FAQ

Can you catch Legionnaires’ disease from an EcoCooling Evaporative Cooler?
How much water and electricity does an evaporative cooler use ?
How much does it cost to run ?
How much maintenance is required ?
How long will the filter pads last and how much do they cost to replace ?
Is there any assembly required ?
Are the coolers CE marked ?
What is the difference between evaporative coolers and fogging systems ?
Will I get condensation in my building ?
Where are the model and serial numbers found on the unit ?
How is the water connected ?
How is the drain connected ?
Do the filters clean the air ?
How much will it reduce the temperature ?
How does an evaporative cooler work ?

Can you catch Legionnaires’ disease from an EcoCooling Evaporative Cooler ?

A wetted media evaporative cooler poses a very low risk from Legionnaires’ disease. With over 40 million systems world wide there has never been a case of Legionnaires’ disease associated with an evaporative cooler. This can be explained by the low water temperature (where Legionnella does not grow) and no droplets produced (the method of transmission of the disease).

With reference to Evaporative Air-Conditioning: Applications for Environmentally Friendly Cooling by Ebel Dijkstra , Gert Jan Bom , Marja Tummers , Robert Foster, it is es tim ated that there are 40 million in use world wide. With reference to ASHRE Guideline 12-2000 Minimising the Risk of Legionellosis Associated with Building Water Systems it is quoted “There have been no known cases of Legionnaires’ disease with air washers, wetted media evaporative air coolers/humidifiers, or steam humidifiers.”

There are two key reasons why evaporative coolers do not cause

Legionnaires’ disease:

• The circulation water is below 20 0C
• A wetted media evaporative cooler does not produce droplets.

Government guidance (ACOP L8 - The control of legionella in water systems) states systems do not pose a risk if either of these two conditions apply.

There are relatively few wetted media evaporative coolers in Britain . There are no known reported incidents of Legionnaires’ disease associated with a wetted media evaporative cooling system in Britain .

How much water and electricity does an evaporative cooler use ?

Typical usage over a 24hr cycle is approximately 39L/hr for a cooler producing 14,000 m3/hr evaporative cooler. This includes the drainage water produced as part of the salinity control cycle.

This is based on the following typical conditions for a hot day in Ireland

How much does it cost to run?

From the above data it can be seen that it costs about 7cent per hour giving a daily running cost of about €1.66

How much maintenance is required ?

A cooler should be cleaned at the end of each cooling season according to the maintenance instructions. At the beginning of the season a simple start-up procedure should be followed. It is recommenced that an EcoCooling authorised company performs this maintenance.

How long will the filter pads last and how much do they cost to replace?

Whilst it is possible for the pads to last up to 5 years in an exceptionally clean and low use application it is normal to replace them every one to two years as part of the end of season maintenance. A set of four pads costs €200.

Is there any assembly required ?

No. Once a cooler is positioned and appropriately supported all service connections can be made from the outside.

Are the coolers CE marked?

Yes. There is full compliance with CE marking including LV and EMC testing.

What is the difference between evaporative coolers and fogging systems ?

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Will I get condensation in my building ?

No – provided the total system is designed correctly. The ventilation of the building must be balanced with the evaporative coolers. With internal coolers and mobiles the ventilation system must match or exceed the total installed flow rate of the coolers.

Where are the model and serial numbers found on the unit ?

There is a name plate with all of this information on the inside of the unit.

How is the water connected ?

The units require a supply of clean mains water minimum pressure 1 bar and maximum pressure 7 bar. This is connected using a flexible hose to the underside of the cooler. The water level is maintained automatically using level probes and solenoid valves

How is the drain connected?

The drain is connected to a 1”bsp fitting to the underside of the unit. The drain can be run to a normal storm water drain provided a brominator is not used. If a brominator is used then the drain must be routed to a foul sewer.

Do the filters clean the air ?

Partially. Large particles of dust, pollen etc are filtered out of the air. These are washed into the sump and go to drain. If the air is very dirty or has sticky particles or fibres then the pads will need routine cleaning.

How much will it reduce the temperature ?

  This is dependent upon the ambient conditions. The discharge temperature of the air is shown below.

DISCHARGE TEMPERATURE

The higher the temperature and the lower the humidity the greater the temperature reduction. On a typical hot day of 30 0C and 30%RH the cooler will produce air at 21 0C.

Does the cooler increase the humidity?

Yes. Although the humidity rises the lowering in temperature means that the comfort level is significantly improved. 

 How does an evaporative cooler work ?

Water is pumped from the sump onto the filter pads. A fan draws hot air across a wet filter. As the hot, dry air passes over wet filter pads water naturally evaporates into the air. The air is cooled as it gives up the heat required to evaporate the water.