get a huge quantity of cheap distilled or DM water.

[@Shorty_Lickens]

@@AllAmericanGuyExpert When we moved to the new house there was nothing. I wanted reverse osmosis. The little woman wanted a softener. We compromised and got a softener. Now multiple times per year I lug a couple hundred pounds of salt down to the basement so we can make dirty water that requires expensive filters underneath each sink in the house. Yay.

[@davidzellers3537]

Im a business owner in the HVAC industry for 30 years and was a instructor for 10 years. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DO NO USE THESE. Yes they do lower your condensing temperature which in turn will lower your evaporator temperatures but those coils are not made for this. You will have lime build up on your coils andother deposits. Also the condenser fan has a hole open to the atmosphere on the bottom just in case there was any moisture that gets in the motor. This will cause your motor to fail sooner. By doing this you will be pulling moisture into the motor and bearings. I’ve seen this done many times and the coils will fail. Please don’t do this. If this was good for your equipment all equipment would have evaporative cooling built on them. If you truly want to save money keep coils clean, filters changed, add insulation to your home that has broken down over the years(attic), replace windows or if your system runs all day and half the night it could be to small or just need servicing. PLEASE DONT BUY GADGETS THAY WILL COST YOU IN THE LONG RUN. .8 amps isn’t gunna help your power consumption as much as insulation and windows wood.

[@bustex1]

Windows are a terrible return on investment.

[@yomomma3621]

Thanks for that info. I was considering installing one. But not now.

[@marsmars9130]

?? these AC units stay out in the weather and in FL it rains everyday

[@kiowablue2862]

@@marsmars9130 The mineral content of rain water is negligible. Tap water on the other hand can contain a significant amount of minerals.

[@lukemeck]

Rain also doesn't get injected right into the coils 24/7 like this mister is doing ​@marsmars9130

[@johnb9825]

The wire inside the tubing is there to provide rigidity to maintain the shape you bend it into without kinking the tube.

[@chaicharin]

I work from home and I go out and spray both my AC units when I take breaks to help cool it down and also keep the cotton weeds from coating the coils. My units are always in the shade and are 16yrs old. I have replaced the capacitors twice since I have owned them and also replaced one of the fan motors before I realized it was a simple $10 capacitor as the issue. I have also replaced the capacitors on my inside blower fans along with one blower fan motor. Doing this yourself can extend the life of your AC units and furnaces. Really cool set up and invention.

[@TheWilferch]

For those with engineering background...this is simply a change from a closed-looped dry-bulb cooler ( an "air-cooled-heat-exchanger").....to a dry/wet cooling device to take advantage of evaporative cooling effect. The bad part is that the coils (now being wet) will collect more debris or grass or cottonwood, etc...and will be fouled sooner. But yeah...adding a wet-bulb ( vs dry-bulb) evaporative cooling element to the system will improve performance but watch out for coils getting fouled.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

It's actually more of "make it a 2-stage system" by adding a makeshift evaporative cooling system to the input air of the existing stage.

[@TRICAD]

The priority is the collection of debris in his comment i think. The method of extra cooling isn't relevant.

[@JB-yq9bn]

It's called direct / indirect cooling. There are 38 seer units in Australia using this approach

[@DerekKerton]

True. Plus, the coils & fins will be additionally fouled by whatever calcium or minerals precipitate out of the vaporized water. Sure, the filter will probably remove some, but evaporation on the fins is SURE to remove the rest. That may / may not be a deal breaker. Pros: It will save electricity, Cons: It increases the maintenance workload.

[@CaliCowboy805]

What does getting Fouled me in this instance exactly??

[@timrowe234]

From an HVAC tech- I would like a tube on every side of coil for maximum effectiveness. Also I would install the mister near top portion of coil so cool water can start on top portion and trickle cold water down. Nice design on this. I’ve used my yard sprinkler on very very hot days 😊

[@michaelbrinks8089]

I take it the hottest freon comes in at the top and it travels to the bottom as it condenses back to liquid.

[@bradywilliams2666]

At least put the tubes on the hottest sides ie the sides with direct sun. In this guys case the foundation side is shadowed.

[@THEOGGUNSHOW]

Diddo

[@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710]

@@THEOGGUNSHOW ditto.

[@RobertSmith-tq6mf]

​@@clutchpedalreturnsprg7710dildo? Lol , just kidding

[@shane250]

Also, it will work best if you're in a "dry heat" area. If it's 90% humidity, I don't think it's going to work that well, because it's going to be harder for the water to evaporate and carry the heat with it.

[@catfishcooler1566]

Yeah... just like those "cooling towels" this thing doesn't work in Augusta, GA or Columbia, SC.

[@TheCrunchbird]

@@catfishcooler1566 It also won't wok in the Jacksonville, Florida area.

[@kww117]

Too bad the manufacturer won’t ship to Arizona where I live and have extremely low humidity. They say it’s due to the “extreme hard water”. What a joke.

[@larrycox6614]

​@@kww117Since most water filtration system companies claim that 85% of the country has hard water, it certainly makes no sense at all.

[@bendayho]

@@kww117 interesting. why the filter then? I live in Tucson and the water is hard, but I only crust where the water drips down the shower head.

[@xtremefight]

I've been doing this for over 20 years (in Bakersfield and Las Vegas) and yes, it will save you a ton of money. The idea is to find that sweet spot where it's just enough water flow to make the mist. Remember that it is the evaporation that we are using to cool the incoming air (evaporative process causing the air to cool up to 40 degrees), not soaking the unit's parts.

[@narref04]

I'd be concerned with doing this if the water has a very high mineral content (central Texas lime stone style). In the high desert where I lived for 7 years, I didn't need an AC 90% of the year as my swamp cooler provided enough cold air for 1/6th the cost of AC. The AC unit was for those times that we had monsoon humidity. Even then. The mineral deposits in my swamp cooler pads was enough to go through 2 to 3 sets of pads a year in the high desert of Cali.

[@Dancing_Alone_wRentals]

@@narref04 Seems like there are ways to save energy but they are not automatic in the push button lifestyle we see around us. In the video he says one flush of water is all it takes. Around here, the dehumidifier collects much more than that in a day. (I pour that water into the washing machine). That swamp cooler sounds interesting. tHanks for posting

[@kenniegarner3848]

@@narref04 Did you even watch the video?

[@Mike_H76]

According to the "experts" on here, your AC should have rotted away years ago. Glad it works for you, for the folks arguing about mineral deposits... you're really supposed to clean you coils anyway (with coil cleaner and UN-filtered mineral rich garden hose water).

[@don2deliver]

Soaking the condenser works too. You might rust out the bottom sooner but you are still using water evaporation to remove heat better than just airflow.

[@paulrozinski1488]

It’s a nice concept but one thing to consider If your unit is in an area where there is a lot of pollen, it will mix with the water and make a “ glue” on your condenser coil.

[@readmore3634]

So that's what got all over my patio out-door kitchen as we ran the misters all day...I figured it was just dust accumulating due to the mister droplets gathering dust and covering the surfaces.

[@neepsmcfly4176]

It appeared to me that the misters were pointed away from the condenser. Would this help w the "gluing"?

[@paulrozinski1488]

@@neepsmcfly4176 Even though the misters are pointed away, the air flow from the condenser sides is still towards the coil ( inhaling ).

[@kris4786]

You should rinse the condenser at least once a month. If its a dusty area you live in rinse weekly because the cleaner it is the better it removes heat.

[@malcolmblack717]

@@kris4786 You are absolutely correct. Most people have never cleaned their condenser coils. All you have to do is spray your condenser coils with the garden hose. Never ever use a pressure washer. This mister system is getting additional efficiency after cleaning the condenser and evap coils.

[@allynwadleigh2210]

Loved these devices when I was a HVAC tec! Job security the coils will totally crumble in time and require unit replacement!

[@57haldir]

Haha! 😂😂Totally agree 👍🏻

[@philipgard6762]

25 years of working on HVAC in So Florida I would tell people on service calls about spraying a light mist of water on their condenser sometimes when they had a party in the home and the heat load was higher than the unit could effectively handle. There are even other water misting systems on the market for larger systems. I did install a system on a 100 ton condenser unit in a meeting/recreation building that ran off of the head pressure of the coolant.

[@markothesharko]

In dry climes I've worked on RTUs with swamp cooler "Pre-coolers" attached to the unit next to the condenser coils.

