How to Get Better Airflow in a Swamp Cooler
- 1). Remove the side panels on the swamp cooler by putting your hands in the handles, lifting up and then sliding them down and out of their grooves.
- 2). Remove the fiber pads in each of the panels. These just pull out of the bottom of the panels. Inspect the pads for calcification, which results from hard-water scale deposits. As a fiber pad fills with hard-water scale deposits, the deposits inhibit outside air from coming through the pads. These deposits will look like white chalk. Throw the old pads away and replace them with new fiber pads.
- 3). Lift the water pump out of the water basin at the bottom of the swamp cooler. Rinse the debris screen around the bottom of the pump. This also gets clogged with hard-water scale deposits, dirt and algae. Replace the screen with a new one if cleaning it doesn't work.
- 4). Drain the water basin by turning the drain plug counterclockwise and pulling it out of the drain hole. You can turn the plug with your hand or a pair of pliers. Spray the basin with a garden hose equipped with a spray nozzle. This will remove any gunk that may be plugging up the water pump screen. Rinse all debris out of the drain hole. Screw the plug back in and refill the basin with the garden hose.
- 5). Watch the water supply hose float assembly as it fills the water basin of the swamp cooler. This is the assembly that automatically replenishes the water basin during normal use. As water evaporates and the water level in the water basin lowers, the float lowers. When the float gets to a certain point, it triggers the supply line to squirt in more water. When the appropriate level is reached, the float rises and shuts off the supply line. Adjust the float to ensure the proper levels are reached. Adjustment is made by turning the float to the left or to the right. The proper water level should be 1/4 inch from the top of the drain plug.
- 6). Check the tension on the pulley belt that connects the electric pump to the blower reel. There shouldn't be more than 1 inch of play in it. Use a crescent wrench to adjust the motor mount. This will ensure proper tension. Loosen the bolt and slide the mount until the belt gets tight. Tighten the bolts with the wrench.
- 7). Lubricate the blower bearings to ensure the blower fan spins smoothly. Some coolers have sealed bearings that don't require lubrication. If you can't find an oil input, your fan probably has sealed bearings. Wiggle the blower fan to see if there is any up and down play in it. If there is any play, call a service technician and have the bearings replaced.
- 8). Turn the swamp cooler on and watch as the pump sucks water up out of the basin. Watch each of the delivery lines that trickle water where the panels would be. If a tube isn't squirting water, it's plugged. Slide a 24-inch piece of metal wire into the tube to dislodge whatever is blocking the flow. Some insects build nests in these tubes. If the water pump isn't working properly, remove it and replace it with a new one.
- 9). Reinstall the side panels and and look through the vented sides to see if the water is properly drenching the fiber mats. If you notice dry spots, remove the panel or panels and adjust the water delivery tube or tubes. Check the top of the panel to ensure it hasn't rusted through. If it has, replace the entire panel.