What on earth is a "swamp cooler".?

It's a device used to dehumidify and remove moisture from the atmosphere. Used largely in restaurant kitchens.

My mom has one and its great very energy efficiant!!!!(you posted this in cats but its a good question...smile)

What the heck is a swamp cooler and how does it work

A swamp cooler (more formally called an evaporative cooler) is essentially a large box-like frame containing a big fan and walled in by water-wetted pads, usually made of cedar shavings or cellulose. The fan whooshes the hot outside air through the dripping pads (which are continually soaked by a water pump), cooling the air by about 20 ºF as the air evaporates water molecules from the pads. The fan then blows the water-cooled air through the house and out a deliberate vent.

Wet the back of your hand -- then blow on it. Your skin surface feels cooler. That's evaporative cooling.

Folks differ on why it's called a swamp cooler. Some say because it makes the house feel like a muggy swamp-but that's only when the late summer rains come and the cooler is less efficient. On dry days-which is almost every day in a desert-a swamp cooler works fine.

Swamp coolers are popular in the southwest because they are relatively inexpensive, use a quarter as much electricity as a refrigerated unit, are easy to maintain by the average do-it-yourselfer, and add a comfortable level of humidity to the dry desert air. The smell of fresh cedar pads on the first hot days of summer is delightful.

The correct name for a swamp cooler is a Evaporative Cooler. It's a simple cooler that works by pulling outside air through pads soaked with water. The evaporation of the water causes the air to be cooled. This only works in very dry climates and is only capable of effecting the temperature by about 20 degrees.

I lived in the mohave desert when my husband was in The Marine Corps. Was very dry heat they called a swamp cooler a fan that blew air over a resivoir of water. It worked to cool it down

Hey Pacifica... I'm the guy that was trapping the cats.. you said you hoped my neighbors reported me.. I would gladly tell them and the police that I trapped their cat and brought it in from the blistering cold weather (6F and -9F with wind chill) and provided it food and water until it was turned over to the authorities... who have my name and contact information already. BTW letting your cats roam outdoors here is a minor midemeanor and a $150 fine (not often enforced, but illegal). And do you think a cat owner that leaves their cat outdoors in this kind of weather should be allowed to OWN a cat at all?? Oh and FAUNA doesn't mean plant you idiot... I have a threatened bird species that cats may prey on living behind my home.

It is a very common type of cooling system, most effective in keeping cold spaces cold. It does little to warp off the heat in the middle of the summer in our 95 degree office building. Better for smaller spaces then large open ones.

It's a type of cooling system that blows air across water to cool the air. They were common 50 years ago in the USA, but have become less so since everyone has AC now. You still see them in warehouses and other places.

Trickles water over filters, fan blows through for cooling effect. Predecessor to air conditioning. Cooled it off some, but was humid.

I think it's like an air conditioner or fan you can put in a window. I did a search on yahoo for images and that's what it looks like to me.

It is supposed to work like a air conditioner. It is a piece of junk that doesnt really work in my experience.