Air Conditioner Vs Swamp Cooler - What's More Cost Effective?

16Jun 2023 by Ehumidifiers

Last Updated: February 27, 2024

Living in hot weather can be challenging to say the least. It affects your body temperature, mood, and more. If you don’t have proper cooling, staying cool can be extremely challenging in some cases, literally and metaphorically. So the best thing to do is getting a cooling system to keep you and your loved ones cool and comfortable.

You can keep the temperature inside your home check several ways, and the right choice for you depends on a couple of factors, such as –

The overall climate of the area in which you reside.
Size of the space you want to cool.
The technology and efficiency of the cooling system.
Pricing of the cooling system.
Ease of installation, operation, and maintenance.
Advanced features
Eco-friendliness

These, among others, are the things you need to consider before choosing the ideal device for you.

In this article, we’ll be discussing two of the most popular cooling devices: Air Conditioner, and the Swamp Cooler, to see which of these options makes more sense for your space. But before we compare these two options, let’s find out a little about each device.

Air Conditioner

Air Conditioners are devices that remove heat and control the humidity level in the air in a confined space, making it comfortable for living.

These devices range in shape and size from several decent manufacturers and cool a small room to the entire home. Based on the size and other specifications of the area that needs cooling, you can easily pick the ideal model for your space. These devices are prevalent in hot and humid regions, and despite the heavy price tags, remain one of the most popular choices for cooling.

Air conditioners were born more out of technical necessity than comfort in mind. Credit for coming up with the first AC goes to Willis Carrier, a publishing factory worker who constantly battled expanding paper and running ink in hot weather. He came up with a factory-scale cooler to remedy the problem.

Thanks to the AC, precisely controlling environments was made possible, and multiple applications of this resulted in several advancements, including in the medical field. AC has become an integral part of the US lifestyle today. The energy consumption of these devices is high. The United Nations has called for the air-conditioning to be more sustainable to mitigate climate change, using methods like: Evaporative cooling, Passive cooling, better thermal insulation, and so on.

Swamp Cooler

A swamp cooler, also known as an evaporative cooler, swamp box, desert cooler, etc., is a device that cools your space using evaporative cooling. These devices are popular in hot and dry areas, where air lacks moisture. For climates not that dry, indirect evaporative cooling can also be beneficial without the excess humidity.

Swamp coolers are designed simple and can cool efficiently. These devices also come in many shapes and sizes and, you can choose the ideal one for you and enjoy the cool breeze.

These devices cool by direct evaporative cooling, indirect evaporative cooling, indirect-direct evaporative cooling, etc.

These are widely popular because of their simple design, ease of installation, and relatively affordable pricing.

Now, let’s compare these two cooling options to determine which one is the most cost-effective solution for you!

Related read: Best Swamp Coolers For Garage

Swamp Cooler Vs. AC

Cooling Method

An AC has many components that work in unison to cool your air. These parts are an evaporator, blower, compressor, fan, thermostat, condenser, and filter. A typical AC uses vapor-compression refrigeration in which the refrigerant undergoes phase changes, which is one of the many refrigeration cycles. It uses the forced circulation and phase change of a refrigerant between gas and liquid to transfer heat. It is a mature technology.

The swamp cooler has a simple design with fewer components, chiefly evaporative pads, blower, water supply valve, pump, and float. A swamp cooler cools the air through the evaporation of water, as water absorbs heat to evaporate. The cooling process depends on the difference between Dry-Bulb Temperature and Wet- Bulb Temperature (i.e., Wet-Bulb Depression).

Operation and Maintenance

An AC operates well in a hot and humid condition, as it cools (or warms) the air and dehumidifies it. A Portable AC unit is easy to install, but larger models are tricky to install. It is better to hire a professional for that. You can usually operate these units using the remote control, and most ACs feature advanced control for powerful performance. These are quieter than many swamp coolers. Unlike Swamp coolers, AC’s require annual or biannual maintenance only, and you can hire a professional for that.

Swamp coolers have a simple design and are the ideal choice for dry and hot areas, as they also add moisture to the air while cooling. With indirect evaporative cooling, you can also cool not-so-dry spaces. These are easy to install and operate, and it’s unlikely that you’d require a professional for installation. The expense of installation is almost half or less than that of central refrigerated air conditioning. Some of the swamp coolers can make slight noise while performing as the fan is right in front. Swamp coolers require weekly, monthly, annual maintenance.

Efficiency

In terms of efficiency, AC’s consume more energy than swamp coolers, and while they provide more precise control over the cooling process, it comes at a cost. These are effective and are of much use to people dealing with humidity on top of the heat. According to the IEA, by 2018, about 1.6 billion air conditioning units were installed, which accounted for an estimated 20% of energy usage in buildings globally.

Swamp coolers can also cool the air well, and require very little energy compared to AC’s to accomplish the same. Operating these devices cost almost one-eighth of the refrigerated air conditioning. In Swamp coolers, there’s no power spike if it’s turned on due to lack of a compressor. The Power consumption stays limited to the fan and water pump, having a relatively low current draw at start-up.

Eco-Friendliness

AC’s give a powerful performance, but refrigerants used in these devices can cause serious effects on the environment, including ozone depletion and climate change. United Nations, in 2018, called for the technology to be made more sustainable to mitigate climate change.

Evaporative cooling (used in a Swamp cooler) is one of the alternates suggested by the United Nations instead of ACs. It may not be as powerful a cooling option as an AC, but it is a far more environment-friendly option. With more advanced models, cooling is becoming more efficient and powerful, and for this reason, these devices are becoming more popular.

Pricing

In terms of pricing, AC’s are the more expensive device among the two, and even portable units can be costly. Given the comfort and convenience these devices offer, these devices are still in huge demand, which is supposed to go up in coming years, despite the environmental concerns.

However, Swamp coolers are pretty inexpensive, and even the more advanced models, which cost more, are less expensive than their AC counterparts. These are also a popular choice for cooling, although, in severely hot areas, people still prefer AC systems.

AC vs. Swamp Cooler : Which one is the most cost-effective choice

We’ve discussed various aspects of both devices and come to a general understanding of how these devices work. If we look at the pricing, operational, and maintenance costs, Swamp coolers are the most cost-effective choice. These devices have a simple design, and with fewer components, they drain less energy while giving a good performance. They also save you a lot of money in operation and maintenance. However, you have less control over air temperature, as these devices cool based on air temperature, humidity level, and water temperature.

AC’s provide better control and more powerful performance and are still one of the most popular choices amongst users for air conditioning. But these devices are still costly to buy, operate, and maintain.

Swamp coolers come in many shapes and sizes, and here are a few tips for interested buyers to select and maintain the ideal swamp cooler –

Consider the space requirements. Select the right-sized and capacity unit.
Select from a trusted manufacturer.
Choose and pay for the features that you want.
Place your swamp cooler for maximum coverage.
Clean the device regularly, and change the filter, water, etc., when necessary.
Do not use unclean water as it can lead to diseases.
After use, clean and dry thoroughly before storing in a clean space.

Conclusion

Air Conditioner and Swamp Cooler, both devices are excellent cooling options. AC’s are much more prevalent as users don’t have to worry much after installation, and these devices work nicely. However, AC’s are not an affordable option for many people, and their operation and maintenance costs are also higher than swamp coolers.

Swamp cooler provides you with a cost-effective, eco-friendly, simple cooling option and a sound alternative to AC units. These devices require regular maintenance, and you can enjoy efficient cooling at a suitable price.