[@skipsandvig8888]

25 years as a tech and you call it coolant?

[@philipgard6762]

@@skipsandvig8888 yup, given the variety of refrigerates out there everything from anhydrous ammonia, the different freons, and even chilled water systems. I have worked on all of the above and hate the large ammonia ones.

[@dawnc5797]

​@@skipsandvig8888as many varieties as there are it's probably easier to use one word for it. Plus, where you live can determine what words you use for things.

[@patrickday4206]

​@@philipgard6762propane and its derivatives

[@mattb1967mb]

Made one myself our of 1/4 copper tubing with very fine holes drilled into it and used a solenoid valve that was wired into the thermostat wires to turn it on and off. Worked like a charm.

[@RH-mm2mo]

That’s better than using the fan even if it’s amp draw is low.

[@yonkromis7883]

Well that's great I tried to make one it woked somewhat but you need to have the mist evaporation is an important part of the water hitting the coils that will cool down some especially if you have a lot of water hitting it but the mist is what this is about

[@yonkromis7883]

36 times more cooling from evaporation then from the coolness of the water

[@mattb1967mb]

Guess everybody thinks very fine holes is like 1/64 or something. I'm an ex machinist... when I say very fine I mean in the thousandths which would actually be smaller than a mister you would buy so yes... it was a homemade mister.

[@Midtown95060]

Your solenoid wired into the low voltage is literally ten times better/more reliable.

[@jacksobe]

Thanks for trying it out and doing the video. I had an idea like this 20 years ago, but was afraid of corrosion or build-up on the coils. If I get a 0.9A reduction in power usage from the solution you showed, at 10 cents per kWh, it would take 10 years for me to recoup my money from this (assuming water filters were free). It is a good idea, but costs too much to be worth it. I've found the thing that has made the biggest difference for me, by far, is adding more insulation to the attic.

[@chartedtravel1776]

10с per kwt??? Biden will fix that inefficiency for you soon. In HI we are paying 53C

[@luckyduck6921]

Insulation is the absolute key

[@Falcon-eh8tq]

@@luckyduck6921 youre right m8, live by the six sides of encapsulation rrule in insulation. potentially a house can lose 15-25% thru an uninsulated attic and 5-15% through an uninsulated basement

[@davidberrien9711]

Just a note about the piece of wire inside the tubes. It's for forming the tube to make the 90 degree bend over the side. shake it or slide it to the proper position and bend it. Then it will hold the bend without kinking the tubes. Better appearance, and keeps the tube open for the sharp bends.

[@OKCFittySix]

I used one of those on my very tired 33 y/o Trane unit to buy me some more time before replacing it. South side of the house. Full sun all day long. Wasn't worried about mineral buildup, corrosion, etc, since she was about through anyway. Actually got me thru 2 more seasons, including a brutal summer that reached 114. She was rough looking after 2 years tho. Cabinet was rusty and the coil fins were not pretty. I could definitely tell a difference in the way the compressor motor sounded with the misters running. Much less labored.

[@neccron9956]

Note that the water filter, shown in the video, does not remove calcium. It is a water conditioner which slightly changes the chemistry of calcium to reduce scaling, but does not remove it. Also, is slightly (very slightly) make the water acidic, which with the calcium, is not good for longevity of the condenser.

[@xjmg007]

This is the reason I am always hesitant to use misters. I would like to eventually make a mister that uses only the condensate water for this reason.

[@zacwolf2]

@xjmg007 What a FANTASTIC idea. I already have a project on my list to re-plumb my condensate drain as it's generating so much water that I have a swampy area. An Arduino to measure water level and pump accordingly, and you have a good self regenerating mister.

[@paulvild]

@@xjmg007 yes! Do this! And also incorporate a light sensor so your only operating in direct sunlight, and get rid of the Sail valve and connect directly to the contractor so it only is enabled when the compressor is on.

[@xjmg007]

@zacwolf2 if you figure out a way to make it work, please let me know. Any input would be greatly appreciated. I'd probably need to make a solar 12v system because I don't have access to an outlet near my unit. Thank you

[@yatesastro1613]

Even with the best filtration, the water is eventually going to cause dilapidation. And that will lead to other problems.

[@NegativeROG]

I had one of those on my unit. My well water ate my cooling fins. I have no idea why, but within 20 months of installation, my almost-new heat pump crumbled to dust. Well owners: HAVE YOUR WATER TESTED!

[@rando_webb8704]

Makes sense because a hot condenser increases head pressure and therefore amp draw on the compressor. So cooling off the condenser coil would reduce the amp draw.

[@pibble3962]

Not trying to be argumentative but I think that I remember that spraying water on the condenser raises head pressure.

[@filmaker256]

But isn't a condenser rated for a certain Amp rating?

[@mrstanskaggs1]

The heat here comes from compression though.. it was found that watering the coils actually insulated the coils by coating them in water instead of allowing the air flow to remove heat as it is designed.

[@mongrel1799]

@@mrstanskaggs1that’s why you only mist the unit, not apply direct streams of water. The air, laden with cooler mist, has greater thermodynamic potential than the warm air normally being pulled into the condensing unit. Like a turbo charger that has a chilled intercooler. The colder the air compressed, the greater it’s expansive potential. The condensing unit is exchanging heat using outside air to cool the refrigerant; the cooler the outside air, the greater/easier it will cool (consuming less volume of cooling air)

[@morallyinsane7639]

However will not save on electricity tho, as the bill is based off of total uses, an amp reduction is nothing. You want energy bill savings, make sure your house is very well insulated, thus less run time and stays cooler or warmer longer.

[@garyreed2206]

I have a manual version of this (a patio mister). Where I live, we frequently (and currently) get temps above 105 to 110 degrees. This makes my unit struggle to keep up and sometimes pop the breakers if the duty cycle (ratio of running/not running) gets high. At these temps, I have rooms in my house that get hot due to direct sunlight. I only run the water when the temps get high to reduce the strain on the system, but the hot rooms also get about 2 degrees cooler when I run the water, so I know it's doing some good. I haven't had the breakers pop either, so I know the amp draw is reduced.

[@Tony_in_AZ]

Decades ago , some of the pre-coolers for A/C in central Phoenix Az were built from stainless material. They lasted longer. All of these devices made a mess from leakage with calcium on the house roofs since most HVAC were installed on the roofs then. We had a stainless evap cooler on our house. The exterior box lasted, I had to replace the interior squirrel cage parts after 15 years.

[@timosman9172]

I used this exact same mist system on my unit for about 4 years in Central Texas. Before installing this my house could only cool to about 82 when it was 105+ outside during the Texas summer heat. After installing this my house would stay around 78 or 79 so I can deftly say that it does work. The downside is that even with a filter I began getting calcium buildup around the entire unit. Also, the constant moisture caused some minor damage and fading to the siding and paint.

[@shannonbailey7580]

It needs a recharge when that happens. It's low on Freon.

[@sailingnstuff]

Another thing that has worked well for me is that the unit is on the north side of the house under a 7' overhang so it is always in the shade and out of the rain. My original heat pump lasted 33 years in FL!

[@dmitryg6353]

What if you simply put a patio umbrella over it so it's not in direct sunlight?

[@yonkromis7883]

With that much of an overhang you're probably be circulating the hot air see if you can direct it inside or kind of hole in the top of the overhang or something to keep it from recirculating the hot air a piece of plywood curved on the top would probably work

[@Jeph629]

In the Northern hemisphere, put the compressor on the north (shady) side of the house!

[@ratchetstrapgarage3609]

It’s a neat concept and yes it kinda works. If you have a newer heat pump system or a system that uses a TXV it’s not going to work well and actually hinder cooling. Using the misting system You are charging the charge pressure/liquid line and you are changing the way the TXV acts. If your going to run one of these systems, you need to charge/add Freon to the system to the appropriate levels. If you have a heat pump system and charged/added Freon while using the misting system you will need to remove Freon during the winter months. since a heat pump system runs all year your not using the misting system during fall and winter So now the problem will be the system is over charged and not function correctly while using heat. IMO these misting systems are good for straight cool (cooling only)systems with the old school piston/cap metering device. I’m no expert but have been doing HVAC work for 16years and now own my own HVAC company. I live in south Texas, I’ve seen all kinds of crazy misting systems setups to keep cool. Best advice for any hvac system especially during the summer is to keep the outdoor system out of direct sunlight.

