Swamp cooler arrives today

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This post will go into the Power and electricity sub-series of the off-the-grid main series of posts.  These posts can be accessed from a table of contents and watched individually or in series from beginning to end.

When I left off this part of the series, I was testing the passive solar heating concept for the bedroom area of the RV.  Since this is walled off now, it will take less electricity to climate control it.  Now that the seasons have changed to near summer conditions, it is time to start testing the other part of the concept, which is a swamp cooler ( evaporative cooler ).

It has been on order for about a week now, and due to arrive today.  I have made preparations for its installation.  It should be an easy job.

When it arrives, I will get it ready promptly, and may even have some preliminary results before the day is over.  Expect updates.

Update (s): 6.2.17, 17:37 :

The cooler did indeed arrive, and I began using it.  It doesn't keep up with the heat, unfortunately.  The thermometer shows nearly 90 degree farenheit.  It has been running for about two hours.  Nevertheless, I am not discouraged.  The breeze coming from it feels okay, but not great.  That is, at this temperature.  If it gets hotter, which it may very well happen, then it may not be sufficient to be comfortable to sit around at this hour.  Today is not a very hot day, and it is humid.  These things need drier air than this.  I did run the dehumidifier, but I think it adds heat to the room, so I have it off right now.

I will continue playing with this new toy until I get an idea of what it can do, and what it cannot do.


6.3.17, 6:35 :

After leaving the evaporator on all night, I noted that the temperature went down only about two degrees.  It really doesn't cool very much.  Also, I noted that the relative humidity inside the trailer was at seventy percent.  That doesn't help the little cooler that can't very much.  Upon turning on the dehumidifier, I noted the temperature went up three degrees.  Ah hah!  Well, the little cooler needs a little help, and now I know that the dehumidifier must stay in the hotter part of the trailer, while the cooler goes in the cooler part, that I hope will actually be cooler ( if that makes sense ).

I have been using zero water, which is probably not the ticket.  These zero filters are not cheap.  Perhaps I can use rain water that has been filtered by a sand filter, if I ever get one.  They cost money, like everything else.

Everything is related to money even when you are not trying to use money.  Doggone it.

6:35 :  

Less than thirty minutes into using the evaporative cooler, the humidity level is at sixty percent.  Also, when I turned on the dehumidifier, I took the temperature of the exhaust air--- nearly 95 degrees farenheit.  Yikes.  Unless that air is directly exhausted out of the trailer, it is counterproductive to run it.

While I think of that, I note that it is raining today.  This explains the high humidity.  Not a good day to make a test of this thing.


15:03 :  

Still running this thing.  It is a rainy day, but the sun still comes out.  It is about the same temperature inside as outside.  The dehumidifier is on, and I have it arranged so that at least some of the air goes outside.

It is probably as about as good as it gets with this thing.