This is a nice cooler for a small space like an atrium, but I use it in my garage. I live in El Paso and evaporative roof coolers are still in abundance due to the dry air. Evaporative air conditioners will not work in humid climates - when humidity it high it only blows warm air. It's best to use it in an area where you can control air flow. In the garage I leave the garage door open about 3"-4" - the idea is to have an outlet for circulation. You don't want to have doors or windows open to allow warm or hot air from outside. A single outlet allows the cooler to lower the temperature in the room and keep the air fresh.
My only complaint so far is that I was trying to find a "Honeycomb cooling media" replacement part. This is a pad where the water flows from the top of the unit, down through the filter to the water reservoir at the bottom. It will collect dirt and scaly mineral deposits. Honeywell recommends changing the water and cleaning the filter every two months, but having had roof coolers for years, filters will clog up and the air flow will be restricted. Seems simple that they would have a replacement, but I've looked for weeks and can't find a dealer who sells them. One site listed a thin foam-type pad (used in roof coolers) - it may work, but not as well as the block media filter. They lose a star for that - and you can't find a replacement frame, or a carbon dust filter which comprises the "cooling media" package at the rear of the unit.
DIFFICULT TO CLEAN WATER TANK, TERRIBLE DUST SCREEN
The cooler has worked very well for two seasons. While preparing it for season three, I discovered the water pump was dead. After draining the cooler and removing the rear panel to replace it, I discovered the water tank was much dirtier than expected. The fan blocked me from cleaning under and in back of it, so I used a garden hose for those areas. I think it gets so dirty inside due to the stretchable "Carbon Dust Filter" with large air holes that don't do much to stop dust. You have to wrestle it onto the cooling pad since it keeps shrinking inwards. It appears to be incapable of providing proper filtering.
SOLUTION 1: Replace the cheapo filter with an Amazon "Adjustable Window Screen, 48X48 Inch Inflaming Retarding DIY Custom Gray Fiberglass Screen Mesh Anti Mosquito Bug Insect for Windows and Doors". (Long title, yes?) After cutting it to size, it will filter out more dust (and raise the rating to 4.5 stars)
SOLUTION 2: My Amazon "Coleman CL30XC" cooler is very easy to clean simply by removing the cooler from its base (which basically is a bucket on wheels). There is no cheapo carbon filter, and it holds more water. Far superior 5 star quality, in my opinion.
I rarely do reviews. We bought two of these for our home in Flagstaff Arizona. I also bought a thermometer probe. The humidity in Flagstaff is very low - often under 10% and rarely more than 50%. We have no air conditioning, and in 17 years rarely miss. Based on forecasts for the outside temperature to be in the range of 90-92, I ordered two of these units. We have used the XXit out of them for the last week. The temperature out of the cooler is about 71 when it is 92 outside. Adding ice to the top drops it a few degrees, but it is very temporary. On full speed air and water, it lasts 4 hours. If you lower the water flow to 2/3, the temperature does not drop at all, and it last for 6-7 hours. We bought an anti-bacterial solution that we put in 1 time a day. The humidifying effect is an added bonus.
These coolers have worked fabulously and we love them. We may buy a few for our home in Phoenix just to supplement the air conditioning. But, for RV's, toyhaulers, traiers, I can't imagine why in the dry southwest you would not use these. There are two downsides: they are as noisy as a window or RV A/C, and we use and like them so much that we are filling them twice a day. So buy a 2 gallon bucket to fill the 4 gallon tank.
We got this to put in our daughter-in-law's room so she wouldn't have to run the air conditioner so cool. It gets pretty humid unless you put it in front of an open window. It's too hot to have the window open. I now use it in my garage in the mornings to work out on my weight machine. It does a good job but still needs to be put in front of a door that lets the heat in.
I live in Hawaii on the island of Oahu and the average humidity is 55-60%. I decided to try this after reading the reviews and researching a lot of systems. I found the packing to be great (no dents or broken items received) and delivery fast (seven days ahead of expected date)! After adding water (no ice added to the optional tray) I plugged it in and set in front of an open window. With the setting on "LOW" and "Cool" the system dropped the temp in my house by 10 degrees!! I am totally sold on this item and will be purchasing another one for an additional room in the house (one for the living room and another for the office). You will not be disappointed if you live on Oahu and purchase one for cooler temps in the house w/out having to run the air conditioner. BONUS savings on monthly electric bill!!!
* You will smell an odd odor the first few hours but, as the system is used the odor disappears for good.