[@petersmart1999]

We have done this for years,first one I ever put together was made using Toro lawn sprinkler misting heads attached to a pvc manifold! Its is still used 15 years later,it is on a timer with an asco solenoid valve! This is on a 60 ton drycooler!

[@jimmychi6193]

Can you post a pic? thanks!

[@kutzbill]

I'm guessing your unit is a semi-hermetic with a quality coil, or a cascade unit. All you have to do is look at the coils. Most of the older units have the fins soldered on the tubes. The new units that have aluminium fins wrapped around the coils. These are the ones that have an issue with water constantly flowing on them. Most techs have been told running water will ruin the condenser, and are just trying to save their customer money.

[@JorgeDiaz-id1jo]

⁠@@kutzbill i’m sure the techs are trying to save their customers money and put less in their pockets. Makes complete sense to me. Politicians are also doing what is best for the country and not themselves.

[@kutzbill]

@@JorgeDiaz-id1jo Most techs are paid by the hour. If they have a call back it goes on their record. Not every tech is dishonest, and not every politician is in the new World order sir. I can not tell you how many times I fixed something minor, (IE a tripped breaker, a bad wire on a start cap) and told them no charge. I knew if I did that, they'd call me when the compressor went out. The main reason I quit was that I could find no one who wanted to work for $30 an hour, back in 1998. I have met more honest techs than dishonest ones. I am talking about repair techs, not contractors. They are, of course, the fly by night contractors that will be there to install the unit, but not repair them. I can tell you I have seen a lot of cobbled together jobs that never work right. Most of the time is was because the owner took the cheapest bid,. Most repair techs are not paid by the job, so that kind of ruins your "put more money in their pockets" argument. If a tech receives a commission, personally, I'd get another company. Most of the owners that use a commission just want to increase sales, and not pay their techs.

[@Rob0243]

@@JorgeDiaz-id1jo you can’t fix stupid not all techs are out for only themselves. True there are those who are but it is like looking at every person whose path you cross and assuming they are Aholes you will find those who prove you correct. My uncle said he had a tech come in his house and tell him you can’t make it cold you can only remove heat from an area. Asked me what I thought about that BS. I looked him in the eye and said you can’t make cold you can only remove heat from a place where it is objectionable and place it where it is less objectionable. But you super smart part time DIYer’s think you got all the answers. Most techs I know prefer to go home and sleep easy for knowing they haven’t been out screwing everyone they come across.

[@timh2277]

I had one of these about 1-2 years after they came out. I had seen a show that Bill Nye was on and he was installing one. It sounded good so I purchased one. It did reduce the amount of electricity my unit used and was way more then the cost of the water. Not much water was used. It was like $2 more a month. I am in the south where in the summer we get over 100 many times during the summer. I used the filter and replaced it. After the first summer I did notice a very light build up on the coils. During the second summer it got thicker. I tried a couple professional AC coil cleaners to remove the build up. I did not have much success in removing it. I had a HVAC tech tell me to stop using it and the cleaners because it could cause the wire guard to rust. He said the build up could cause the compressor to fail sooner. Which it did about 5 years later when it was 8 years old. Not for sure if the two was connected but could have been. Over the next few years the wire guard on my unit began to rust. The buildup did have a slight negative effect on the performance of the unit. Something to watch out for.

[@agoogleuser3808]

Yeah you wrecked it. Its not even remotely designed to operate this way. I love the wannabe geniuses who think the HVAC industry is just too stupid to figure out to do this if it would help them meet energy consumption requirements. They don't do it because it would require a total redesign of home HVAC systems to work properly.

[@UraTrowelie]

I believe that wire on the inside of the tubes is there to make the tubes slightly rigid so you can bend them to the area you want them to be.

[@bandonov1]

Just wanted to thank you for your videos. I was able to confirm that my AC capacitor was at fault and I was able to get it repaired the next day once the part arrived from Amazon. Keep up the great work!

[@diyhvacguy]

Glad I could help!!

[@flagmichael]

@@diyhvacguy My daughter has 15 year old house; I ordered a replacement capacitor for her to keep handy in case of need. Thanks for the tip!

[@RetiredSignDude]

@@flagmichael I did the same. $12 from Amazon. If I never use it, fine. If I do, winner,winner,chicken,dinner

[@ksnax]

I don't think your register temperature is all that relevant without tracking the temperature at the return, but the reduced amp draw is undeniable. I wonder about the long term affect on the condenser even with soft water. I think filtration needs to be high priority with this type of kit, and that inline business has me in doubt.

[@glasslinger]

Also it depends on where you live. If you are in a large city with lots of traffic (Houston TX) there is a lot of sulfur dioxide in the air from the auto exhaust. This mixes with the spray water making it acidic. This causes what is called "condenser rot" which is when the aluminum fins turn to white dust. This can cut YEARS off the service life of your unit.

[@rwrobs777]

The amp clamp jaws were not fully around the run wire in the after install so the current flow is BOGUS !!…watch and you’ll see !!

[@ksnax]

@@rwrobs777 No, I don't see. It is clearly the same cable and closed around it.

[@russellaz]

I thought the same thing, temperature difference between register and return would have been much more useful in determining actual benefit of the device.

[@pRoFlT]

ahh yes i just made same comment. difference from in and out would be a better measurement.

[@steveprice5664]

Since our current heat wave has given us 110° days, and causing our compressor to overheat and shut down, I've been doing this. Works well!

[@stevewalker412]

Your compressor shouldnt overheat at 110 even at 120 .. if is in good shape/serviced like coils ,caps ,freon,fan poss wrong fan blade .should be able to run 24/7

[@averyalexander2303]

@@stevewalker412 As long as the temperature inside the house isn't abnormally hot and the system is in good condition, 110 degrees shouldn't be a problem. The manufacturer specs I have seen normally rate AC units to operate at up to 120 degrees F outside temperature, but if the system is undersized, not working properly, poorly installed, etc, I could definitely see it overheating when running at such high temperatures.

[@stevewalker412]

@@averyalexander2303 think you got zee wrong steve .as my post states it should have no prob

[@averyalexander2303]

@@stevewalker412 As I said, as long as the system is correctly installed and working properly, there shouldn't be a problem under normal conditions. But if the outside temp is that high and the inside of someone's house is also 120+ degrees from a long power outage, AC outage, etc, I could see that being a problem because the compressor is cooled by the return refrigerant, which will be quite warm with such hot air air blowing through the evap coil. Extremely high head pressure + abnormally warm return refrigerant = very hot compressor. But whether the compressor would get hot enough to trip the internal overload, I'm not sure. If I remember correctly, the maximum temperature of the refrigerant returning to the compressor should be around 65 degrees F according to Copeland and it could easily be well above that under those conditions.

[@absolute.freedom]

@@averyalexander2303 you have to consider some other factors. If the temperature outside is 110°, then there is the increase of temp in direct sun light +/-10°. Then there is the increase of temp when the equip is operating under max load +/-10° so on an so forth. Units can and will easily exceed that rating during very hot and sunny days. This is how they burn up.

[@michaelpasold5083]

I lived in Yuma, Arizona years ago. My AC was on the roof. The air is very dry and the summers are very hot. They put honeycombed paper material around the AC and drip water down through the paper. It cools the air down going into the coils. The honeycombed material needs to be changed periodically because of calcium buildup on the paper. It works very well and because it doesn't drip water on the coils nothing collects on them. I think it's got to be dry to cool the water so it will evaporate and cool down.

[@eaglevision993]

What would be really great if the water that is condensing on the evap coil could be used to cool the condenser coil. The water would be without calcium and is otherwise just wasted.

[@AnUnapologeticApologist]

Run a condensate pump to a distributor tube on the condenser lol you could probably make it pretty easily. It's not a bad idea and the water would be even colder than tap

[@daveyt4802]

PTAC units do this. 25 years ago even.

[@bobboscarato1313]

That would be ideal.- but you'll need a pump to force condensate water from indoor coil to outdoor coil.-

[@hugh007]

I had a big old window unit 30 years ago that allowed the condensate to accumulate at the condenser fan and sprayed it on the coils

[@bobboscarato1313]

@@daveyt4802 Yes they did but didn't mention water hardness or damage to outdoor coils either!

