Air Cooler vs Air Conditioner – Which One to Choose?

Air cooler vs air conditioner – which one is best for your home? Here is the detailed difference between these two appliances.

People’s lives have become increasingly dependent on temperature control in their homes and elsewhere. With air conditioners and air coolers, people can control the temperature of their occupied rooms in a more comfortable way.

Different settings may require various devices, such as an Air Conditioner or an Air Cooler. Several people are interested in learning the difference between air conditioners and air coolers. 

You can use this guide to find the clear difference between an air cooler and an air conditioner that help to choose the appropriate appliance for your home.

What is an air cooler?

An air cooler also called an evaporative cooler or swamp cooler, evaporates water to cool an atmosphere. Certain particles on the water’s surface are carried away by air as it flows over it. By absorbing the heat, these particles cool the air. It is how air coolers work.

Advantages of an air cooler

• Occupies Less Space: As compared to air conditioners, air coolers occupy less space. You can use them if you rent a room or have a small apartment. Many people who live in such areas find personal air coolers to be the best choice. Additionally, it is not a permanent installation and can be removed at any time.

• Portable: One of the most significant advantages of buying a personal air cooler is its portability. Unlike air conditioners, they are not fixed in a specific room. You can move the air coolers from one room to another.
• Installation and Maintenance: Installing these units is simple, and you can easily do it yourself. Unlike portable air conditioners, there is no hose to connect or compressor to operate. The air coolers work by converting warm air into cold, so they need to be placed near a window. According to your unit’s instructions, open the window an inch or more. The device needs warm air to cool your room, so don’t worry about letting it in.

Disadvantages of an air cooler

• Does not function appropriately in Humid conditions: If you stay near the coastal areas, the evaporation process slows down when the humidity is high. As a result, the cooler fails to function correctly in cooling the room.

• Daily Change of Water: Air coolers require a daily change of water. If the water is not changed, it can cause the growth of bacteria, fungus, etc.; it can make you fall ill. Depending on the size of the cooler, the amount of water that needs to be changed as well varies. So, if you have an air cooler with a large capacity, it is a hectic task.

• Not powerful as Air Conditioner: Air coolers surely help cool down the environment in the room. However, they are not as powerful as air conditioners.

What is an air conditioner?

An air conditioner is an appliance that cools down the temperature inside the room by removing the moisture or excess heat from the room. During air conditioning, the air is cooled by evaporation through a refrigerant, and the AC quickly converts gas to liquid and then sends out cool air into the room.

Advantages of an air conditioner 

• Reduces Humidity: Air conditioning reduces your home’s humidity, which has an essential health benefit. You are more likely to maintain good health if you live in a house that prevents high moisture. High humidity levels are associated with dust mites, mould, heatstroke, and dehydration.

• Reduces Asthma Attacks: Air conditioning reduces the likelihood of asthma attacks, which is another essential health benefit. It is achieved by filtering the dirty air containing pollutants, dust mites, or allergens and eliminating the moisture that can cause mould to grow. All of these factors contribute to asthma attacks.
• Decreases Work Stress: Working in the heat of a hot day can add unnecessary stress to your day. The temperature of a room can cause you to lose focus and become stressed. Your employees will be able to do their jobs without being prone to meltdowns due to a stressful working environment.

• Removes Bad Odour: No matter the source of the odour or fume, air conditioning helps keep it at bay. The process of cycling out the smelly air with fresh air destroys any fragrances or chemicals that could harm you. 

Disadvantages of an air conditioner

• Consumes a lot of Electricity: Air conditioners consume a lot of electricity. If used for long hours, it can burn a hole in the pocket for paying the electricity bills.

• Skin Dryness: When you spend more time in an air-conditioned room, your skin loses moisture, causing it to become sensitive and dry. Your mucous membranes can also become dry and irritated.

• Infection in Respiratory Tract: The air filters in an air conditioner can become clogged with dust, bacteria, and pollen if they are not cleaned. Asthma attacks and respiratory infections will significantly increase as a result.

Air Cooler vs Air Conditioner

Price

Air coolers are affordable in terms of pricing, and also they do not require high maintenance costs. On the other hand, air conditioners are expensive to buy, and also they require regular maintenance for proper operation.

Functioning

Air conditioners and air coolers work differently. Air coolers take in hot air, pass it through absorbent pads, and cool it. On the other hand, air conditioners use chemical coolants to cool the air. Also, air coolers can cool the room only to a certain degree, whereas air conditioners will cool the room to favorable conditions. You can customize the cooling settings in the air conditioner.

Installation

The air conditioner will be fixed in a particular place in your room, whereas air coolers are portable. You can move the air coolers from one room to another. Moreover, air conditioners need additional equipment for the installation, which is not the case with the air coolers.

Space

Power consumption

Air conditioners will consume a lot of electricity when run for a longer duration. On the other hand, air coolers consume less electricity than air conditioners. You can reduce the electricity bills by up to 80% by using air coolers instead of air conditioners.

Maintenance

Maintenance of air coolers is less compared to the air conditioners. However, it would be best to keep changing the water in the air cooler daily; however, it is a hectic task.

Environment effects

The air is cooled by passing hot air through an air cooler. The coolant in air conditioners is made from CFLs, which are harmful to the environment. The heat from the compressor is expelled outdoors, and cool air is drawn into the room by the indoor unit. Compared to their cooler counterparts, air conditioners are a lot less eco-friendly.

Climate

A humid environment makes air coolers ineffective. Because that’s how they are designed, the opposite is true for air conditioners. It is pretty suitable for humid weather conditions, and you can even warm up the rooms with some models in winter since heating is a part of their function and design.

Fresh air quality

Air conditioners circulate the room’s interior air multiple times, while air coolers pull in fresh air from outside and cool it. In addition, air coolers do not overly dry out the air like air conditioners. Air coolers offer better air quality for your room because of the way they operate. In fact, people with asthma or dust allergies prefer the air circulated from an air cooler.

For high humid areas

As mentioned above, air coolers do not work for the high humid places as the efficiency goes down. On the other hand, air conditioners can cool the air to any extent in your room.

Conclusion

Depending on your budget and the place you stay, you can decide on buying either a cooler or an air conditioner. If you stay in an area with high humid conditions, it is suggested to buy an air conditioner.