Do air chillers really work?

Does the “As Seen on TV” Arctic Air Evaporative Air Cooler really work? Will it lower your air conditioning bill? Will it reduce the temperature of your room? In the interest of hot women everywhere, I’m giving you all the deets in this unbiased Grownup Dish review.

These days I am one hot mama. And no, I’m not talking about my looks. I’m talking about my body temperature. Like a lot 50-something women, I am often VERY hot at night. And to fan the flames even more:

• Our master bedroom is the hottest room in the house.
• I am one of those people who can NOT sleep without covers. I need (and like) the weight of a blanket. In fact, I’d use a weighted blanket if I wasn’t always so damn hot.
• My husband gets a sore throat when I run the ceiling fan.
• I’m already a lousy sleeper. So is my guy.
• I’m grumpy when I’m hot and tired.

this …

When it’s 95 degrees and your husband is your photographer

What I want is some way to make our bedroom really COLD without having to push the central air conditioning down to the 60’s and without having a fan blowing in my face all night long.

My husband Paul is an engineer so he immediately started looking at big (ugly) evaporative coolers that cost $500+ and cooled large areas. On the other hand, I wanted a solution that was “cheap and cheerful” so off I went to our local hardware store where I purchased the Arctic Air Evaporative Cooler for around $40. I had seen it advertised on an infomercial and I thought it was worth giving it a shot.

The infomercial claims that self-contained Arctic Air is quiet and cools the air to the point that you won’t need air conditioning. So I set it up in our bedroom and tried it.

How the Arctic Air Works (or Didn’t Work)

• It’s not quiet. It definitely makes a noise and depending on which fan speed is used the noise gets louder. I was hoping that it would eventually be processed by my brain as “white noise” but it was a little bit too loud for that.
• It’s pretty much just a fan. Yes, it blows cool air. But, using it in a room with central AC, it doesn’t seem like the air is significantly colder than a traditional fan. I didn’t do the blowdryer test that was pictured in the infomercial, but I checked out several other online videos where people tried it and it did not work. And in the photos in this post, I have it turned on full blast and am holding it right up to my face, and it’s barely blowing my hair.
• It did made the room feel more humid. This was expected because the unit uses water as part of its cooling process. Given that Colorado is so dry, I thought I would really like this feature. In fact we’ve discussed getting a humidifier because it is SO DRY here. But I actually found the additional humidity annoying as it made me feel sticky.
• The water tank does last for 8+ hours.

In summary, if you need something slightly better than a desktop portable fan, this unit may suit your needs. But it will certainly not cool off a large area, nor will it replace traditional air conditioning or even a ceiling fan.

I ended up returning it.

You can see all of my previous reviews HERE.

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7. Some features that you should know about portable evaporative air cooler

1) Control panel & Remote control:

– Timer:

Most of the air coolers come with a timer; it helps you to set a sleep time on the device. This option is very helpful if you don’t want to let the cooler work all the night long.

– Remote control:

All the modern air coolers come with a remote control to provide comfort and convenience when you choose from the modes.

2) Cooling Pads

The efficiency of these coolers is linked to the design aspects of the cooler pads and the amount of humidity present in the air.

– Aspen Cooling pads are generally more affordable and easier to replace or install. Furthermore, they are more biodegradable and more effective compared to the synthetic versions, but the synthetic versions last longer.

– Cellulose pads are also referred to as honeycomb cooling pads. Just like the name suggests, these pads actually resemble a honeycomb. These are thicker than Aspen Pads, have minimal maintenance needs and provide longer durability. While they might cost slightly higher, they are more efficient. As a minimum, they should preferably be 90 mm thick to enable them to provide more effective cooling of air.

3) Water Tank

– Hose Connector

Some units come with a garden hose connector also known as an Automatic Water-level Controller. Through this connector, you can attach an ordinary garden hose to your unit. This will ensure there is a continuous and steady supply of water flowing to the cooler. This saves you the hassle of pouring water in the reservoir manually.

– Water Level Indicator

In the case of there is no water level controller feature in the air cooler, it should include a water level indicator instead. If there is no automatic water level controller, you’ll have to fill the water holding tank manually. This water level indicator will show when enough water has been placed in the tank subsequently, minimizing the risk of leaking or flooding the floor by filling in too much water.

– Water Inlet and Drain Valve

For optimal cooling, fill up the tank using a mug/water pipe through the tiny inlet. This is the easiest way to top up the water to the maximum level. The Drain Valve, on the other hand, enables frequent change of water to avoid mold and mildew growth.

4) Airflow

Air cooler airflow is also measured by CMH(m³/h) (cubic meters per hour). The CMH means the amount of air cycled into your area each hour. It is a good way to buy the right air cooler size by calculating the CMH(m³/h) required for your place.

The airflow also depends on a blower or a fan use by the evaporative cooler. Fans can create airflow with low pressure but in large volumes; they are usually used in big air coolers. On the other hand, Blowers can product high pressure airflow at high volumes and often used to smaller air cooler models. While choosing evaporative cooler, you should also find the models with multiple speed settings. It is one of the ways to adjust the temperature in the room by controlling the airflow; most portable air coolers with 3 speed regulator at least. Except, the feature of automatic louver movement is especially important for swamp coolers, it can ensures the flow of cool air in all directions.

• Fan type VS blower type

Fan and blower are used for circulating and supplying air; however, technically they are quite different. The big difference between a fan and a blower is how the air is circulated.

A fan is an electrical device to move air and the air around an entire room or a large area, on the other hand, a blower is a mechanical device t a blower is a mechanical device and moves the air to a specific location or point.

In general, fans and blowers are used widely for cooling purposes in the industries. Also, both are widely used in electrical appliances such as evaporative air coolers, air conditioners, microwaves, and so on. They both produce air by amount of pressure. Blowers can move lots of gas at a certain pressure while fans move largely of gas at a low-pressure.

Here a comparison table for Fan and Blower:

5) Ice Compartments

Many manufacturers incorporate special features like ice gel packs or ice compartments to produce the effect of cold air. When temperatures are very high, adding ice to the compartments will prove to be highly effective. However, the level of humidity and temperature of the atmosphere determine determines the coolness, not the ice. Therefore, adding an excessive amount of ice could potentially slow down the process of evaporation. This can hamper the air cooler’s efficiency.

6) Brands

After determining the ideal size and type of Evaporative Air Cooler, the next step involves choosing a brand. Some of the most popular brands include Portacool (Commercial Coolers), Honeywell (Residential Coolers), and many more. For any dealer wishing to buy the coolers in bulk, choosing a manufacturer with the most competitive prices is recommended. Vankool is a superb choice for those in the wholesale business. It is the preferred OEM dealer for Honeywell for the past 12 years.