Swamp Coolers – aka Evaporative Coolers are very common in Albuquerque, but not elsewhere.  They work best in a climate that has very low humidity and that doesn’t get too hot (over 90-95 degrees) very often.  Units are surrounded by pads of varying materials that are kept wet.  A blower pulls outside air through the water-cooled pads and into the home.  They are extremely inexpensive to operate, but do require some routine maintenance.  The biggest problem I see with swamp coolers is that the float mechanism inside is not adjusted correctly.  This allows the water reservoir to overflow onto the roof and causes staining/damage to shingles or tiles on a pitched roof and pooling on a flat roof.  Covering these units in the winter will eliminate extra work when preparing for use as the temperatures rise.

 Pictures are of 2 different style rooftop units. 1 of them uses relatively inexpensive pads on 3 of the 4 sides of the unit. Those pads need to be changed out every year. The other only has 1 pad on 1 side and the pad is 8+ inches thick. It’s much more expensive, lasts 5-7 years and is a little more efficient. The 3rd picture is the inside of a unit that has been poorly maintained, in need of a good cleaning but is still functioning properly. 

(Info provided to Michael Dunn by 

SANDIA HOME INSPECTIONS

505-480-6053

www.SandiaHomeInspections.com)