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Blog Entry 11 of 39 Got a small plumbing job and don't want to pay big

Does the sink clog up on you every month? Wondering if you need a water filter and what type should you get? How about paying someone to winterize your sprinklers and swamp cooler when you could do it for next to nothing. When is it time to call in a professional and what do I look for in choosing one. I am a master plumber who's been in the business for 25 years. I've worked for many outfits (some reputable, some not) and I'm here to help as I dive into the world of journalism. C'mon in and lay on the couch...now...what's bothering you? Contact Dr. Plumb by clicking "send me a message" in the contributor information box

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Swamp cooler vs air conditioner..LET'S GET IT ON!!

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Contributed by: Micheal Gieger on 10/25/2006

My obvious choice would be the former so let's talk a little about the swamp cooler.

The swamp cooler is a common fixture used in homes found in dry climates like Colorado. The unit simply works by introducing humidity into the air. Check out the link below my sign-off for an excellent illustration on how a swamp cooler works.

Wikipedia.org has an article containing the lengthy history of the swamp cooler. The following excerpt from the site is very "cool," so visit there when you get a chance.

"Civilizations throughout the ages have found ingenious ways to combat the heat in their region. An early form of air-cooling, the wind catcher (Bâd gir), was invented in Persia (Iran) thousands of years ago in the form of wind shafts on the roof, which caught the wind and passed it through water and blew the cooled air into the building. Nowadays Iranians have changed the wind catcher into the swamp cooler (Coolere Âbi) and use it widely. There are 9,000,000 swamp coolers in the central part of Iran alone. In the first two months of 1385 (Iranian year) (April-May 2006) 130,000 swamp coolers were sold in Iran".

We are talkin' hot my friends. Tarzan won't go to Iran. The plumbers there must be very wealthy and highly regarded.

We now know the concept of evaporative coolers (EC) has been around for ages. Why would we want to use an EC instead of an air conditioner (AC)? That's an easy one, money-money-money.

An EC will cost much less to install and use. When I say much, I mean at least half as much. I received a bid for four tttthhhhooouuuussssaaannnnddd dollars to install an AC system in my home.
I can buy and install an EC for under 400 bucks! Don't get me wrong, there are EC units out there that cost big bucks. We're referring to the average model without all the bells and whistles, just cold, fresh air.
If I need to service ANY part on a swamp cooler, I'll find it at a hardware store almost guaranteed*. Try to fix your AC if it quits running and the warrantee has expired. Hiring an HVAC repairman can be just as expensive as a plumber.

The cost to run an AC is usually 75% more than an EC. Do the math, you'd have to be rich and/or crazy to install AC as opposed to EC (if you're rich, call me).

What are the drawbacks to ECs?

If the humidity is high, and we've had some humid days the past couple of summers, the EC simply doesn't cool. AC actually reduces the amount of humidity in the air and has no dependency on the climate.
Computers, televisions, and stereos hate humidity and will let you know this (I'll bet you never knew your electronics had such malevolence).
ECs constantly use water while ACs have a closed-system refrigerant.
You don't have to winterize your AC. If you forgot to disconnect and drain your EC, you had better do it now.

Purchasing and installing your own EC is not difficult. Running duct from your ceiling up and out through your roof might make you a little nervous but I recommend this type of installation. A hard-wired power supply will also be needed. If electricity is something you tend to stay away from then call around to some local licensed electricians to get a bid on what it would cost.

If this sounds way out of your league, you might want to do some homework on an EC that attaches and blows through a window (see picture 4). Most do-it-yourself people find this installation to be a snap and appreciate not having to climb onto the roof to winterize.

Later,
Dr. Plumb

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Evap_cooler_illustration.png

p.s. If anyone knows when and why the EC name evolved to swamp cooler (or vice-versa) then let me know.

*There are no guarantees in life.

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Showing 1-2 of 2 comments

Submitted By: Seth Davis

posted on 10/26/2006 @ 3:23:53 PM

Rated Blog Entry

This entry is very useful. I don't have any kind of cooling device in my place at the moment, so this advice will come in handy when it starts to heat up again next year.

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Submitted By: Brendan Leonard

posted on 10/26/2006 @ 11:48:32 AM

Rated Blog Entry

I am not kidding when I say this is the coolest blog ever. It's like the rest of our blogs, except with useful information. Now if we could just get someone to explain the real estate market in an entertaining way (without trying to sell us a house).

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Showing 1-2 of 2 comments

CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Micheal Gieger

Arvada , CO

Micheal Gieger has posted 39 blog entries and 11 comments since joining on 10/2/2006. Micheal Gieger 's average blog rating is 4.88.

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