Anyone use an Evaporative cooler/Swamp cooler ?

[byobknobie]

I live in the desert our yearly average relative humidity is in the low 20's ... Throw Ac in the mix and its Bone dry here.... gets alot worse in winter anyways I was just wondering what the farms thoughts were on using Evap I have a small portable evap in my garage Im thinking about using it once the HPS's get goin...another ? what issues besides mold and the like might I run into? thnx in advance.

 

[blazer]

Just depends how u use it and they gotta pull 100% outside air( if you put portable evaporative cooler in a closed room and recirculate air it will drive humidity way up and stop cooling needs constant air movement to cool properly) so what ever is floating around will get pulled into your room. and they push large quanity of air flow so it all depends on outside conditions on how they work a little humidity and it wont cool and drive ur humidity up wouldn't be as stable of enviroment as if you with a mini-split or window a/c! If your house has swamp it might pressure your house enough to push air through it if your room is in house just vent it does that make sense?

 

[Chillville]

I would say go for it. As long as it doesn't raise your humidity above 50% I can't see you would have any problems with anything. I wouldn't blow it directly on the plants though.

 

[ttystikk]

I live in a dry place, and I couldn't get by without my swamp coolers. You won't run into mold problems anywhere below 70% humidity, and your plants will appreciate it.

 

[motherlode]

swamp coolers themselves can be a source of mold spores - not really the best way to go IMO

 

[Chillville]

swamp coolers themselves can be a source of mold spores - not really the best way to go IMO

Good point, I have personally never used one. Its really humid here so they don't work well at all.

 

[byobknobie]

Thanks for the input .... Im just going to pick up a window unit . Any suggestions I have a 10'x10'x8' room . Ill be using a 400 hps and a 250 hps for flower both with attached ballasts. I have the cheap home depot bathroom vent fan venting into attic and 2 oscillating fans for circulation. Its a soil grow ffof and roots organic side by side along with a diy dwc bucket " first hydro attempt" . strain is dynafems moby dick.

 

[Chillville]

I would go with a 18,000 btu unit, its more than you need but it won't hurt. If you only needed a 8,000 btu unit but bought a 18,000 btu unit it wouldn't actually use more power overall. It will use more amps when running but the run time will be less. I wouldn't buy anything smaller than a 12,000 btu.

 

[ttystikk]

swamp coolers themselves can be a source of mold spores - not really the best way to go IMO

While this is true, they sell a large number of different and effective sterilants for swamp coolers that solve this problem. If you don't like any of the offerings specifically for swamp coolers, putting a shot or two of H2O2 is also a great way to sterilize your swamp cooler. Bleach works too, and lasts longer.