Air Coolers vs. Air Conditioners

Air Conditioners and Air Coolers have become an integral part of our day-to-day lives. Furthermore, it is difficult to survive in Indian weather without such appliances especially in the hot months of the summer. 

Today, we wanted to highlight the implications of the usage of these individual appliances!

Running and Maintenance Costs

Air Coolers are more affordable and efficient compared to Air Conditioners in lowering the temperature in a room. They are energy efficient and require lower maintenance compared to an Air Conditioner. However, traditional air coolers need higher maintenance compared to the newer models such as frequent cleaning of the air filter. This can turn out to be a huge chore since these units are usually in hard-to-reach places. 

The Quality of Air

These units operate at optimum efficiency when air circulates from outside the office or home due to the workings of these particular evaporative air coolers. This leads to refreshing fresh air entering the rooms, however, with a conventional air conditioner, one needs to close doors and windows. The downside of such processes is that the existing air is recirculated in the room to cool it. 

Moisture Levels

Air Coolers are apt for hot and dry weather because they add moisture to the surrounding air and keep the room cool with the help of evaporation. This benefit leads to better skin and eyes since they don’t dry out. On the other hand, air conditioners reduce the moisture in the air and this negatively impacts eyes and skin. An evaporative cooler is always a good option to curb allergy or medical conditions like asthma. Such coolers affect the young and old positively. Hence, an evaporative cooler is always seen in a positive light. 

The Environment

Conventional air conditioners are harmful to the environment. They consume tons of energy and emit greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide which is exceptionally bad for the environment. A cooler emits much less carbon dioxide and utilises less electricity too. Coolers lead to a reduction in carbon footprint. Additionally, coolers also are less noisy and add minimally to noise pollution. They are a practical choice for offices, bedrooms and other areas which want to avoid noise. At the same time, there are portable air conditioning units available too with designs ensuring less noise. They are an ideal choice for bedrooms and other areas with requirements of less noise.

Health 

Health Benefits are associated with negative health consequences. Fans work at high speeds for cooling, however, this leads to particles like dust and dust mints flying and circulating in the air. The dust particles can lead to health complications. Asthmatic patients can be at risk of attacks as air particles can trigger them. In contrast, air coolers help with asthma. Moulds can also grow on the vents and this needs to be frequently checked. Moulds can trigger health complications as well. 

Further, let’s highlight the PROS and CONS of Air Conditioners and Air Coolers.

Further, let’s highlight the PROS and CONS of Air Conditioners and Air Coolers.

Air Conditioning

PROS

• Suit humid environments
• Faster at bringing down the ambient temperature
• Convenient
• Powerful in comparison to coolers

CONS

• Require to be vented
• High maintenance and can be costly to maintain
• Possibility of being more costly as an appliance
• Can trigger health issues
• Environmentally unfriendly 

Air Cooler 

PROS

• Utilise less energy, hence cheaper to run and environmentally friendly 
• Suit dry and arid conditions or climates
• Compliment open rooms or rooms with windows and doors open 

CONS

• Utilizes too much water
• Unsuitable for humid climates or weather 
• Can be noisy
• Not as powerful as air conditioners as far as cooling
• Regular Maintenance

On the whole, evaporative coolers offer beneficial circumstances over traditional air conditioner units under the right circumstances. However, these air cooling units definitely have constraints and disadvantages under specific conditions.

We hope this article has given clarity to you regarding the implications of the usage of such products. Highlighting these points is imperative for consumer awareness. This will aid you in coming to a socially responsible and pragmatic decision in the future.