Types Of Air Cooler Operations

As mentioned, not all air coolers operate on the same basic cooling principles. There are, in fact, several different cooling methods that can be used by various air coolers to create more comfortable temperatures in the surrounding area.

Evaporative Air Coolers

An evaporative air cooler work on the principle that allowing a liquid to evaporate will, in turn, work to cool down any objects surrounding the area in contact with the evaporated liquid, including other liquid. Stemming from patents filed as early as 1906, the concept of evaporative air coolers, also known as swamp coolers or water air coolers, is still frequently in use in environments prone to very dry heat with low humidity levels. The technique was once used briefly to cool large airplanes, but was eventually disband for a more practical method. Ironically enough, one of the most innovative uses for evaporative air coolers lies in the self-cooled beverage can. Inside each can is a small cartridge that, when exposed to external air as the can is opened, creates an internal chemical reaction causing sudden evaporation. The evaporation, in turn, reacts with the surrounding liquid in the can to instantly decrease the temperature.

Other common uses for evaporative air cooler technology involve scientific uses, such as cryogenics. Large trees also use their own natural evaporative air cooling capacity to prevent overheating in warmer months. This, in turn, makes trees one f the primary examples of a naturally occurring water air cooler. Large buildings can also benefit from this types of cooling, as it can be extremely cost efficient to both operate and install. The primary requirements are a low relative humidity in the area and access to a large water supply.

Compression and Absorption Air Coolers

Using a similar method to evaporative air coolers, compression and absorption air coolers are also extremely effective at cooling surrounding areas. While evaporative air coolers work on the properties of water evaporation, compression and absorption air coolers rely on other liquids, often referred to as refrigerants, for their evaporative process. The primary characteristic of the refrigerant is an extremely low boiling point. Common refrigerants for compression air coolers include hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), also known as freon, while absorption air coolers generally rely on liquids such as ammonia.

Both compression and absorption air coolers rely on a central heat source, often being solar powered or gas powered, in order to initiate the cooling process. As this heat source causes the freon or ammonia to reach its boiling point, the liquid, in turn, pulls heat from the surrounding areas as well. Once the liquid evaporates into a gas, it is then converted back to a liquid so the process can repeat itself. In compression air coolers, an electric compressor is used to force the gas back into its liquid state by passing the gas through various mechanical components of the unit. An absorption air cooler relies on more natural process to change the gas back into a liquid, requiring no moving parts at all. Most household air conditioners rely on a form of absorption cooling to operate. Car air conditioners also tend to operate on this style of cooling, relying on freon to control temperatures within the car itself.

Types of Air Cooler Units

Full Size Air Coolers

The most common types of air coolers are those installed on buildings or homes. While larger buildings often require multiple air cooler units to effectively control the internal temperature, most standard sized homes only require a single unit. Multi-story homes, on the other hand, will often have separate small units operating on each floor. The key to selecting the best sized air cooling unit for your home is to correctly determine the correct square footage of the areas that will be cooled. Most manufacturers will then provide reference charts which can be used to decide the best sized unit for your situation.

While many people thing larger units are always better, selecting a unit designed to cool areas larger than what you have is simply a waste of energy, as they often require significantly higher amounts of power to operate. On the other hand, choosing a unit that is too small for your area may save money when purchased, but the fact that the unit is not substantial enough to cool the correct size area simply means it will most likely run non-stop, once again leading to higher electrical usage than needed.

Portable Air Coolers

For those looking to heat smaller areas, such as individual rooms, there are a number of portable air coolers on the market as well. One of the most popular choices for portable home air cooling is window units. Window units work particularly well for homes that either don't have duct lines already run or only cooling in one or two rooms, such as bedrooms. Window units are designed to fit directly into the window frame itself, supplying cool air to the inside of the room, while venting outdoors on the other side of the unit. While window units are considered portable air cooling units, there is some labor involved when moving them from one room to another, making them better suited for long term use in a single room.