[@erikjeffreys2144]

I bought one last year to test out on one of my A/C units. (I have 3). I was excited when it came in the mail. The kit was about $100. It took me about 30 minutes to install. It was easy. It worked as designed. However, after a week or so of use, I started to notice a white haze was developing on the condenser coil fins. Despite installing the hard water filter that came with the kit, it wasn't enough to remove the calcium from the hard water. I had to stop using it out of fear that the fins would be saturated with calcium, and therefore reduce both the efficiency and lifespan of the condenser. I was very disappointed.

[@Sam-to1zg]

True

[@Sam-to1zg]

This feature already come built in LG windows AC where water from condenser is let flow to radiator fan which throws water on hot radiator fins. Instead on increases efficiency I found that this system was making fins iron frame to get corroded and stones from air was mixed with water and thorwn at high speed on fins which I found later on damaged from inside. I later on bypassed condenser water using a hole and pipe and stopped it going toward radiator fins.

[@Sam-to1zg]

LG windows AC model I am using is : PW-Q18WUZA

[@LemonySnicket-EUC]

​@@Sam-to1zgsame with my Midia 12k btu version. So far so good but I'll keep an eye on it. Mine already has a drain for when too much condensation occurs. I'm in a dryer climate on the South Plains of Texas.

[@fool9111z]

A better design is not to spray mist onto the coil /fins but to let water drip down a disposable filter wrap outside the coils. Evaporation of water will lower the temperature of air that flows through the coils/fins. This will prevent corrosion as water never touch the fins.

[@prjndigo]

an airflow director above the unit can also knock about 8% off your bill and extend the equipment's lifespan as well... just a twice-bent piece of metal that shields the top when the fan is off and is lifted out of the way when its on but still deflects the airflow away from the wall and eaves above. The main trick here is not to directly spray onto the coils but to spray onto a surface around the air conditioner's outside unit - the benefit is gained without a direct application!

[@ruck-a-tron]

I used to live right by the ocean and the salt in the air would corrode the fins after a few years. I think having one of these would actually help since it would be constantly washing off the salt. The only issue might be if you live in an area with hard water. I had to put in a whole home water softener. I put it outside prior to everything else; even the water hose.

[@wondersteven]

I had a stilt house in Galveston, second row beach, and my AC was about 12' off the ground. I replaced I think 3 or 4 outdoor units due to the salt air. I had installed a lawn irrigation system and while I was at it, I put a couple of spray heads up on the AC platform and aimed them at the coils. Then once a day while the lawn was getting watered, the sprayers would clean the coils in the AC. It seemed to work and when I sold the place, the outdoor unit was still working great. I also noticed that when the AC was on and the water was on, my temperature in the house got pretty cold. Did not do any scientific testing though to back up that claim.

[@malcolmblack717]

Common sense - salty air or hard water will requires weekly/monthly washing of the condenser coils. Your choice - maintenance of your stuff or they will break.

[@gorak9000]

A water softener removes calcium, but replaces it with salt, so if you're using softened water, you're basically spraying salt water on your coils anyway (albeit the salt is very low concentration)

[@AlanPeery]

It won't be washing off the salt -- the whole benefit is based on the sprayed water evaporating and thus cooling the air before it enters the unit. You'll still want to wash off the salt, as mentioned in other responses.

[@malcolmblack717]

@@silvershamrock1990 You are correct and such a genius. I would have never thought of the fact that the mist wasn't enough to wash anything. Could you explain further what happens to the mist when it doesn't evaporate instantanously in HUMID weather?

[@xephael3485]

most window AC units already use this sort of system... they tell you not to drill or drain the metal bottom, it collects condensation water and the fan splashes in it to help cool the outside coil.

[@57haldir]

Great comment! Not many people know this. I only discovered it recently. 👍🏻

[@jamesshepard4743]

I built something similar with fogger tips on a drip system , but I also built an awning to keep the unit shaded and it was very effective

[@Dooly00000]

Well, this reminds me of older commercial refrigerators that used to work in conjunction with your waterline. Was very efficient, if your water is cheap.

[@leealtmansr.3811]

A mister will help, BUT you have to do a lot more maintenance to keep the coils clean. I have done this professionally in extreme conditions. But there was a lot of cleaning of coils.

[@bogieman101]

Beat me too it.

[@user-eh5cr4or6k]

As someone else said in the comments I think I would attempt to shade my condenser without restricting airflow like a sail shade or something.

[@shaystern2453]

rose of sharon works too

[@lgoamity]

If installing "new" or replacing... Be sure to consider (if the Installers haven't already) the "coolest" location for the unit. For ours (Installed 1991) it's on North West Corner so it is largely in Shade all day and because of a 7pm-7am (and Weekends) Time of Use Plan (Thermostat programmed to take advantage of this) It is largely run during Dusk to Dawn conditions so Solar Heat isn't a large factor...

[@johngalt97]

Hmm, so that's why car radiators work so well! They're in the shade, under the hood! Thermal transfer works on temperature differentials, and the significant factor is how much air you move past the hot condenser fins, not solar gain from being in the sun. Shading makes a negligible difference.

[@lgoamity]

@@johngalt97 Assuming your comments aren't meant to sound as A-holish as I took them on first read... You do have a point. BUT functional heat transfer is just one factor on placing it in a "cool" location. There are A LOT of Variables to consider when trying to maximize the Efficiency, Longevity, and Power/Maintenance Savings of an AC unit. This video doesn't really provide/address some of the Variables I 'd have liked to have seen. (Intake and Vent Temps, Peak/Average Power Usage over multiple cycles in mod/unmodified modes and not just a "snapshot".) Using your "car radiators" concern... While the 32 year old AC unit I mention does have an "ideal" location (for "Shade" anyway)... The EVAP Coils and Vents are run thru an Unconditioned Attic Space... So I do have to factor in that my "resting" Temp at the Vents are often 10+ degrees over the Intake before things begin. Not factoring in the actual Attic Temps and Efficiency losses cooling thru 32 year old equipment, ducts, and piping... I'd speculate/agree that had the Outdoor Unit been placed on the South (Sunny) side of the House... It might not have changed my indoor readings all that much... But I'd suspect the UV/Heat and "Open" (less shielded from Weather) conditions probably would have cut its overall service life significantly. Current "average" AC life expectancy is about 15-20 years with proper maintenance, according to Carrier... My Car's Radiator is 20 years old and is doing just fine... It'll probably keep doing so as long as I change the Antifreeze/Hoses as needed while also trying not to doing a lot of Stop and Go in say 110F weather...

[@CybekCusal]

​@@johngalt97I agree. Radiant effect is negligible.

[@larryclark9920]

I did this same modification 20 years ago. I used an electric relay and water solenoid to turn my water on/off. I suggest you also check the discharge temp of the condenser. Nice experiment.

[@vamike5566]

Shade makes a big difference also! Need to maintain space around system for airflow though. Also when the temps drop down to probably 80 yo 85 outside you should cut the water off because you need to maintain a certain head pressure in the system to keep the evap from freezing up. I made one with mister nozzles, 24 volt sprinkler valve and pvc pipe on an old system and it worked great.

[@markemtd]

I installed the IRRIGATION -MART Automatic misting kit for 24VAC. It wires into ac control wire and connects to a solenoid valve. It was 60 plus shipping.

[@arnoldfrackenmeyer8157]

I thought about misting the condenser coil years ago. Never tried it. Then an exec from Trane explained to me the best way to lower AC electric bill is set the T-stat 2 degrees higher. He stated the unit works very hard lowering the temp that last 2 degrees. So I tried this, Sure enough he was right and it made a big difference. It also puts less time on the compressor and blower motor.

[@arson114]

But then it's 2 degrees warmer than what you wanted...

[@arnoldfrackenmeyer8157]

@@arson114 - I live in the house wearing just gym shorts or swim suit. I run a ceiling fan if needed. Its just as comfortable.

[@kevinteesteel]

To further save, keep turning it up 1 degree at a time until it stops running. Then you will be in maximum saving mode.

[@arnoldfrackenmeyer8157]

@@kevinteesteel Haha! Max savings and max roasting.

[@FisherCatProductions]

We find that running the AC about 15 degrees below the outside temperature when it's over 87 keeps the RH low enough that our ceiling fans are more than enough to keep us comfortable. The hotter it gets, the harder the system runs, and the lower the RH goes. At 95, a very dry 80 is fine, and almost cool under a fan.

