New swamp cooler pads. Ahhh!
 

This is not an AC vs. swamp cooler thread. No drama here. :)

Just thought I'd share with other swamp cooler owners if there are any.

I broke down and got new pads for the swamp cooler this AM... What a difference.

After some web searching for what is best, I went back to old fashioned aspen pads doubled up... What a difference. It is 98+ on my back porch and it is pumping out 66 degree air. House is at least 10 degrees cooler than it was with the old foam backed paper pads.

If you are using anything but aspen, go back. All the anecdotal and minimal science I could find have them at 3-7 degrees cooler than any of the paper or synthetic ones.

Also make sure your pump actually moves enough water to wet all the pads completely. If not, the hot air just rushes through the dry spots. That helped a lot when I went up 50% in GPH a few years ago.

I also keep a bromine tablet from my spa in the corner of the reservoir to keep anything from growing in the water which I change every couple days anyway.

Stay cool... :)

I get new aspen filters from Home Depot every summer. They are amazing, my house has been 68 degrees all day and I love the smell when you first install them. I had a tablet in mine too since without one, there is really crazy mineral buildup. However, this last year I bought a metal rod that has a wire that you screw into the side of the cooler. I think it was like $10 but it completely stopped all buildup and it doesn't dissolve like the tablets.

EDIT: This one.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...2&ddkey=Search

FYI: an anode like that will eventually "dissolve". They're not called "sacrificial anodes" for nothing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacrificial_anode

"sacrificial anode"

That's what she said.

Interesting. I probably have some zinc sacrificial anodes somewhere off one of my past boats.

The new pad smell is pretty cool, ;) pun intended.

I used 2 pads in each panel this time as some sites recommended. More surface area, more filtration, less hot air sneaks through but slightly less flow.

Nifty link. I didn't mean to imply that the zinc anode didn't "dissolve". I meant to convey that it didn't "dissolve" in the same manner as the tablets which have only lasted months and the anode, years.