Reply #16: Not as efficient in LA. [View All]

[LWolf]

They work great in dry climates. The more humidity, the less efficient they are.

I know LA isn't as humid as much of the country, but here in the Mojave Desert, we know the meaning of "hot" and "dry." And evaporative coolers are great. Compared to us, LA always feels moist to me; that on-shore flow.

I can run my cooler 24/7 and pay a small fraction of what my friends pay for running their air conditioning a couple of hours a day. It won't get as cool; just "cooler" than outside. You can't set the temperature. Around here, it works well in the 80s and 90s; still gives some relief in the 100s, but once you get to 110, you are merely adjusting the heat to a lower "hot;" it doesn't really get cool.

Maintenance is easy; change out your pads each year.

I lived in LA with no cooling at all, window coolers, and evaporative coolers; never lived in a place with central air. The window coolers worked best, but I couldn't afford the electricity to keep them running. The evaporative cooler was better than nothing; a compromise between comfort and budget.