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

Is your cooler rusting or even leaking? Fix it for less than $100 instead of replacing at 10 times the cost! Easy DIY project restores and revives your cooler!
It might be tempting to ignore an evaporative cooler that has peeling or flaking paint, but the water pan will soon begin to rust and corrode. Repair it before a leaking swamp cooler can cause damage to your roof or siding.
In this video:
00:00 Intro
01:26 Pan Preparation
02:16 Apply Paint
03:12 Apply Patch & Seal Tape
04:00 Apply Rubberized Coating
05:57 Optional Tune-Ups
Links to some of the products used in this video:
Gorilla Waterproof Patch & Seal Tape: amzn.to/47IH5Rz
Flex Seal Liquid Rubber Sealant Coating: amzn.to/47IGVtr
Spray Paint for inside the cooler: amzn.to/3KY9c5v
Dial Manufacturing Cooler spray paint for outside: amzn.to/3sB0Da4
Motor / Fan V-belt: amzn.to/45q1Q2M (measure yours first)
Aspen Cooler Pads: Stupidly expensive online - try a local hardware store
Tools used in this video:
HOTO Cordless Pressure Washer: amzn.to/3YSUB0B
Kobalt Cordless Oscillating Multitool: amzn.to/3QQiAvC
Disposable Chip Brushes: amzn.to/44H2ojL
Wire Brush: amzn.to/45Ina3k
UnchartedDIY.com for more how-to information, videos, details and links to resources.
Intro music by monkeyman535, freesound.org/s/466981/
If you purchase from one of the provided product links, Uncharted DIY may receive a small commission at no cost to you.

[@Jaes596]

This was a great video !

[@UnchartedDIY]

Glad you liked it and thanks for watching!

[@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!

[@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?

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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 👍

[@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!!

[@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! 👍