Revive Your Rusty Evaporative Swamp Cooler - Peeling or flaking doesn't mean it's time to replace

[@teduardomartinique7039]

Had a similar experience with my swamp cooler about 4 years ago. At the time it was approaching 20 to 30 years old and it developed rust in the pan. Had not used it in several years because my Mom was becoming sensitive to cold so we just did not use it for a while. So about a year after she passed away the previous August, and God it was awful hot that summer I decided I was not going to go through that again. I used Citrus Strip stripping gel to remove the old paint and then I used a Rust-Oleum zinc based primer to repaint the pan. But I did not use gorilla tape. Instead I went directly to the Flex Seal liquid. So far it has worked great for the past 4 years.

[@UnchartedDIY]

Thanks for letting me know how well your repair has worked. I went with the tape to cover any areas potentially weakened by rust, but it might have been overkill. It sounds like good prep and the Flex Seal alone did the trick for your cooler. Nice work!

[@teduardomartinique7039]

I forgot to mention that I also painted the top white, which reduced the temperature of the metal by at least 30 degrees. This should improve cooling efficiency.

[@UnchartedDIY]

That was a smart decision! I kind of cringe when I see coolers painted a surprisingly dark shade to match the house paint. White goes with everything and makes a big difference!

[@UmbrellaWatch]

Great job just what I needed after watching so many videos yours was the one!!! Subbed!! Keep up the good work!

[@UnchartedDIY]

Glad I helped, and thanks for the sub!

[@dporrasxtremeLS3]

Agreed! Thanks so Much!

[@Jaes596]

This was a great video !

[@UnchartedDIY]

Glad you liked it and thanks for watching!

[@shadow153hunter]

i like the tape idea i used some to seal above the swamp cooler where it goes in the window cuz i was dealing with rain flowing into the crack and it sealed it up and has been there for going on 3 years im not a fan of the flex seal spray i tried that in the cooler where the water sits and it peeled it back and is leaking again

[@UnchartedDIY]

I'm glad the tape worked for you. I think it's great stuff. I have only tried the Flex Seal spray once and I wasn't too impressed. It would take a lot of coats to match even ONE coat of the brush on liquid. However, if the place that needs patching would be difficult or impossible to reach with a brush, it might be worth a try.

[@BrothireStrangLuve]

You gave me a few good ideas for my swamp cooler. Funny thing is that the only rust is above the water line and on the outside.

[@UnchartedDIY]

I'm not sure why the rust is above the water, yet your pan is fine. That's good news though since it is probably superficial rust.

[@kolobkolobkolobkolob]

I have to be honest I have try this tape and other methods and this method will not fix it and it will ABSOLUTELY still end up leaking if you have any holes or and etc. The best method is to use the traditional cooler tar application made for the swamp coolers. Only other thing is to use the Red sealant used when your putting in a new shower bottom etc. Thanks for taking the time make video and very nicely done, but dont use this tape method for a long term solution. Cleaning demo very well done and great idea though.

[@UnchartedDIY]

Thank you for watching, @kolobkolobkolobkolob. I agree the tape wouldn't hold up for very long, and that's why I coated it multiple times with clear rubber sealant. I've only had it working for one season, but so far it's holding up very well, and looks like the day I did this. Did you use a sealant over your tape? Is the tar what you ended up with for yours?

[@JoshuaEvanMiller]

Where do you get the products you mentioned. Can you post link please

[@UnchartedDIY]

@JoshuaEvanMiller thanks for asking Joshua. There are links in the description for all the supplies and tools I used. If I left something out I'll be happy to grab a link and post it.

[@JoshuaEvanMiller]

@@UnchartedDIY Thank you

[@unclemano]

Great video! I'm here because I'm installing a NEW downdraft Mastercool (model ADA 051). Over time, the old model (ADA 050) became very rusty in the wet section so this time I'd like to do some preventative maintenance to help prevent or deter rust. If I apply the Gorilla tape plus 2 layers of the Flex Seal, I wonder if that will create too much "thickness" in the wet section for all the parts to sit correctly (such as the included large plastic pan where the water sits). Also, if I apply those products on a new unit, it's also going to void the 1 year warranty. What preventative maintenance do you recommend for a new install to help curb rust development in the future? Also, do you recommend a purge pump kit to help prevent mineral build up? Thank you!