[@timdavis6088]

I've done this while charging my old Toyota pickup. I use the garden hose on mist and hang it in front of the condenser while I'm charging and testing. You should hook up a set of gauges and show people what the high pressure side does when you spray cold water on the condenser. It drops dramatically. You've basically removed a big portion of the heat load from the compressor and it shows in the lower amperage draw. Less amps = less work, and vice versa. But in order to test a change of capacity you should have used a differential of the entering air temperature and the leaving air temperature. Simply measuring the leaving air temperature does not show whether you had a colder entering temperature at the time of testing. So if you measured 78° EAT (return) and 55° LAT (supply) you have a delta T of 23°. If you measured the 2nd time and got 70° EAT and 50° LAT you have a delta T of 20°. Now that's just an example. You probably did gain some capacity. But how much is anyone's guess without a longer formula. The reduced amp draw is what you really need to be pointing out to people. From 4.6 to 3.3 is a Whopping 28% reduction! Assuming your unit is 208-230 volts that's a 300 watt reduction in energy cost over how many years?! That's what a lot of people fail to take into consideration. Wattage used over time. The more you can reduce wattage and the longer it goes the more money you save. "Every penny counts."

[@echohunter4199]

Yup, this works. I did this while in Iraq in 2003-04, it gets 140 in downtown Baghdad so A/C was critical for us and if it wasn’t working right we did things like this to keep it cool until we got it fixed properly. And make sure you buy spare capacitors for your unit.

[@MykArd]

That’s unbelievably hot! As in, nobody should believe this. Baghdad’s all-time record was 125 degrees.

[@natyong]

Make sure if you install/troubleshoot a spare capacitor you do so in a knowledge and Safe fashion. It can necessitate a unwanted stay in a cool storage of the morgue.

[@andyfetzer9156]

Not sure why you'd expect the noise to be any different, or be concerned with noise for that matter, it's outside. Main thing is that it works and maintains the thermo setting.

[@BryanTorok]

The water mist might dampen the noise slightly. As for the noise, my condenser unit is right under my bedroom window, so I would like it to be quiet. However, my neighbor's unit, about 25 feet away and across a driveway, is much louder than my condenser and I hear her's running over mine. I found it annoying at first, but now I guess I'm used to it.

[@leok5092]

The compressor gets quiter from the lower head pressure

[@snurb48]

@@leok5092 ? really

[@leok5092]

Try it hose your condenser down while it's running. Mine gets quieter, but it's 20 yrs old. Head pressure definitely drops significantly.

[@andyfetzer9156]

@leok5092 would it be recommended to provide shade on the unit, while obviously avoiding hindering air flow

[@k.b.tidwell]

I was actually telling my wife just today I wish I could make a setup to mist water on our unit, which is in direct sun from about 10 to 3 every day lol. My opinion, but I think if the back sprayer was relocated to the front you would have a greater result since the rear is pretty much shaded and the front is in full sun.

[@markgriff9265]

What if you put some kind of cover high above it, to give it shade? Make it like a mini pole barn?

[@Overfl00d]

@@markgriff9265 everything you can do to block the sun would help

[@k.b.tidwell]

@@markgriff9265 I've made a shade on the sunward side already, and I've got plans to do an upper shade as well. Just trying to do it in a way that doesn't look like garbage and also be easy to get to the unit for service while not intruding into the driveway which runs right along beside it.

[@captainobvious9188]

I've been using one of these since 2017, I live about an hour away from Vegas. It works really well and cuts my power usage to about 1/3rd of what it was when the temps get up to the >110F range. However, at the end of each year I have to spend a saturday cleaning the hard water deposits off of all the fins. I would not recommend it unless you are prepared to take your condenser apart and manually clean it yourself every year.

[@qua7771]

They should make it use water from the evap drain. It's naturally distilled. I made my own version of this decades ago. I also shaded the unit, and had plants growing near it.

[@estebancamachomartinez724]

Isn't distilled water more corrosive than softened regular water?

[@MrKeithsplace]

Yeah but condensate water would have tons of crud in it, and would probably stop up the mister nozzles, tubing.

[@qua7771]

@@estebancamachomartinez724 That depends. In general, distilled should be pH neutral, and mineral free. "Soft water" means you have some level of mineral removal usually using salt in the process. Nothing purifies water like distilling.

[@qua7771]

@@MrKeithsplace That's entirely possible over a long period of time. When I have done catchment, I haven't noticed any debris. I played around with a solar fountain pump in a small catchment tank. DIY materials are cheap. In my area we are charged a sewage fee for water usage, so water is expensive. I noticed that when it rains, that the AC worked better, so I thought about irrigating it. Later, I was watching an outdoor band that had mister fans, and I got the idea.

[@RobertTuck-vo8cw]

They made a condensate heat exchanger to use the condensate to cool the liquid line.

[@Infowarrior-45]

We had a customer with a big chiller, that had a beat down condensor coil, due to age and hail damage. Rather than repairing the unit, they set up sprinklers on the coils, and ran it for years that way.

[@MrLandslide84]

I have a few grocery stores I watch in that same situation. Remodels, no accounting for dirt/bent/age of coil. Then a roaring 100deg summer comes and yea, you know, add another sprinkler. lmao.

[@hvacexplained9341]

It will help lower head pressure which, therefore it will help lower discharge air temp, but the only downfall is if you’re using hard water or well water, you can get a lot of mineral buildup on the sides of the Condenser. It’s a nice idea though for temporary fix.

[@gh4534]

Suggest putting a shade over the heat pump so that there is no direct sun light. Not immediately and in contact with the unit but with sufficient space above the unit to allow for complete airflow. And you only need the properly angled shade to cover the unit when the sun hits it.

[@steveturner3999]

Back in the early 80’s there was a product called ‘’Mist Miser’’ to perform the same function. It used a solenoid triggered by temp to apply the mist. I used a cheap mister designed for wrapping around a lounge chair and connected it to my sprinkler well water. Seemed to work somewhat but my unit was in constant shade. Never tried to quantify the change.

[@johnsnyder9033]

18% savings. Depending on sun at time it appears the savings could be greater when sun is shining directly on unit. Good video. Not sure about hardness of water and what effect it would have on coils over time unless they were cleaned regularly. Thanks.

[@flagmichael]

I would be most concerned about that. I've never seen an inline filter that would reliably remove dissolved solids from water except for an RO filter.

[@paulsmith9574]

@@flagmichael Install a second misting system filled with CLR. Run it every few months.

[@soundmindtv2911]

I've always wondered about putting misters on the A/C unit, but was concerned about the hard water building up scale on the coils

[@MrHerces18]

I am a business owner and the HVAC industry for 30 years and also served that as an instructor for 10 I highly recommend these

[@OriginalWuchen]

Cool idea, since it is the outdoor unit, in the rain, snow, etc. a little water is nothing to worry about. The Amp draw reduction is amazing. The people talking about only one degree cooler at register, that is not the objective people, it's a bonus when is that low already! I do have concerns on the air flow arm, looks a bit flimsy and winds in my area will rip that off over time. I think a solenoid controlled fan relay, or amp draw sensor would be more solid. I've used this idea, temporarily in emergencies when delay getting new/proper condensing fan, and use garden hose spray. That uses way too much water for perm solution of course.

[@jamesplotkin4674]

It will rot away in direct sunlight, as most things plastic will do.

[@jimmytate7587]

1. i think many folks think the evaporator and condenser share the air. not so. 2. the air at the evaporator does not depend on the condenser being cooler, the pressures in the system determine that. I myself wonder it the flap switch could be placed inside the condenser enclosure to protect it from damage?

[@joecooksey4331]

There is only ONE problem with this... the mineral build up on the coil, but it does work. A number of years ago I built a pvc pipe system with misting nozzles. Eight altogether. It was attached to a 24v sprinkler valve and the water feed was 2 feet from the hose bib. Electrically the valve was connected to the contactor. Condenser (5 tons) comes on... valve opens and it misted the condenser. It dropped the amps by 3-4. After 5 plus years no cleaner, acid or otherwise would remove the deposits. If you can STOP the mineral deposits I highly recommend a mister in extreme heat. Side note... HVAC contractor friend of mine had a package unit on the top of a flat tar roof building. He created a mister because in Texas it gets HOT in the summer. It worked.

