[OT] Evaporative cooler, brands other than Champion/Essick?

Why don't you replace the motor with a better-quality/higher-HP-rated unit? Sounds possibly like a motor not rated for the load... or do you run it fan-only sometimes ?>:-} ...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson                                 |    mens     | 
| Analog Innovations                               |     et      | 
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    | 
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142     Skype: skypeanalog  |             | 
| Voice:(480)460-2350  Fax: Available upon request |  Brass Rat  | 
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com |    1962     | 
              
I love to cook with wine.     Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Unfortunately this unit is double-shaft direct-drive with one squirrel cage per side. So it's a special motor and only Genteq makes that. And there's the problem ...

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

The unit mentioned above is, then, NOT the unit you currently have (as the cited unit has a single, belt driven squirrel cage).

Given that you've had this problem *twice*, perhaps consider fixing the design?

Replace motor with a shaft and an (extra?) pair of pillow blocks (to support the shaft where the motor bearings had, previously). Then, a right angle gear drive (allows the motor to be mounted perpendicular to this shaft) *or* a belt and pulley (allowing the motor to be mounted parallel but displaced in space).

Depending on the internal construction, you may be able to slide one of the squirrel cages into the place the motor nominally occupies and drive it from the *end* instead of middle (undoubtedly at some reduction in air flow -- compensate with increased speed?)

There are also shops that will rewind your motor for you -- or, fab an identical one (cooler motors being a reasonably big business in the places that use them).

Of course, if the cooler has "other problems" (e.g., rusted pan), then there's no incentive to keep any of it!

We use a downdraft so not readily comparable in design, efficiency, etc.

[Actually, I should say *used* as SWMBO prefers running the ACbrrr instead of cooler/ACbrrr swap. I'd much prefer to use the cooler esp during the Summer season (when it is not humid)]

Yes, that's the size I am eying. What we have is a smaller direct drive one.

It's not rusted (yet) but a bit too small. Anyhow, I am sick of fixing bugs that manufacturers weren't competent enough to avoid in the first place. Have to do that with too much other gear already, such as bicycle gear. I just want to buy something that done right. Something that simply works.

We love evaporative cooling. No more stuffed noses and sinus aches in summer, as it frequenctly happens when in buildings with old-style A/C.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

OK. So, aside from the name of the manufacturer, it fits your needs?

Understood. Our 18 mo old washing machine had a failure of the door latch (lock) mechanism -- despite the fact that there are just two of us using it so how many times (loads) do you think the door was opened/closed in that period?

Manufacturer replaced it free of charge -- out of warranty.

*But*, the replacement part had the identical PLASTIC construction as the part that it had replaced! Wanna bet we get 18 mos out of this one, as well?? :< [Why use a plastic part in a location that sees a fair bit of UNCONSTRAINED mechanical wear and tear?]

I suspect you will find the availability of such devices is ever decreasing. Not just becoming more expensive but simply not manufactured -- at all! (or, at prices that only fools would pay!)

You're preaching to the choir! Unfortunately, my "single vote" seems to be worth a lot less than HER "single vote"! :-/

Good luck!

[Are coolers even effective this time of year where you are located? Or, do you have a respite until "Autumn"?]

Yes, it would. But I do not trust the manufacturer any longer. My hunch is that they are the only game in town which may be the reason for their IMHO rather rude behavior. If so, then I won't have a choice. Must buy at the company store or whatever.

Many engineers are just amateurs these days.

On the risk of sounding a bit unpatriotic here: "Buy American" seems to no longer be worth it. Seriously.

I give the bicycle lights one more try after I found some where at least the body is aluminum (don't get me started on the innards though ...). Made somewhere in Asia, and I don't care. If these don't hold I'll simply buy several dozen of the cheapest Chinese lights I can find, mount two pairs and just keep replacing them if one flies off like it did a few weeks ago.

They are very effective. The last two days have been hot and muggy and to my surprise the cooler turns 94F into 71F right now. So the humidity must still be decently low.

It just doesn't have enough power to move the air all the way back through my office here. I don't mind but the PC does. Heat doesn't bother me much and I have no problems mountain biking in 100F+ weather. The only non-fun part of it is that then nobody wants to join me and I have to ride alone.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

what failed in the motor(s)?

I had an evap fan motor fail because the winding termination was a little long and the wire was able to vibrate.... until it broke..... Pretty easy to fix.

This was a belt drive to a squirrel cage if I recall.

Mark

The first one spewed an impressive plume of smoke into the house. The second one started a bearing screech. I am nursing it along with copious amounts of Triflow and other oil, hoping it'll hang on until the new motor gets here.