[@UnchartedDIY]

Thanks! I have no experience with the Mastercool coolers, but I think they all work basically the same. I agree with you that preventative maintenance could make your new cooler last a very long time. For the thickness concern, the Gorilla tape is about 1/16 of an inch thick, and in some areas there will be overlap. The Flex Seal is pretty thin. I think planning for about 3/16" for the tape/sealant combo would be a worst-case scenario, and I doubt that would be enough to affect anything. But to make sure, with the cooler drained, you could try putting some thicker cardboard under the parts to see if that thickness would change anything. As for warranty, I have never tried to peel the tape and Flex Seal off, but it might leave residue and could be reason for them to reject any claim. Just to be safe, I would wait until the warranty period is over before making a change that might not be easily reversed. I am confident there is no a hurry. After all, mine took over 20 years to look how it did in the video 🙂 Finally, I think the using a purge/bleeder adapter (or a pump with one built in) is an excellent idea since it will keep the water much fresher - good for the cooler AND for you! Calcium scale buildup can be an issue, so I'd also recommend using some descaler on occasion. Hope that helps, and thanks for watching!

[@unclemano]

@@UnchartedDIY Thank you for the quick and informative reply! You're very kind. Thank you!!

[@anthonygonzalez7488]

The ADA 51 / ADA 71 both have a plastic tray in the wet end that contains the water, so no sealant is required. The ADA 051 / 071 do not have an ABS plastic tray and water is contained in a painted formed metal basin. I have installed several hundred of the ADA units.

[@kurtkennedy5051]

Tar based product that Dial makes. It lasts several years and I have never had rust where its applied. My issue with rust is the side where the water drips into the pan as well as all if the panels. I have yet to try the Rustoleum Rust stop so will need to give that a try.

[@UnchartedDIY]

That tar coating from Dial works well. But I'm not convinced that it doesn't leach petroleum particulates into the water that is then pumped into the house, aggravating respiratory issues that one of us has. I checked out Flex Seal and it's completely inert when cured. Just being cautious. The Rust-Oleum solves a lot of rust issues, especially when treated with Rust Restorer first. There are other brands, but I don't have hands-on experience with them.

[@kurtkennedy5051]

@@UnchartedDIY understandable concern. I'll look into Flex Seal and Rust Restorer as I'm always looking for better ways to do things.

[@UnchartedDIY]

@@kurtkennedy5051 I'm sure there are other products that may work even better, but I am not comfortable recommending anything I don't have actual experience with. If you try the Flex Seal and Rust Restorer, or you find something else that works, I'd love to hear what you think of it. We can all learn from each other's insights 👍

[@aspenrames5870]

What do you recommend I use to spray/use to protect the outside of my cooler and sides they are very rusty and not happy. But everything I find is only made for the inside/bottom pan

[@UnchartedDIY]

If your rust is really bad, I'd use Rustoleum Rust Reformer before spraying a top coat. It can be applied directly onto rust and basically bonds with the rust and seals it. I would then use a rust preventative spray paint, such as Rustoleum Stops Rust. There are colors that are pretty close to the factory color, but with fading, I'd plan to spray the whole outside surfaces so the color is uniform.

[@Mike-01234]

The Gorilla tape is amazing I have a flat roof one year in a rain storm I saw water dripping through the drywall on a Sunday morning. Went up there and put that tape right over the area where water was pooling up under where the pitched roof intersected with my flat roof. Leak stopped no issues roofer wasn't able to get to it for 2 months flex seal kept it dry until they could deal with it.

[@UnchartedDIY]

That's great! It isn't something you need every day, but when you do, it is super helpful stuff!

[@kltnrjnnfr]

Be sure to turn off the swamp coolers electrical system at the breaker box!!

[@UnchartedDIY]

That's a very important point, Jennifer. Thank you for reminding everyone! 👍