[@karimshaban5460]

Exactly I would only do this on a system that only has a few years left so I don't care too much about the mineral deposit. It's silly to try and do it on a new system.

[@m0ondoggy]

The house in which I grew up in Tucson Arizona had a Rheem unit that had a drip system built in that would constantly flow water over the condenser. It worked like a Swamp cooler where there was a float that would feed water into the bottom tray and a separate pump for recirculating the water. It was incredibly efficient, but also incredibly wasteful, especially in the desert. My recollection is that this system was installed around 1964 and I can't find anything online about it. What made it be able to withstand this was the condenser was stainless steel, so you didn't have to worry about untreated tap/well water corroding out the condenser.

[@DanielinLaTuna]

Very cool (no pun intended); I’ve been planning to install a swamp cooler on the roof to cool the area under my patio awning. Just put in the water line (1/4 copper tubing). Having watched the video I’ll now split the water line and run water into the a/c condenser too - it’s on the roof also - and give a little love to my air conditioning unit! Thanks for sharing

[@timothyfung326]

I would only recommend this on a TXV system. That will ensure your evap coil doesn't freeze up. With fixed orfices, you'll drop the pressure of your evap below the freezing saturation temp of the refrigerant.

[@Howie875]

Have to disagree with you on that. A TXV does only one thing, and that is to maintain a constant superheat. It does not regulate your evaporator pressure, (or temperature) other factors, like evaporator load, head pressure, airflow, etc. are responsible. With a TXV, you could have a coil freeze up, but it would still maintain a constant superheat. Freezers work this way. The suction lines are frozen up, but all the liquid refrigerant has evaporated and is superheated, but still below freezing. Ok in a freezer, not ok in an AC unit.

[@malcolmblack717]

@Howie875 is correct. The misting system only cools the air before the air goes over the condensor coils - which makes the AC more efficient. This does not cause the evap coil to freeze up. The 2 main causes of a freeze up is due to a restricted airflow happening over the evaporator coils or issues with a refrigerant leak.

[@Howie875]

@@malcolmblack717 Have to disagree with that statement also. If you drop your head pressure too low, by keeping the condenser coil too cold from either too much misting or running the AC on a cold day, or a combination of both, you could substantially drop the head pressure which will correspondingly drop the suction pressure and the evaporator coil pressure/temperature could go below freezing. Had this problem in an overloaded computer server room that always needed AC, even on colder days and nights in the winter. The head pressure was too low to maintain a proper suction pressure while running in cold outdoor conditions. Repaired the problem by installing a head pressure switch that controlled the condenser fan motor, the same way that commercial refrigerators and freezers work to maintain a proper head pressure while running in wintertime. So yes, too low of a head pressure can cause the coil to freeze up. Saw it firsthand. Believe it was later replaced with a system with an economizer that remedied this issue.

[@malcolmblack717]

@@Howie875 I said "The 2 main causes" is related to normal residential AC units. There will always be other possible causes/issue not just these 2. Your example is related to a commercial AC setup which can have a whole slew of other possible issues.

[@Howie875]

@@malcolmblack717 You are 100% correct about the two main causes of an evaporator freeze up. I just wanted the less experienced readers of these problems to keep a very open mind to the kind of issues that can expectantly pop up and to develop the kind of logical thinking to figure them out. Sorry if I offended you.

[@mikelipshultz2108]

A little over 10 years ago a major air conditioning manufacturer (forgive me I forgot the name) brought an air conditioning unit to the market that was a combination of swamp cooler and air conditioner. The idea was that the swamp cooler part would help cool the air that the AC unit pulled in to cool the coils. They actually sold a very large number of them. Then about three to four years after introduction they discovered that essentially the water and moisture we're destroying the units. So not only did they take them off the market permanently, they had to replace every single unit they sold with a new unit that did not combine the swamp cooler idea. I have no doubt that the majority of people anywhere from two to four years into using this device will end up greatly regretting it. Because it's going to cause their unit to prematurely fail. And fail because of the misting system. And no warranty or extended warranty is going to cover it. I'm on the lawsuits or class-action rolls into the company that makes the misting system. Well you know they'll just go BK and disappear.

[@Scotto97]

The company was called "Freus" and I still have one here in Vegas. It has both a 5 ton and 2 ton unit in a single condenser case. Extremely efficient but it takes a lot of maintenance and many modifications over the years. Probably the last one still operating but I do the work myself and love it.

[@m0ondoggy]

I posted this above: The house in which I grew up in Tucson Arizona had a Rheem unit that had a drip system built in that would constantly flow water over the condenser. It worked like a Swamp cooler where there was a float that would feed water into the bottom tray and a separate pump for recirculating the water. It was incredibly efficient, but also incredibly wasteful, especially in the desert. My recollection is that this system was installed around 1964 and I can't find anything online about it. What made it be able to withstand this was the condenser was stainless steel, so you didn't have to worry about untreated tap/well water corroding out the condenser. Water in AZ, especially outside of the city in Pima count is also really expensive too. Would be likely be better to spend the money on a higher SEER rating.

[@MH-wg6bz]

I had the compressor fan fail one weekend and didn't have time to fix it for a few days so I just hung a sprinkler on top the compressor where the fan was mounted and turned the water on just enough to keep the coils wet. Worked great for 3 or 4 days until I could get another motor.

[@Diy-For-Life]

I did this once and it was awhile ago. Pretty sure i just bought a 24v relay solenoid that kicked the water on when the ac kicked on and turned off when unit kicked off. I used a waterline kit for a fridge ice maker for water supply and hooked up a mister kit to it. I only ran it for one season in a rental i lived in. It worked great. I didnt comapare any energy numbers to see if i saved anything nor did i run it long enough to see long term negative effects on components.

[@erikgutierrez3613]

Well done. I may try this on my Carrier heat pump. It is located south facing in SoCal so it is always baking in the sun. It would've been nice to see the ambient air temperature to help draw a correlation on when the amps go down and by how much depending on the outdoor air temp.

[@gallowaylights]

@erikgutierrez3613 * Turn it off in winter😂

[@MrAudioBill]

Please read my experiences with a Heat Recovery Unit (Desuperheater) I I stalled with my Carried 16 SEER heat pump some years ago. It's a posting above.

[@Kidddas]

good thing it rained a lot in CA past winter.

[@TheFrenchPug]

Same here in Orange County. My unit is exposed all day. I've tried a similar system but got no different results. Maybe my unit is too old to make a difference. Plus, you would think they'd make some sort of option like this on newer units if it worked so well. 🤔

[@fool9111z]

The better design is not to spray mist onto the coil but to let water dripping down a disposable filter wrap outside the coils. Evaporation of water will lower the temperature of air that flows through the coils/fins. This will prevent corrosion as water never touch the fins.

[@javaman2883]

There was manufacturer that built an evap cooler to go on the intake side of the old roof top AC units back in the 70s. My parents had one installed. It worked well, but a few things killed those. Energy prices went down so less need for saving energy. Second, when the AC condensers moved from roof to round, they started wrapping the condenser around the outside, rather than just one big square on one side of the AC, so an evap to wrap around the whole things would get big. Third, HOAs hate anything they don't like, so anything noticeable on the AC is a no-no.

[@joaquincortada1483]

looks like you got something to invent

[@kleetus92]

except that the air going across the coils is now more humid meaning you're still getting moisture on the coils...

[@matthewsalmon2013]

Just hang dry your clothes near your condenser unit.

[@matthewsalmon2013]

​@@javaman2883just hang some stylish damp towels near your condenser. Just wash them often and hang dry them outside.

[@KX6D]

I had 255/75R16 on my 84 Suburban and LOVED them!! I sure wish BFG had a KO2 in that size for the tow vehicle.

[@jasonhamilton5756]

I'd be interested to see how much dirt collects over time. Moist coils and dusty air streams make mud. True swamp cooling devices usually have a flow over the coils to keep them clean and you simply purge the sump every once in a while.

[@luemn7691]

Depends if it's in dusty conditions. If the dirt starts sticking to the units coil fins it will eventually get clogged up. Maybe keeping an eye on it on a regular basis

[@jimflagg4009]

This works well in dry areas. In Arizona they have usually a second unit on the house called a swamp cooler which uses evaporating water to cool the house. If you are under like 3% humidity then it alone can cool the house at half the price as a AC unit but when the humidity comes back up then you have to switch back because it quits working when the air is already wet.

