As the hottest parts of the Utah summer quickly approach, residents around Salt Lake City and other parts of the state are looking to prepare their homes for this reality. One possible upgrade that should be strongly considered around this time: An upgrade from an older swamp cooler your home may still be using to a modern central air conditioner.
At Whitaker Roofing, we’re happy to help with one major part of this process: The actual removal of your swamp cooler, plus resulting roof patching needs that typically arise. Why is making the move from a swamp cooler to a central AC system something you should strongly consider before the temperatures get too high? Here’s a basic rundown.
Swamp Cooler Basics
For those who’ve never really considered how their swamp cooler works, it uses a format known as evaporative cooling. That is, it pulls air from the outside, then uses water to cool and humidify that air before pushing it into your home.
While this can work well in some cases, there are a number of potential downsides. For one, swamp coolers don’t control the temperature with anywhere near the precision of a central AC system. You’ll likely find yourself having to open windows or use other methods to adjust the temperature, which somewhat defeats the purpose.
Another potential issue is that swamp coolers require a fairly constant source of water, meaning you’ll need to refill them regularly – and if you don’t, they may simply stop working altogether. On top of this, swamp coolers don’t regulate air quality as well as central air conditioners, so you may find yourself dealing with more dust, pollen and other allergens in your home.
Swamp coolers also tend to be less energy-efficient than central air conditioners, meaning your monthly energy bills may be higher if you’re using one. And finally, swamp coolers typically don’t last as long as central AC units.
Central Air and Advantages Over Swamp Coolers
Central air conditioners, on the other hand, use a closed system to cool your home. Refrigerant is used to cool air, which is then pushed through a series of ducts and vents to reach every room in your house.
This results in much more consistent cooling throughout your entire home, rather than just the rooms closest to your swamp cooler. Temperatures will be more consistent, and you won’t have to worry about opening windows or using other methods to adjust the temperature.
Central air conditioners also provide better filtration than swamp coolers, so you can enjoy cleaner air in your home. And because they’re closed systems, they don’t require a constant source of water – meaning you won’t have to worry about refilling them regularly.
Central air conditioners are also more energy-efficient than swamp coolers, so you may see a reduction in your monthly energy bills. And finally, central air conditioners typically have a longer lifespan than swamp coolers.
In short, there are many good reasons to consider making the switch from a swamp cooler to a central air system. For more on this, or to learn about our roof patching services and how we’ll help with the swamp cooler removal process if you’re going this route, speak to our team at Whitaker Roofing today.