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Getting the proper size evaporative cooler is critical. One that is too small will not cool your home property and one that is too large will result in excessive utility bills.

Residential evaporative coolers come in 6 different sizes ranging from 3000 to 6500 cubic feet per minute (CFM). The proper size of a cooler is determined by the amount of cubic feet in the area to be cooled. The term  "cubic feet per minute" refers to the cubic feet of air in your home and the amount of air needed to replace that in one minute.

The formula  for sizing your cooler is very simple; just multiply the length by the width by the height of the area to be cooled and divide by two.

Example: A home that is 25 feet wide x 40 feet long x 7 feet high has a total of 7000 cubic feet of area to be cooled. Using the factor two (for an air change every two minutes), divide 7000 by two to give you your CFM requirement, in this case 3500 CFM. You should choose a cooler larger than 3500 CFM.