When window units are not possible, due to the types of windows installed, or a more portable method is needed, there are still alternatives. A true portable air cooler is one that can be easily moved from room to room with ease. Often light enough to lift by one person, portable units are ideal for situations when multiple rooms need to be cooled, but at various times. In a small house for example, someone may have an office that needs cooling during the day, the kitchen or dining room that needs cooling in the evening, and a bedroom that needs cooling in the evening. A portable air cooler not only provides the necessary cooling needed, it can also be taken from room to room, as needed, with little effort. The only requirement is that the room the portable air cooler has a window, as portable units require the same ventilation needs as window units do.

Both window air coolers and portable indoor air coolers function in a similar manner to full size units with regards to size. In order to correctly choose the best size unit for your needs, you must accurately calcuate the square footage of the room the device will be used in.

For outdoor air cooling, many people don't think they have any options to choose from. One of the most popular choices for outdoor cooling, however, works on the very basic building blocks of air and water. Often referred to as misting fan or misting units, these out door devices work on the same basic principle as an oscillating fan, commonly used for portable cooling needs. What manufacturers have done, however, is improve the overall efficiency of oscillating fan units by incorporating a mister device into the fan itself. When connected to a water supply, misting fans release a fine spray of water into the air which is then, in turn, pushed forward by the fan itself. The mist is often fine enough to not damage or soak surrounding objects or people, but effective enough to create a substantially more significant cooling effect than a simple oscillating fan by itself. In most designs, the fan can be run either with or without the misting unit in operation, offering an added level of versatility. There are also larger units that can be used as permanent installations, designed primarily for warehouses, sporting arenas, and other large scale areas where a cooling mechanism is required.

For the extreme in portable air coolers, there are also a wide range of personal air coolers on the market. While many people view these as simply novelty designs, many styles offered are actually quite effective devices. The most common type of personal air cooler works on the same basic principle of the larger misting fan. Often nothing more than a small battery operated fan mounted onto a standard spray bottle, these personal air coolers hang around the neck and allows consumers three methods of operation. They can either choose to run just the fan component, creating a light breeze directed primarily at the face, or simply use the spray bottle for quick spritzes to cool off. Ideally, however, the fan and sprayer work best when used in conjunction by spraying the water at regular intervals so it can pass through the fan device creating a cooling mist.

Related posts:

1. Commercial Walk In Coolers
2. Walk In Coolers
3. Used Walk In Coolers

Why Buy Used?

There are several benefits to buying a used walk in cooler. Not only do you save a significant amount of many as compared to a brand new model, you may also be able to get higher end features in a used model that you would have not been able to afford in a brand new unit. The downsides of buying used are that your selection may be somewhat limited, however, with more and more companies beginning to join in the used equipment market, they may not be as limited as they once were. Many companies are even taking equipment returned to them under warranty issues, refurbishing them, and reselling them at a significant markdown. There are also several companies that offer warranties on their used models which are comparable to those given with new equipment. Even if you are not looking for a cost savings, you may be able to upgrade to a larger model, or even one with more advanced features, if you decide to buy used instead of new.

What Should I Look For In A Used Walk In Cooler?

One of the main things to consider when buying used is the age of the unit. While older models are significantly cheaper, they may include mechanics that are no longer being used and, therefore, difficult to find replacement parts for. An older unit also has a shorter expected lifespan than one that has only been used for a shorter period of time. While you don't necessarily need one less than one or two years old, it may not be a wise choice to buy a twenty year old unit either. You should also take into account what type of warranty comes with the unit and compare that to the expected lifespan you expect to receive from the equipment.

You should also make sure that you are buying your used unit from a reputable dealer. Many larger name distributors take the time to ensure the used pieces they are selling are in proper working order and no major mechanical malfunctions should be expected in the near future. It is also helpful to buy from a dealer willing to disclose exactly how the merchandise was acquired, as well as what type of environment it was used in previously. While this may not seem relevant, it can give you a better idea of what sort of wear and tear the equipment has been subjected to in the past.

Related posts:

1. Commercial Walk In Coolers
2. Walk In Coolers

What Do I Need A Commercial Walk In Cooler For?

