People ask me all the time, especially folks from humid clients, what a swamp cooler is and whether it's as good as central air.  In our hot and very dry climate it may be that evaporative cooling ("swamp" cooling) is a much more energy efficient way to cool the air in your house than air conditioning.  The way they work is to cool air by using water.  The swamp cooler is a big box which pumps water to large cellulose pads.  The water is vaporized and then a fan inside the box blows the cooled air into your home.

You can either mount a swamp cooler on the roof, use a window swamp cooler much as you would a window air conditioner, or put a portable swamp cooler in a particular room or area.

They work on the same principle that makes you feel cool after getting out of the shower or pool and into the air.  If you wet the back of your hand and then blow on it, you'll get the picture.

Xcel Energy says that swamp coolers "use 75 percent less electricity than central air conditioners and can lower the temperature in your home by up to 30 degrees."  They're currently offering a rebate of up to $200 if you're an Xcel residential customer and you buy a new swamp cooler (minimum ISR airflow of 2,500 CFM) before December 31, 2007.  Check it out at Xcel Energy.

For further information or for questions contact Judith Clausen at Buyers Advantage Real Estate of Metro Denver, 303-587-3509.