As much as we all love to spend time in air-conditioned rooms, it is not always possible, mainly due to the soaring electricity bills. In this situation, what comes as the best solution, and remedy for our summer woes, is nothing but a dessert cooler. These evaporative coolers are not as good as the air conditioners, but are certainly a reliable substitute. They are not just affordable, but also effective, and can be applied pretty much everywhere.
However, buying the best air cooler for oneself is no less than a challenge. As much as we research and explore the markets before buying an AC, we also need to search it equally before buying a cooler. There are multiple factors that need to be considered before one can select the best cooler for themselves. Given below is a list of all the factors that one should keep in mind before buying an air cooler.
- Cooling Capacity– The first thing you need to consider when buying an air cooler is the size of the room you wish to place it in. If it is a small room, that does not get any direct sun, then it would cool well with a portable cooler. On the other hand if you need to cool a big room, that gets direct sunlight, you should opt for a dessert cooler which is also an evaporative cooler. These are large, consume more water, and provide better cooling. Thus being ideal for a big room that you want to be cool. Dessert coolers are not portable and are usually placed outside of a window. For best results, cover the window with a wooden ply, to prevent any hot air from coming inside the room.
- Climate– The climate of the place also makes a lot of difference in the kind of product you are buying. If you live in an area that is somewhere close to the hills, and does not get very hot, then you can do pretty well with a small indoor cooler. This would not only consume less electricity, but also less water. On the other hand, if you live somewhere near the sea, where it is mostly humid. An evaporative cooler will only make it more humid, as it brings in the outside air. In this situation you should opt for an air conditioner.
- Size –the kind of cooling you get from the cooler you have, will depend largely on the size of the cooler. A cooler with large windows, will use larger pads and will thus cool better. If you opt for a cooler with smaller pads, it would not cool as well as a bigger device. Apart from the size, you should also ensure that the pads you are using are thick. As thick pads remain wet for long and provide a better and long lasting cooling effect. Thin pads on the other hand would dry up soon, consume more water, and won’t be very effective as well.
- Speed –The fan speed of the cooler you are using is an important determinant of the kind of cooling you get. Although the fan speed will also depend on the size of your cooler, it is advisable to opt for the one with an exhaust fan. As these are the ones with maximum speed, thus offering the best cooling effect. Exhaust fans will be available mainly in dessert coolers. For portable coolers, you might not get a very high speed fan.
- Low maintenance– Apart from an efficient cooling capacity, you also need to ensure that the cooler you are buying has low maintenance as well as running costs. With coolers which are effective but also challenging to maintain, you will lose more energy than the comfort you will gain. A high maintenance cooler will require you to attend to it frequently thus giving you less opportunities to enjoy its pleasures. If you opt for a low maintenance cooler, you will also get it in a low cost. Thus fulfilling both the purposes.
- Electricity Saving –This is not the kind of feature you will come across in every other cooler. Energy saving is an advanced feature and for this you might have to opt for a cooler that is not very basic. If you buy an advanced cooler, you might also get in it multiple other advanced features like a remote control and water level meter. These are the features that can make life a little easier for you. Thus allowing you to enjoy all the comfort that you have been provided with.
- Reliable and Durable– Opting for a cooler from a reputed brand might be a wise thing to do. Although there are several brands in the market that you can come across, a few of the reputed name like Sansui cooler and more, which have been providing to consumers for a long time, can be a good practice.
Conclusion – Coolers can certainly be effective in making summers a little better for you. Maybe not as effective as air conditioners, but certainly cost effective. Although today you can also get several air conditioners at an affordable price, they lend you with running cost that is much higher than that of coolers. This is thus one of the main reasons that makes one opt for coolers. If you too are buying one, make sure to consider all the above mentioned points.