One of the primarily driving factors behind the best model of cooler to suit your needs is precisely that, what you needs are. The intended use for the cooler will be used to answer a number of design and style choices during the selection process.

If you own a small restaurant and are looking for a cooler to store a few days worth of perishable items at a time, a small walk in cooler with shelves on either side will suffice. Larger restaurants, on the other hand, will not only need to store a larger quantity of items, they will potentially need to store them for longer periods of time. In this case, a significantly larger unit should be considered. As you can see, the most important questions are how much food do you have to store and how long do you typically need it stored for. This will help best determine the volume of space you need in your cooler. More importantly, you also need to take into account how much space you have available to house the cooler. Even if you would ideally need a large volume cooler, if you only have space for a smaller volume unit then your options may be limited to such.

For retail establishments, the size of the walk in cooler is determined primarily be available floor space. Since product selection is typically determined by the size of the cooler and not the other way around, open floor space typically governs what size the cooler will be.

Related posts:

1. Walk In Coolers
2. Used Walk In Coolers
3. The Commercial Fridge

What Is A Walk In Cooler?

A walk in cooler is a large refrigerated unit, primarily found in retail and restaurant environments. They are designed to work just as your home refrigerator does, keeping the internal environment at a set temperature, designed to be optimal for the products stored within it. Some coolers have dual sections designed to cool foods on one side and keep them frozen on the other, similar to a home refrigerator/freezer unit. Others are simply designed for only one task or the other. They can vary in size from small walk in units, ideal for smaller restaurants, to extremely large units, as seen in grocery stores or food packing warehouses.

How Do Walk In Coolers Work?

With your home refrigerator/freezer unit, the temperature for the refrigerator is maintained by cold air being blown through the freezer unit and into the refrigerator. Therefore, there is no active refrigeration mechanism with the refrigerator itself. For walk in coolers, the cooling method is very different. Closer to an air conditioner in nature, a walk in cooler uses an external condenser unit to create cold air which is then blown into the cooler unit. The cold air, in turn reduces the overall temperature of the unit. The warmer air is then pulled back into the condenser to allow its temperature to be adjusted downwards.

Just as your home's A/C unit operates, the walk in cooler contains a thermostat that determines the ideal temperature the interior of the unit must be kept at. The thermostat will typically operate within a range both a few degrees higher than the set temperature, as well as a few degrees lower. Once either extreme is reached, the unit will cycle on or off accordingly to adjust the temperature back to the ideal readings. This is extremely important in locations such as grocery stores, where the doors to the unit are constantly being open and closed, affecting the internal temperature of the unit.

One of the key factors with a walk in coolers efficiency levels is the amount of insulation it has built into it. Because these units are so much larger than a typical home cooling unit, the amount of insulation has to be proportionately larger as well. Most walk in coolers contain several inches of some type of styrofoam insulation, designed to better maintain the temperature inside the cooler. The exterior of the units are typically made of aluminum, or some other type of metal, designed to further help keep the unit insulated.

What Are Walk In Coolers Used For?

If you have ever shopped at a convenience store, the long rows of glass doors protecting the sodas, beer, and other cold items, are simply the front facings of a large walk in cooler. There is an open space behind the rows of products that allow employees to stock the shelves from the rear, keeping newer products towards the back and older ones up front for quicker sale.

In restaurants, there are large walk in coolers used to store items requiring storage at lower temperatures. These include products such as milk, cheese, butter, meats, poultry, and other temperature sensitive food products. Unlike the coolers in a retail environment, the walk in coolers used n food establishments do not require glass access doors and resemble a large metal boxed room more than anything else.

In food processing plants, walk in coolers are used to keep items such as large cuts of meat, or even whole animal carcasses, frozen. They can also be used to store large quantities of products being held ready for shipment to local stores, such as cheeses or other dairy products. To some extent, the trucks and trailers used to transport these items from the plant to the store can be considered a type of walk in cooler as well, primarily since they are also required to be refrigerated in order to maintain low temperatures during transport.

Related posts:

1. Commercial Walk In Coolers
2. Used Walk In Coolers
3. Air Coolers