Despite ordering early on yesterday they didn't ship it until today and with the cheapest Fedex method. Tracking says estimated delivery N/A. Of course Essick Air charged us a fat shipping cost anyhow.

Direct drive would work well if they would understand the word quality. We have many fans that are decades old, run almost all summer, and directly drive a big propeller. None ever failed.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

In our case, I am reasonably sure no American hands (other than salesmen!) touched it -- in design *or* manufacture!

Once Monsoon starts, we know the cooler is just not going to cut it. Doesn't take much humidity to make outdoor temps of 100F+ impractical with the cooler -- hence our use of the ACbrrr in that season.

For *Summer*, no argument -- 110 outside and easily below 80 indoors (though if you're wise, you cool while the outdoor temps are lower and then button up the house for the afternoon hours)

Supplemental fans to help circulation? (ours is centrally delivered so not an issue)

Pull the old motor apart when you've installed the replacement. If it's just a *bushing*, you're probably screwed. But, if there is a genuine bearing on each end of the shaft, you can usually replace them (arbor press comes in handy).

Dynamic balancing of the load is key to longevity -- esp if the housing/bearings aren't designed for that sort of abuse.

Many (large) quirrel cages just use sintered bronze bushings. This can work OK for a belt drive where the belt helps isolate the vibrations from the squirrel cage's imbalance from directly affecting the motor (shaft).

AFAIR it's just a cheap bushing. Hence the oiling points where you are supposed to add oil after two years. IME, once a bushing motor has had a screeching episode it's toast. I will keep the old one stored in the garage in case motor #3 suffers a spectacular failure which it probably will in the not too distant future.

Oh yeah. When I got this cooler I had to spend a solid hour balancing each squirrel cage. Because Essick Air obviously could not be bothered to do that in production.

I made sure that all vibration was gone. This also made the cooler run more quiet. When it arrived years ago it made one heck of a racket.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Our cooler was produced in America. The motor was produced in Mexico.

I don't like buttoned-up houses much, gives me headaches when working hard on a design. I like fresh air. One reason why I don't do too well in some corporate buildings.

I was thinking about that but can't reasonably tie an evap cooler into the ductwork. So it's blowing directly into the house. Which is ok, it just doesn't have enough oomph to push the air all the way here to the office. So I need one with more oomph. Of course, a 10amp motor means we will have to remember to turn it off when vacuuming.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

That is simply not true. It may not be optimal, but they can continue to work. I have a large window fan that was my grandmother's. The bushings needed to be oiled on a regular basis. If you let it to too long it would make noise and even not start. But a bit of oil and some turning by hand would always get it working again.

--

Rick

What is the water consumption of this cooler? I always thought they were crude devices. jb

Big difference. That fan was from the days when manufacturers still understood the word quality. My experience with "modern" bushing-equipped motors is that they show noticable play in the bushings after a screech where there was no play before.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Seems to be miniscule because it didn't make much of a dent in our water bill after I installed it. The water goes round and round in there, only the evaporated part gets replaced.

Yeah, but they sure work and save a ton of energy. Of course, you get zero tax incentive for installing those because government bureaucrats cannot understand that saving 80-90% of the power versus the big A/C is more than saving 15% by installing a higher SEER A/C (for which they give a fat tax write-off).

Swamp coolers also make for a nicer climate in the house. I easily get headaches when a regular A/C is running. Not so with the swamp cooler.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Yes, to me, "Crude" = Good. In this case. Ever think about making one? Can't you take a window fan pus ag fabric or something? (Ag fabric with holes in it fed by a soaker hose? )

Oh absolutely. I can clearly make one that beats any commercial cooler in quality, without breaking the bank. But my consulting business does not leave me enough time to do that. The few times I can sneak out early I rather go mountain biking.

That's IMHO the wrong approach, using cheapo consumer products isn't the ticket because they'll fail soon.

My solution would have PID controlled VF-driven motors for the pump and the big fan to adjust the climate inside the house without making any sudden loud noises. It would also be self-cleaing by regularly stirring and dumping the pan contents automatically. It would sense when the temp-delta is too low and also when to go into fan-only mode. Stuff that this industry is never going to figure out on their own.

--
Regards, Joerg 

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

I think the problem is that there are relatively few locations where it is hot, dry and water is available enough to be consumed for cooling. I expect it is along the lines of geothermal in terms of just how many people could actually make use of swamp coolers.

BTW, that energy savings, is that a long ton, a short ton or a metric ton?

--

Rick