Summer is here, throwing all its flames and heat everywhere. And to provide fresh and cool air in this heated weather, we have air conditioners installed in our homes, offices, and almost all around.
In addition to the air conditioners, many of us also invest in air coolers, an energy-efficient tool to serve you some chilled and relaxed air. But often, we do get disappointed.
That happens because air coolers aren’t quite the same as air conditioners. You need to know certain aspects before investing in an air cooler, one of which is the weather around you.
In this article, we’ll be discussing whether an air cooler performs the same in all climates. Let’s go.
Do air coolers work well in humid weather?
Evaporative air coolers don’t perform well in humid weather. But, if you pair it with a separate dehumidifier, it will nearly match the performance of an air conditioner.
We know that the air around us contains various gases like Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon dioxide, and more. In addition to the gases, you will also find water vapor in the air.
The amount of water vapor in the air is highly erratic. It relies heavily on the surrounding temperature. At higher temperatures, air can contain more vapor compared to lower temperatures.
For example, suppose 1 liter of air can hold 1 milliliter of water vapor at 25 O Celsius. The same air will contain more than 1 milliliter of water vapor if the temperature is 35 O Celsius.
Relative humidity represents a relation between the actual water vapor present in the air and the capacity of the air to hold water vapor. Humid weather means the humidity is relatively high (more than 70%).
That means the air is holding water vapor nearly close to its capacity. As a result, only a little evaporation might take place. Evaporative air coolers require water to turn into vapor fast.
But, as the air is nearly full of vapor, evaporation happens slowly. And consequently, the air doesn’t cool down much. That’s why air coolers underperform in humid or wet weather.
But a separate dehumidifier unit will expel a significant portion of the water vapor from the air. Now, the air cooler will make the air exchange heat with water. Eventually, the air will cool down fast.
So you realize if you live in humid regions, we suggest you buy a dehumidifier with an air cooler. That will maximize your comfort.
Do air coolers work well in dry weather?
Air coolers will perform exceedingly well in hot, dry weather. In less humid regions, an air cooler can overshadow the work of an air conditioner with reduced electricity usage.
The principle of an air cooler is to extract heat from warm air to produce a continuous flow of slightly cold air. Here the heat transfer takes place in two ways.
Firstly, the warm air comes into contact with the cold water inside the air cooler. And as a law of nature, the water molecules take away some portion of heat from the air. Approximately 10-15% of heat transfer happens in this fashion.
The broader portion of cool-down takes place through evaporation. As water molecules come in close contact with warm air, it absorbs heat. With time, water molecules on the top surface get enough energy and start to evaporate spontaneously.
As evaporation goes on, the air continues to lose more and more heat. Hence, the name Evaporative air coolers. Dry air means there is less amount of water vapor in it.
Therefore, dry air can soak in more water vapor than wet air. The more water molecules transform into gas, the faster the incoming air cools down. That’s how evaporative air coolers yield a highly satisfying stream of cold air.
So, you realize air coolers will outshine air conditioners if you are in dry regions like Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Vegas, or California. Dry air makes the perfect condition for air coolers.
Conclusion
Throughout this article, we discussed where air coolers perform best; in dry or wet weather. As you can realize, air coolers thrive under hot-dry conditions.
When the hot air contains less water vapor, it becomes easier for air coolers to perform. Therefore, if you’re living in a dry region, air coolers can be your top choice during the summer.
On the other hand, if you’re living in tropical, humid regions, air conditioners should be your first option. Air coolers won’t perform up to your expectations in such weather.
So, did we answer your question? Or do you still have some other questions about air coolers? Feel free to ask us in the comment section. Also, check out our blog page here to read more articles like this. Cheers!!!