How does evaporative cooling work?

Cooling something down can take a huge amount of energy. Traditional air conditioners and refrigerators use compressor-based systems, pressing air into a small space to heat it up, before releasing it to drop its temperature. Of course, though, this isn’t the only way to cool down the air around you, with evaporative cooling providing an alternative. But how exactly does evaporative cooling work?

Evaporative cooling is one of the few thermodynamic principles that are easy to observe in day to day life. Your sweat is able to cool your body down because it evaporates from the surface, lowering the temperature of your skin as it takes energy with it. Evaporative aircon works in a similar way, only on a much larger scale, and with greater efficiency.

Hot air is drawn into the system from the environment that needs to be cooled. This air passes through evaporative pads that distribute cool water to be turned into vapour, with the air cooling down in the process. This air is then pumped around your home, making an evaporative air conditioner provide similar results to a traditional unit. It takes around 45 minutes to turn a single litre of water into vapour, and all of this energy will come from the hot air in your home.

Evaporative air conditioning systems are able to provide powerful cooling capabilities without breaking the bank. These machines are cheaper to make and buy than compressor-based options, while also using less power to keep them running – most evaporative air conditioner fans (like the Cool Breeze or BreezeAir models) run on the same wattage as your standard hairdryer and toaster! Nothing beats green and cheap.

If you have any questions or think it might be time to install evaporative cooling to your home please contact us – we are always more than happy to help!