A cool sea breeze can be just what you need to cool down during a heatwave. Fortunately, when the Freo Doctor is away for the holidays, you can still rely on your evaporative air conditioner to keep you and your family cool this summer. With Perth being famous for its hot, dry summers (yeah it’s hot, but at least it’s a dry heat!), evaporative cooling is a great choice for keeping Perth families cool and comfortable.
Evaporative air cons take the hot outside air and force it through moist pads that have been made wet by an internal water pump, cooling the air via evaporation. With vents in most rooms of the house, evaporative air conditioners provide you your very own Freo Doctor on demand and when you need it most.
Why evaporative cooling is ideal for combatting the Perth heat
It’s cheap to run
With almost three quarters of Western Australians reaching for their aircon controls each summer and accounting for almost 40% of Australian’s household energy costs, many people are looking for ways to save money when keeping cool.
This is where evaporative cooling shines: consuming around 75% less energy than other air conditioners on average, you can keep your family cool for a fraction of the cost of a reverse-cycle system.
It’s better for the environment
Evaporative air conditioners expel significantly less greenhouse gases than reverse-cycle air conditioners. They also avoid using any potentially hazardous refrigerants commonly found in reverse-cycle systems, making them the most eco-friendly option for households across Perth.
How to get the most out of your evaporative air conditioner
Is your evaporative air conditioner not cooling as well as you expected it to? While evaporative coolers are a great choice for Perth families, there’s a few things you can do to keep them running effectively.
1. Open windows and doors
To get the most out of your evaporative aircon, you should open or partially open your windows and doors to allow fresh air to circulate throughout the house properly.
During those hot summer days, we recommend opening all internal doors. To make sure the old air has somewhere to go when the newly cooled air is blown in, you should take the windows in the furthest point of the room you’ll be spending the most time in and open them enough to allow air to escape. Be mindful though – if there’s too many open the hot outside breeze will blow in and heat the room up, and if there’s too many closed, the humidity can build up and make your hard floors wet and sticky.
2. Pre-cool your house
As evaporative aircons rely on an internal water pump to saturate the cooling pads with water before running air through the system, it can often be better to turn the system on earlier in the day, ready for when the midday heat kicks in. If your system has a pre-start mode like CoolBreeze units or separate switches for the pump and fan, make sure to use these before cranking the fan to high.
3. Work your aircon smarter, not harder
We know how tempting it can be to leave your air conditioner on for extended periods of time – in fact, almost 1.9 million Australians leave it on while they’re not at home, costing them a combined $97 million over the summer period.
Does your system have a timer? If so, set it to switch off when you go to sleep or switch on just before you expect to get home – and don’t forget to turn it off when you’re on holiday to avoid any nasty bills when you get back!
4. Keep it properly serviced and maintained
The best way to ensure your evaporative cooler is working properly is to get an annual service and regular maintenance performed by your local evaporative air conditioning professionals.
When it comes to evaporative and ducted air conditioning in Perth, no one knows more than your team of highly skilled and super responsive tradies at Ritz Plumbing & Electrical. Chat to one of our friendly representatives now by calling 13 74 89 or send an enquiry using our easy online contact form.