Do I Need to Winterize My Evaporative Cooler in Phoenix?

While Arizona has a surprisingly diverse range of biomes and climates, Phoenix is by far its most well-known city for heat extremes. With temperatures soaring higher than 90 degrees more than 160 times each year, and a hot season that spans almost ten full months, Phoenix is easily one of the hottest large cities in the United States. It’s also very dry. As such, numerous households throughout the region rely on a strategic combination of refrigerant-based cooling equipment and evaporative coolers. Also known as swamp coolers, evaporative coolers can benefit from routine maintenance and timely winterization. Read on to find out why.

Four Benefits Of Winterizing The Evaporative Cooler In Your Phoenix Home

Whether used as standalone cooling solutions or as part of more complex needs-specific cooling plans, evaporative coolers can produce a considerable change in the indoor environment. Sadly, however, just one harsh winter can leave this equipment under-performing or severely damaged. Timely and effective winterization strategies can prevent expensive repairs and far more costly replacements.

Stave Off Problems With Mildew And Rust

There’s always a significant amount of stagnant water at the base of an evaporative cooler. Over time and absence of proper maintenance, this can lead to problems with rust and mildew. When this standing water starts to freeze and expand, additional damages will arise. During winterization, standing water at the base of your evaporative cooler is emptied via the drain plug. Excess minerals are then completely flushed away. The collection pan is dried, and the dangers of freezing, expansion, corrosion, and contamination are eliminated.

Winterization Keeps Your Cooler Protected From The Elements

No matter what the cold season has in store, your evaporative cooler will always be exposed in part to the natural elements. For instance, when freezing isn’t a problem, accumulations of dust and other airborne particulates can find their way into the ducts and the unit motor. Coolers that are left exposed year-round tend to wear down much faster than those that are routinely winterized. Measuring your unit and investing in a proper-sized cover will help prolong the cooler’s lifespan.

Winter Covers For Evaporative Coolers Help Prevent Heat Loss

Although much of the year is probably spent trying to cool your living space down, consistent heat loss during the colder months will prove equally frustrating. Covering your swamp cooler can limit heat loss by sealing up cracks, gaps, and other openings around the installation through which warm air might otherwise escape. For optimum efficiency and the least amount of heat loss, be sure to check for cracks and gaps throughout the home.

Keep The Water Line From Freezing

Frozen water lines are always problematic in outdoor plumbing and cooling components. As water freezes, it expands or increases in overall volume. This expansion can rupture any transport line or other component that holds it. The potential for freezing and expansion is one of the top reasons to have your evaporative cooler properly winterized. You don’t want exceedingly cold temperatures to sneak up on you. Avoid these problems by shutting the water supply valve off, disconnecting the supply line, and letting all water slowly drain out. Then, place the waterline down in an area where it cannot be affected by severe temperatures. With our evaporative cooler winterization services, all of this will be done for you.

When To Winterize Your Swamp Cooler

Winterization should be performed just when you no longer need your evaporative cooler on a daily basis, and slightly before truly cold temperatures hit. For many Phoenix households, this is usually in the mid-to-late fall, right around November. Check for temperature highs that are averaging in the mid-50s and take note of whether you’re household is using the cooler increasingly less often.

Comprehensive and model-specific winterization is often best performed by licensed professionals. Scheduling your winterization service in the early to mid-portion of fall is a great way to avoid the last-minute, seasonal rush. This is also an excellent time to schedule a full fall maintenance appointment to undo the ravages of the past hot season. Be prepared to have spring maintenance performed again, just ahead of summer.

Additional Strategies For Preventing Heat Loss In Your Phoenix Home

With every heating and cooling system, heat loss or air leaks throughout the home are a critical concern. These problems can have an impact on how hard your equipment has to work, how much wear it sustains, and how long it will last. More importantly, they can also have a regular and sizable impact on your home energy spending.

Beyond covering your evaporative cooler in the winter and sealing up air leaks at all windows and doors, you should additionally assess your home’s insulation. This should have a sufficiently high r-value for the region and for the general needs of the building. If you believe that your home insulation is too sparse or rated too low for optimum energy efficiency, consider having it replaced or enhanced.

Winterizing your evaporative cooler will make this essential equipment last longer and work better. This is the surest way to prevent damages and limit wear as colder temperatures set in. Call us today to have your evaporative cooler or other home cooling equipment professionally inspected, winterized, and maintained.