[@jimflagg4009]

Note, these thing rusted like crazy. You had to constantly sand and repaint them to keep them from falling apart. I would think one attached to your AC unit might have the same problem.

[@wisenber]

"but when the humidity comes back up then you have to switch back because it quits working when the air is already wet." A swamp cooler is ambient temperature. An outside HVAC unit will be warm enough to still evaporate a mist. The evaporative mist cools the unit, not the house. If the unit is cooler, it requires less energy to cool. A shade tree would have a similar effect in reducing the load.

[@narref04]

It's rarely that dry. Average dryness in both low and high deserts is between 10 and 12% most of the year.... otherwise yes, my swamp cooler would get my house in the 60s by late evening. I had to install a proper thermostat so it would cycle and not make the house too cold.

[@skedaritou8138]

@@wisenber 99% humidity all year long makes such system widely inefficient because it does not evaporate and causes moss and lime its just corredes the spire faster

[@wisenber]

@@skedaritou8138 First, it only activates when the fan is on and flash evaporates due to the heat differential. Second, it doesn't run year round. Even South Florida has a couple of months without AC. You disconnect the unit during heating season. Finally, if you replace the filters when you should, there's no scale. You listed a lot of problems that just don't exist. I've run them on residential and commercial units and never observed what you're talking about as long as the filters are changed and the water supply removed whenever it's not cooling season.

[@ScarabChris]

8 Months later I can tell you this contraption works! I bought this rig right after watching this video. I live in the Ft Lauderdale area, on ocean access water. I installed this and noticed a difference right away. I did not do amp ratings but I did do temp ratings and I found the air coming out of the vents in the house were a solid 5 degrees cooler and the electric bill went down by a few bucks.

[@currentfaves65]

What about the water causing lime build up on the coils ?

[@zyou8er]

I believe he said the kit comes with a filter, I could be wrong.

[@davidlampe4153]

In the Air Force when I stayed in Phoenix at Luke AFB only important buildings had AC most people had swamp cooler units that do similar work as this micro mister is doing very nice video well thought out and flawless presentation. I learned something new today.

[@MrCountrycuz]

You have no humidity at all in AZ. This is why people can use swamp coolers but using them in the SE would leave you with water dripping down the walls and everything in the house damp as a dish rag. then mold and mildew and your sick.

[@dougcox835]

I did mine the homemade route. I routed irrigation hose (not garden hose) to the AC from a pipe in the garage, so super easy, and no garden hose issues (they burst). I also put in a shutoff valve. Instead of a flap on the AC I did it another way. I plumed in a sprinkler valve switched on by the same 28V as the AC so it turns on the water using the same signal. I also put in a toggle switch for that as well. This way I can shut it all off for winter by turning off a valve and a switch. And should the plastic pipe burst in a cold snap the water is off from inside the garage so no problems. I think my total cost was around $75. But I also had to buy some fittings etc. so more than that.

[@pavgup]

This famously reduces the lifespan of your AC system. HVAC manufactures aren't fools, there is no one trick pony here.

[@andydelle4509]

Please provide some more info on this.

[@Rob0243]

@@andydelle4509see my comment later in thread and it explains as best I can

[@russherbert839]

Increase the SEER rating of the condenser and enjoy energy savings for years. Buy the cheapest A/C (builder grade) and pay way more than you want to. Plus there’s usually rebates for high efficient equipment.

[@BAYAREAMX]

The ac manufactures would not mind if it decreased the lifespan of their products.

[@smoover]

Making it a “swamp cooler” will definitely reduce life of components. Rust rust and more rust on everything. “Swamp coolers” are nothing new…old ways that still ruin components and cabinets. Right there with ya bud. Solution…proper sizing and understanding of how to do it right👍🏻

[@devalonian]

Would have to weigh the energy cost saved versus the cost of the water, filters, and risk of damage to the unit but I like the idea.

[@johnwilson9666]

I work in a little shop in the late sixties early seventies we had a small commercial unit now that's in Arizona very dry climate it worked great

[@jmackinjersey1]

I was thinking about you rotating the device so that the line from the back was on the front. You already have the Sun beating down on that outer side, and the back is shaded. Speaking of shaded, you can also add a smaller shade sail (like the large one you have between the house and shed. that will help to cool the ambient air before the misters do anything. I'm a handyman, and one of the houses I do a lot of work on has 4 units. I installed a few shade sails over the area where three of the units are located and I noticed that it lowered the ambient air in the driveway area by at least five degrees. I haven't checked it with a thermometer yet, so it could be a lot more. Also, I am wondering if "more is better" in this case. Meaning, if you have one misting valve on each side and you get 1 degree cooler inside temps, would three misting valves per side do anything to cool more of the coils on the top/middle/lower portions?

[@CapablePimento]

Ive always thought that an ac unit should have a swamp cooler pad option so you dont need to worry about hard water on the parts. Just swap out the pad periodically. Like maybe an updraft unit on top of a swamp cooler box

[@anda7827]

I don't know what possessed me to read the comments, let alone this deep, but I really like your idea lol.

[@MrTommyboy68]

I did A/C in Phoenix for 25 years and a local designed and manufacturing company (Goettl) was THE unit to go with from the 1950's through the mid 1910's. They were designed and built for AVERAGE AMBIENT TEMPS of 105 degrees. Other manufacturers are designed for a 85 to 90 degree ambient. These things were pretty much bullet proof and out performed everything else. When it hit 115 to 120 degrees the Goettl's would crank right along, others lost a LOT of capacity (especially when perched on the roof top. Goettl sold out in the mid 1990's (I believe) and their engineering went down the toilet. BUT since they were designed with a SINGLE SIDE INLET for the condenser, I saw and serviced quite a few that had the "swamp cooler" frame and pads mounted on them. They DID work, but Phoenix water is HORRIBLE. You had to have a constant bleed off and service them at least twice a year (at spring start up and in the fall at the end of season). If you DIDN'T pay attention, your coils would get eaten up badly. I replaced many a "pre cooler" over the years because of the inherent rust and salt deposit issues. The did work great, but you HAD to maintain them. Most people understood and had regular services done. Newer generation condensers have coils on all four sides (for increased efficiency) and they had to be custom made, which I did for several customers. They DO reduce operating pressures and amp draws and give you cooler air at the registers.

[@KristoferOlafsson]

What’s weird is smaller window units have a splashed built in to use the water it produces to wet the fins.

[@kmoecub]

Given that the internal wire is insulated, it can't be for any prevention of mineral buildup. More likely it's to keep the hoses from flopping all over the place.

[@danburch9989]

That's exactly what the wire is for.

[@d.l.harrington4080]

With over 40 years in the HVAC trade, I have seen this system on both residential and commercial systems. It does work. The only problem as he mentioned is the dissolved solids in the water. Not just calcium. I have not had good luck with water filters doing a good job by themselves. Be sure to change that filter regularly. Check the condenser coils regularly as the buildup of dirt and minerals will negate any savings. Next. I wonder where he is taking that amp reading. For instance, I have a 36,000 BTU high efficiency unit. It pulls about 14 amps. Mine you that is FLA or Full Load Amps. That leaves about 12 amps for the compressor and 2 amps for the fan motor. So 4 amps does not sound right. To read compressor amps correctly, you check the compressor common wire. I am not trying to knock him just trying to pass along my information.

[@ianthomas3653]

I need that. I have two units and they run hard and are in the sun all day. wish i saw this before the summer opposed to the end, but everything helps. Thanks for the video.

[@blipsmann1985]

I used to put the tubing from the condensate pump on split systems and let the water pump out on the condenser coil outside to help lower head pressure and take a little stress off of the condensing unit. Never measured and checked the difference it made but you know it had to help. Especially as cold as the water was coming from the condensate pump !!!

[@NathansHVAC]

Window units also do that to meet efficiency standards. The condensate water is pure. But, the condenser coils still get destroyed

[@hisinvisibleness-fn8qj]

A friend of mine did that with a 5 ton 16 seer years ago on his house which was completely shaded The temperature at register was around 49 no joke it actually hurt to walk in that house early morning

[@livincincy4498]

This would be a great reason to build homes with a cistern again. I suspect these work best in climates with dry heat. I have 90% humidity in late July & August.

