How do I Make an Evaporative Air Swamp Cooler?
An evaporative cooler, often called a swamp cooler or swamper, works by drawing hot dry air through wet evaporative pads to cool and humidify it, then blowing the treated air through a vent or duct into the space which must be cooled. It consists of a box which contains a motor-driven air mover, one or more evaporative pads and a method of keeping those pads damp. It can be configured to supply treated air to the side for fitting to a wall, or to supply treated air downward for fitting to a roof. Apart from the orientation of the air mover, making both models of evaporative air swamp coolers is the same. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Marine-grade plywood
- Exterior-grade fasteners
- Grilles
- Slides
- Air mover
- Motor
- Fan belt
- Evaporative pads
- Adjustable braces
Instructions
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Determine what size your evaporative cooler needs to be. Calculate the cubic footage of the area to be cooled by multiplying the square footage by the ceiling height and halving the total; the result is the cubic feet per minute, or CFM, recommended for your requirements. A 1,500-square foot house with eight-foot ceilings is a 12,000 cubic foot house (1,500 x 8) so requires a 6,000 CFM evaporative cooler (12,000 / 2).
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2
Build a box from marine-grade plywood large enough to accommodate the appropriately-sized air mover, with a removable top section and holes in each side. Equip the holes with grilles and slides to accept the evaporation pads. Purchase the air mover, a motor sufficiently powerful to turn it and a fan belt to run between the two. Purchase evaporative pads sufficient to cover the entire area through which hot, dry air will be drawn into the cooler from the outside.
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3
Attach the motor to the inside of the case using two adjustable braces, and secure it using nut/bolt/washer assemblies turned finger tight. Attach the air mover to the base or side of the case as determined by the intended location of the finished swamp cooler. Connect the motor to the air mover using a fan belt, and adjust the tension of the belt so that it moves 1/2 inch to either side of central by pulling the motor away from the air mover. When the desired tension is reached, tighten the motor mount assemblies with a wrench.
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4
Fit the evaporation pads into their slides and secure the roof of the box in place.
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Tips & Warnings
The supply of water to the evaporative pads can be automated by installing a reservoir below the pads, a float valve over the reservoir which is supplied by a hose, and a recirculating pump that lifts water from the reservoir back to the top of the pads after it has flowed down them.
