A swamp cooler relies on the cooling effects of evaporation to bring the temperature down in your home, but if it hasn’t been maintained since last summer’s scorcher, it won’t be as efficient as it could be.
First of all, make sure your cooler is unplugged from the electrical outlet before you do anything else. If you covered your cooler after last season, carefully unwrap the cooler from its overwintering state and discard any old pads. Brush off any remaining mineral deposits with a steel brush or a scraper. There are a couple of ways to mitigate the mineral deposits over the summer. Making sure your system has a bleed off line will help remove some of the extra-concentrated calcium-rich water out of the evaporative cooler’s system. Capture the bleed off water in a bucket or collection system to use on thirsty plants.
Install new aspen pads in each section of the swamp cooler’s exterior. If you weather-proofed your cooler inside your home as well to keep out the winter wind, now is the time to clear that away, in readiness for the fan to blow cool air into your house for the summer.
Check the belt. Any signs of cuts or fraying will require a new belt. Top up the bearings with Zoom oil for evaporative coolers.
Install a new float mechanism, and fill the cooler with water. The float should turn off the water supply completely – no leaking – and it should turn off before the water begins to spill into the overfill pipe.
Plug in your cooler. Turn on the pump; if it does not turn on you need a new pump. Make sure the pump is wrapped in mesh to prevent it sucking in anything but water.
So, you’ve checked the float, the overfill pipe, the pump; you’ve cleaned your used swamp cooler of any debris or mineral deposits. You’ve installed new pads and put each section back into place on the outside of your cooler.
Inside your home, turn on the pump and let it run for several minutes to thoroughly wet the pads. Turn your cooler on high to properly circulate the air. Make sure the vents are turned in the direction you want the air to flow. Turn the cooler down to Low if you prefer. Let the cool, moist air help keep your Summer bearable!
If this all sounds too complicated, there are several reputable businesses in the Morongo Basin only too happy to help.