[@davidavard8461]

Or if you have an in ground pool, use the pool water to cool your AC refrigerant. Better still, every one use ground source heat pumps. :)

[@fauxque5057]

A couple of years ago I played with a mist system. The AC did blow colder and run less often. It knocked about $30. a month off of my electric bill. After the first summer I had calcium build up even though I was using a filter. Not cool. I cleaned it up with vinegar and CLR. Then during the winter I decided to get three 55 gallon drums to catch rainwater. I bought a 12v RV water pump to pump the water. I ran it that way for a couple of years before I made a different plan. Here's what I used to build the mister. A roll of black plastic drip irrigation tube from Lowes. 3 spray nozzles from Lowe's. They also sell the adapter to hook it up to the hose bib. For the switch since the Contactor is controlled by the 24v thermostat transformer I found a 1/4" 24vac water valve on ebay for about 10 bucks. Whenever the thermostat kicked on the AC unit the water sprayed. Beats the heck out of the goofy flapper valve. Anyhow I went on to DIY solar and swapped my AC to a 24,000btu hybrid mini split from Signature Solar. It runs on it's on solar panels and at night it will pull from the grid if I run it. But I also installed 3 dual inverter window AC units in the bedrooms because they all run on 120v. They are powered by my DIY solar system. The solar charge controller is an MPPSolar LV6548 that outputs 6500w. To run through the night I have 20.4kw of LiFePo4 batteries. I don't generate my 220v needs which is just my stove at this point. We mostly cook outside on a pellet grill so it's mainly just the burners on the stove. Due to my power company having a $25. base bill I have to pay between $25-$30. a month. So now I have no need to spray my condenser

[@JSFGuy]

I did some of this with my hoes and a set of gauges to see the pressure variance and it was significant so I did around the unit with the patio sprayer coolant lines and didn't have much of a significant change but I know the condenser unit did enjoy and benefit from the reduced high side pressure level being reduced significantly from 240 to 160.

[@theshop5331]

Who you callin a hoe?

[@billballoo7881]

Not sure if 1 degree is worth it, though I understand that everyone's mileage may vary. Not sure I like having the outside spigot on all the time either. I would be interested in knowing if after this was used for a month, how much the electric bill dropped.

[@Samlol23_drrich]

Fourteen cents.

[@wisenber]

"Not sure if 1 degree is worth it" The 0.6 amp reduction in power consumption is more of the issue.

[@watvannou]

@@wisenber And the cost of the water?

[@wisenber]

@@watvannou Not sure about where you live, but 1400 gallons costs me about $17. With the device using "a toilet flush" a day, that would be a bit over 100 gallons a month. Based upon that, I'm coming up with about $1.25 a month in water. The water only engages when the fan blows.

[@Rob0243]

The idea is not to change the output of the air. There is way more to it than that. The point is to reduce the power used to have the same effect. .6 amps doesn’t seem like much that is not how you pay your bill you pay in Kilowatt hours and .6 amps is the savings in that moment. .6 amps over 40 to 45 minutes an hour will give you a better idea of the savings and that will be dependent on other factors like is your equipment under or oversized for the space it is serving. I see the savings that said I have also seen the damage done to coils using this principle and me personally will never use one of these systems on my equipment. That is my two cents and most likely wasted the time typing. Just don’t go saying no one ever said there wasn’t an issue with the idea.

[@kurtriemer3797]

Cool design! I would think having side spray nozzles would be more efficient.

[@donaldcadwell3911]

Yes. From the video, it appears that the water is "misting" on the outside of the unit. If it was, you should turn it around so the water must is actually hitting the cooing coils. And place the mister in the upper center so the water will drip down to absorb as much latent heat as possible.

[@lllllllllllllllllllll1lll1]

I've had great results with misters on car radiators. Really helps to drop coolant temps. Im not surprised that it works well on outdoor AC units. Great video!!

[@josephsolomito4703]

Very interesting product and I'm sure it does work. I have two comments. 1) The list price of the system is $100. Brass misting nozzles cost about $0.50 apiece on Amazon. The tubing and fittings might run you another five or six dollars. The only thing that is the least bit proprietary about the system is the valve. This is almost identical to the float valve that's used on decorative fountains which runs about eight dollars. You could very easily modify one to have a vane instead of a float on it. Bottom line, all of the components of the system can be purchased retail for about 12 or $13. Charging $100 for the packaging seems outrageous. The second question that I have is with regard to long-term performance. Most of these misting systems suffer from one common flaw in that the nozzles clog up over time and need to be replaced. It would be nice to see a follow-up report after a few months of use to see if it still working well. The concept seems great, however anyone who has even the smallest DIY skill can probably put the entire system together for about 1/10 of the asking price.

[@FisherCatProductions]

You could also use a $12 irrigation valve that triggers when the unit runs without having to mod something.

[@youdontknowme5969]

And I've thunk of some apparatus that can squirt evaporator condensate from the condensation pump onto the coils. Confession: many moons ago back in my young/dumb/broke days, I thought I could be smarter than the average bear and tried something like this with a misting garden hose. Just within a week, a bunch of mineral build-up wasall over the fins. Oops? But that was with the absolutely-horribly-ridiculously hard KCK utility water, and of course no filter. Lesson learned 😬

[@bryce2680]

I was impressed with the 53 degree air at your vents. Do you have any idea what the return air temperature was at the time of the test? What was the delta T between return and supply?

[@GonzoDonzo]

If your condenser and evaporator coil are the same size u can actually have a reduced delta. The pressures become so low on the high pressure side when it reaches the evaporator that it struggles to boil off the refrigerant. If you happen to have a slightly oversized evaporator coil it gives the refrigerant the time to boil off. This product uses so little water that its probly not going to have that issue though. The delta shouldnt really change though if the refrigerant is charged correctly which would have to be done with the misters and unit running. All this does is reduce the head pressure, thus the amp draw, which in turn costs less money to cool the same mass of air and its completely worth the trade off. The optimum delta no matter the system or efficiency is around 20 degrees

[@MrDeviousdom]

​@@GonzoDonzoDon't forget about relative humidity. You can have a Delta t of 11° with high humidity and the system is working perfectly.

[@186RaNdOm186]

I have been using a $20 misting kit I found on amazone four about 4 year. Like others have stated, don't smoke the system just lightly mist. You can real notice a difference in 90 + heat!

[@jcsolomon6470]

Thanks,I'm using your Help on Ideas to Reduce my Bill,along with Tips for Better,AC Cooling,Efficiency!I Shop Vacked the Drain Line,Whoa!Its workin like it was just Installed,with the Cool and Save Mister!An Attic Fan Temp,Time control!My AC went from 60 degrees to 51 degrees,and Runs Less!Thanks!Again!

[@tadamb1]

I was hoping you would show how the pressures react to turning the water supply on and off while it's running.

[@jamesplotkin4674]

High side must be a little lower as he's saving around an amp.

[@jfjhtfghgfhgf]

Both high and low side will drop. It always does when u soak a outside condenser coil. If u look at a gauge it will tell u the temp of the coils based on the Freon used and the pressure they are running. When the pressure drops ur coil will run a lil colder that’s why u get a lil colder air. The only problem with these is the potential damage ur gna cause to ur outdoor unit soaking it all the time.

[@jetrep]

Now that it's installed it'd be nice to see a video of ac running steady state with amp probe and register Temps shown then turn on water and observe change in amp draw and temp

[@aaronw6706]

x3 on a video of this

[@lornetontegode6986]

Just a tip for you. Cut the tubing with the proper tool or a utility knife. Those slip in fittings are great but a big cause of failure is a bad cut on the tubing and you'll never get a smooth cut with side-cutters.

[@donotneed2250]

As an over-the-road driver I sometimes pulled temperature controlled trailers, reefer, and in the summer it can be hard to get the temperature down for the load carried. I had one load in particular that had to be shipped at -10°F or -23°C and at the time the lowest I could get it was just above 0°F but they loaded it anyway. Due to my hours situation I didn't have time to do what I really needed to do and that was spray the reefer unit down with water. The reefer unit is that thing on the nose of the trailer that heats and cools the inside. I finally managed to get the temperature down to where it was needed the next day by running through a thunder storm. With the sprayers spraying away from the AC unit surprised me. I was expecting to see them pointed inwards instead of outward...

[@willcox4561]

You make GREAT videos. Thank you.