Feature Product
- Indoor evaporative air cooler or swamp cooler ideal for use in the southwest and Midwest regions of the US - Performs best in hot/dry climates where humidity levels are <60%
- Super low power consumption 230W & powerful 470 CFM airflow ideal for spot cooling small to medium spaces such as living room, bedroom, den, covered patio, garage
- Activated Carbon Air Filter, Remote Control, Low water alarm, energy saving timer, Adjustable humidification dial & Ice compartment
- Moist, cool breeze can cool you down & be used as humidification during winter months. Top-loading ice compartment and 5.3-Gal. water tank with low water alarm. LED control panel and full-function remote control with shut-off timer up to 8 hours
- Not just a Fan - Air Cooler reduces temperature through water evaporation
Description
Like a breeze flowing across a lake, Honeywell Evaporative Coolers provide a natural, cool breeze with the power of water evaporation. Honeywell Evaporative Coolers combine 3 appliances: Evaporative air cooler, fan and humidifier - into one compact energy-saving system. A fan alone creates a breeze by recirculating warm air, but when you add water and/ice to the tank, Honeywell Evaporative Coolers reduce the temperature of incoming warm air, transforming it into a cool moist breeze. Honeywell Portable Air Coolers are built to last and carefully crafted with the science of aerodynamics to minimize energy consumption while maximizing the airflow. An evaporative air cooler offers an energy efficient cooling option when the air is hot with low humidity, such as desert areas like the southwestern United States (recommended humidity level is 60% or less for maximum efficiency). For those living in more humid cities, please consider Honeywell Portable Air Conditioners.
This is great for those days where the outside temp is around 80-85 degrees where it's hot in your house, but not TOO hot. The water makes the air blow much cooler, However it's better to add ice (as shown in the pictures on the main product) every so often to keep the cold air coming.
When it hits 90-100 degrees I take out my portable A/C that has a window port, that one is MUCH better for super hot weather. This one doesn't do much help even with ice at that temperature. I do like it because the power consumption difference is immense, so if you don't need an A/C running all day, this is a better choice... You can put away your portable A/C and use this and whenever you need something stronger, put this one away and take out the portable A/C.
That's just my opinion though, Some people might not like having 2, But that's what works best for me.
FIRST USE WARNING ....This has an overpowering odor at first use. I suggest running it outside or at least blowing the output outside for a few hours before using it for indoor cooling. Mine has been running for an hour and the odor is less but still such that I would not want to sleep in the bedroom where I have it. IT IS REALLY STINKING UP THE HOUSE! But as the manual says, I'm sure it's temporary. Otherwise, it's taking in 93 degree Arizona air at 10% humidity from the window and blowing it in at 69. I like it, but PHEW right now.
It is quite big but it makes those miserably hot day and nights in the desert nice and cool. It does get humid in a closed room but thats what I expected. It is BIG! This is no small fan. It takes up basically a door way (thats how wide it is) but dont let the size stop you from getting it because it cools our 150 sqft room in seconds. It goes for about 8 hours on low before a little gurgle because it is low on water. Great machine though!
*I have had it about a month and it still works like new with no leaks.
I live in Phoenix Arizona which is probably the ultimate test for this thing and it works well. I would recommend it for apartments or people that have homes with small rooms. The air coming out is cold but not freezing. I would guess 78-79 degrees, fan spits out a lot of air though. What I do is freeze the water before pouring it in and it seems to work well. The water stays cold in there. I think it holds ~5 gallons and if you have it on all day you have to refill it 3 times 5 times tops, depending on if you set it to high the whole time. I live in Phoenix where it is currently 10:00 at night and still 104 F and I think its not a bad machine so it should work more than fine with anyone else.
I would treat this thing as a secondary A/C unit more then relying on it for cold air all around your home. If you want this thing to cool your whole home you will be disappointed and I think that most of these bad reviews came from that mentality. If you want a unit that makes your living room or one specific room cool than this is what you want. If you want something that spits out colder air get those AC units that have vents that you need to attach to the window those work better I have one of those for my bedroom.
Typing this out made me realize why I'm still living in this sauna called Phoenix
Our AC went out here in Tucson before monsoon season. It was 115 outside and close to 90 inside. Cranked this puppy up and it cooled things down quickly. It did fine in our bedroom and small living room. We just closed off some spaces and made sure it had good air circulation. We tried it with ice and it was cooler BUT the sound of melting ice falling around was too annoying. It works well in this dry heat. And we realized it is great for my husbands snoring, haha, bonus.
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