It’s summer time! That means only one thing… cool air. Or at least that’s what most people reach for when summer rolls around. Fans and air coolers can both provide relief from the summer heat, but they function in very different ways.
If you’ve found yourself staring blankly at a wall full of fans and air coolers in a store wondering which one to buy you’ve come to the right place. We’ll show you how each appliance works, how much they cost to run, and which one you should buy.
How Does a Fan Work?
Fans couldn’t be simpler. They contain a motor which rotates some blades. The blades force air to flow around the room. When you feel that airflow on your skin, it speeds up the evaporation of sweat from your body. That evaporation process is what makes you feel cooler.
The thing to remember is that a fan isn’t actually cooling the air in the room. It’s just moving air around. Leave a fan on in an empty room and the temperature won’t change at all. The only reason you feel cooler with a fan is if you’re sitting in front of it. This may be different than what you originally thought.
Fans come in several varieties. Desk fans can sit on your office chair. Tower fans can be kept on your bedroom floor. You can put a box fan in an open window. You can use a big ol’ pedestal fan in your living room. Fans are lightweight and portable. And most of them won’t break the bank.
How Does an Air Cooler Work?
An air cooler, sometimes called an evaporative cooler or swamp cooler, operates slightly differently. An air cooler sucks hot air from the room and forces it through water soaked pads on the inside of the unit. As air passes through the pads, water evaporates from them. The evaporating water absorbs heat energy from the air. The now cooled air is slightly humidified and blown back into the room.
Air coolers actually reduce the temperature of the air in your room. Depending on the conditions, they can lower a room’s temperature by 5-15 degrees Fahrenheit. That might not sound like much, but it’s actual measurable cooling.
Air coolers require a supply of water to operate. Many models have a built-in water reservoir that you’ll have to refill every few hours. Larger models are available that can hook straight to your home’s water line, so you never have to refill them. Air coolers are also larger and heavier than fans. They’re not quite as easy to move from room to room.
Humidity Hang-Up
Okay this is where it gets interesting. Did you know that air coolers are most effective in dry climates? Because the air is dry, more water can evaporate into it. This increases the cooling power of the air cooler. If you live in a desert climate or say, the southwest United States, an air cooler can feel just like an air conditioner.
However, if you live in an area that’s already humid all year round an air cooler can make things worse. Air coolers add moisture to the air as they cool it. If you live somewhere with high humidity you don’t want more moisture in the air. The NHS mentioned to us that when the humidity is already up your body has a hard time sweating. You end up feeling hot and sticky instead of cool and comfortable. A fan is usually the better option for those types of climates.
Take Houston Texas for example. It’s a very humid city. If you lived there and bought an air cooler your house would probably feel sticky instead of cool. You’d be better off with a fan or just plugging up and investing in a real air conditioner.
Cost and Energy Consumption
Fans are inexpensive to purchase and run. You can probably pick up a decent tower fan for between $30-$80. And even if you leave that sucker on all day the electricity bill won’t kill you. Fans typically draw between 15 and 100 watts of power.
Air coolers are more expensive to purchase. You should expect to pay somewhere between $80 and $300 for a decent portable air cooler. Air coolers also draw more electricity than a fan. They typically draw between 60 and 200 watts. You also need to factor in the cost of constantly refilling them with water. Over the course of a summer an air cooler’s running costs can add up.
That being said, both air coolers and fans are significantly less expensive to run than a central air conditioning system or even a window AC unit. If saving money on energy bills is your goal while staying cool during summer, they are both excellent alternatives to AC.
Maintenance
A fan is pretty much maintenance free. You might wipe the fan blades down every now and then to keep dust out of the airflow. But that’s about it.
Air coolers do require maintenance. Water that sits in the cooler for too long can cause mold or mineral build-up on the internal pads. You should plan on disassembling your cooler and cleaning out the pads and tank every few weeks if you use it regularly in the summer. If you don’t clean it the unit can start blowing out musty smelling air. Nobody likes that!
Should You Buy A Fan Or Air Cooler?
So, which one should you buy? It depends on some factors.
Buy a fan if…
- You live in humid climate
- Dry Climate You want something inexpensive and portable
- You just want to circulate air in a room that’s already cool
Buy an air cooler if…
- You live in a dry climate
- You want actual temperature reduction without buying an AC unit
- You don’t mind refilling it with water and cleaning it every now and then.
Real Life Example of Choosing a Fan vs Air Cooler
Residents of Dubai live in a hot desert climate where summers are dry and extremely hot. Residents of Mumbai experience hot summers as well, but with high humidity near the coast.
One property management company wanted to cool off units in both cities without installing full air conditioners.
Instead of trying one solution at both residences, they decided to conduct an experiment using portable fans and evaporative air coolers.
Test Procedure & Results
They purchased air coolers for some apartments in Dubai, while purchasing pedestal fans and tower fans for apartments in Mumbai.
They measured:
- Room temperature levels
- Actual comfort levels of residents
- Energy efficiency costs per apartment
- Maintenance expenses
- Water usage (air coolers only)
Results of Dubai (dry climate):
- Air coolers decreased perceived temperature by 5–12°C in dry conditions
- Residents felt significantly cooler and refreshed
- Power consumption was low compared to traditional air conditioners
- Coolers had to be refilled with water regularly
- Residents were happier than before due to cooler temperatures
Results of Mumbai (humid climate):
- Air coolers did not decrease humidity enough to provide comfort
- Rooms felt more humid and sticky with air coolers in use
- Fans performed better because they sped up body heat evaporation
- Pedestal fans and tower fans used very little electricity
- Maintenance of air cooler filters was required
- Residents were happier than before due to airflow
Conclusion
After analyzing results, the property management business learned that climate was the critical factor:
- Air coolers excel at drying out humid air and reducing temperatures through evaporation. Fans excel at increasing airflow without adding moisture to the air.
- Ideally they would pick air coolers for dry climates and fans for humid areas. This way, residents can stay cool at lower costs without needing air conditioners.
Reference Case Study: https://rajcooling.com/air-coolers-vs-air-conditioners-which-one-should-you-choose/
FAQs
Can a fan cool a room?
Fans make you feel cooler by blowing air, but do not actually lower room temperature.
Do fans and air coolers work the same?
No. Fans simply blow air around the room. Air coolers use water evaporation to cool the air.
Do air coolers actually work?
Air coolers are excellent at cooling in dry climates by evaporating water. However, in humid climates they make rooms feel sticky and humid.
Which is better in a humid weather fan or air cooler?
Fans are better because air coolers introduce moisture into the air which increases humidity levels.
Do air coolers make the air damp?
Yes. Evaporative coolers add moisture to the air as water evaporates from the cooling pads. The cool, moist air reduces the temperature of a room.
Are electric fans better than air coolers?
Not necessarily. Fans are better than air coolers in humid climates because air coolers add humidity to the air.
Will an air cooler make a room humid?
Yes. But the increased humidity will feel cooler than the room was without the air cooler running.
Do air coolers use more electricity than fans?
Typically yes. Most air coolers have to power a water pump along with cooling components. However, both use less electricity than air conditioners.
Can an air cooler replace an air conditioner?
Sort of. Air coolers use water evaporation to cool the air rather than traditional air conditioning. However, due to higher humidity levels in certain areas of the world, fans can often feel better than air coolers.
Do air coolers take up a lot of maintenance?
Air coolers require more maintenance than fans. They need to be regularly cleaned to prevent minerals from hard water leaving residue behind inside the tank and pads.
Is air cooler more portable than fans?
Fans are more portable. Many air coolers are too large to easily move between rooms. Portable air coolers are available but tend to have smaller cooling capacities.
How do I know if I should get a fan or an air cooler?
Get a fan if you live in a humid climate or are looking for an inexpensive way to move air around a room. Get an air cooler if you want to effectively lower temperatures in a dry climate without air conditioning.
Final Words
You can’t use a fan or air cooler to replace air conditioning on hot, humid days. But if your summers are mild to moderately hot they can do a great job of keeping you comfortable. And won’t drive up your electricity bill too badly.
Figure out where you live, how humid your summers are, and how much cooling power you need. Once you know that picking the right appliance is easy.
