Are Air Coolers any useful ?

raksrules

raksrules

Elite
We live in Pune and the heat here has reached ridiculous levels. We live in a rented place so we cannot get an AC fitted. As an alternate i was just contemplating whether buying an air cooler is any worthy ? I am not talking about those gigantic coolers that reside at the window but the ones that are more portable or in some cases have a 4 legged stand for themselves.
I did some search and most are water based coolers with tank capacity ranging from 20+ Liters to more.
I have never used air coolers but mostly hear from people they are useless and don't help much.

Are air coolers (ones under 10K price bracket) any useful and solve the purpose of getting a good night sleep ?
 
I was in similar situation, bought one for 6000, installed it and with in a week gifted it to a relative...went and got a split AC :( This was 2 years back! In that one week experience, i've tried various suggestions/ideas from different people to keep the cooler with me, but literally failed:(
 
room coolers as opposed to window coolers (dessert coolers?) keep on recirculating air to the point that it becomes so muggy you would run out of the room.

all those glamorous room coolers on wheels = fail!

if you have one, then keep windows open or keep it near an "open" window.

raksrules said:
We live in a rented place so we cannot get an AC fitted.
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if electricity usage is not an issue, get a mobile AC or standing AC :) it won't be cheap but tenant friendly.
 
raksrules said:
Are air coolers (ones under 10K price bracket) any useful and solve the purpose of getting a good night sleep ?
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The smaller ones are not useful for cooling the room but if you are the only one going to use it then they will provide needful respite. You have to be in the firing (blowing) line. :p

The bigger window ones are of course extremely good provided your room size is in proportion to the fan/enclosure size and room is properly insulated.

I live in Pune too and have a small cooler which I regretted the day I bought it few years ago (when I was in Mumbai), due to the noise it generates and the humidity it magnifies. Nevertheless it served me well to keep me alive on many days. I am living on the west facing top floor with the hope that this heat will subside in a few days and I won't have to waste money on an AC.[DOUBLEPOST=1367297547][/DOUBLEPOST]
namrata said:
if you have one, then keep windows open or keep it near an "open" window.
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And follow this otherwise you will feel even more suffocated. ^
 
namrata said:
if electricity usage is not an issue, get a mobile AC or standing AC :) it won't be cheap but tenant friendly.
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I was thinking about the mobile AC but then i am not sure how it works, as in AC requires the compressor to be out of house right ? So if i do get a mobile AC then does that mean i need to keep it at the window with it back facing the window and keeping it open entire time of operation ?
Electricity cost is not a big issue but the initial capital sure is big.

This heat in Pune is really killing. :mad:
And as @sbhas2k mentioned about the humidity, my experience is that in Mumbai even at home sometimes i sweat due to humidity but in Pune i rarely sweat and only when i am outside for an extended period of time or doing brisk walking.
 
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Over a cooler in a humid place, I would always prefer a high speed pedestal fan.

At my place in kolkata, use the corompton farrata pedestal fan and it does a good job of cooling. But be warned they are extremely nosiy.
In drier climates, a cooler works quite well. When I used to live in Ahmedabad, we have the huge desert coolers with water being pumped placed behind a window.

Pune is somewhere in between, I feel desert cooler might work. But the small portables wont work well for sure.
 
raksrules said:
This heat in Pune is really killing. :mad:
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You are right. I've been living here since 4 yrs but this time it's ridiculously high. Have the same problem as you as I live in a rented place and can't think on an AC. We always used to have huge Desert coolers at my native place in Nagpur (the temps go really high there) but had never felt the need for coolers here in Pune. But I had go and buy one, got a symphony for 6500/- but it isn't proving too useful. It only feels helpful if I'm in direct line of its air, so have to keep it really close to bed. This is nowhere helpful if more than 2 people are there in the room and just won't work for a bigger room. But then it's better than the fan which simply feels it just isn't there.
 
Is there a restriction on getting a AC in a rented home. I don't see any such restrictions imposed over here in Chandigarh by landlords.
 
rdst_1 said:
Is there a restriction on getting a AC in a rented home. I don't see any such restrictions imposed over here in Chandigarh by landlords.
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One has to consult with the landlord and moreover in many cases if one is not going to stay beyond 11 months and changes the house every 11 Months then fitting the AC becomes cumbersome.
 
The really powerful ones called desert coolers do a decent job.In order for aircoolers to be effective you should make sure that you keep all the doors open if you are placing the air cooler near the window or keep the windows open if you are placing the aircooler near the door.

A desert coolers which is advertised for 750sqft if put in a room size of around 120sqfeet can cool the room to around 25°C when the ambient temperature is around 30 to 32°C .Temperature just after the fan/blower is around 19 to 22°C .So yes a air cooler can work provided the place where you stay is not of high humidity and if ensure that there is free air circulation.

Many people i have seen just put the aircooler in window and close the doors which is really bad, if you run a aircooler in a closed environment it will make matters worse.

As far as portable AC are concerned they are only effective if you channel the hot air out without it ever returning inside again.
Placing it near the window will not be effective since the hot air will again find its way inside the room and the compressor will be own for 100% of the time.
 
sbhas2k said:
For Mumbai/Pune location, Coolers are of no use due to humidity factor.
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Same thing with me Chennai also humidity is high no use of air coolers need to get an ac

I also stay in rented house but near the window there is a square type window option to put a window ac need to talk with the owner and ask which ac to go but ac costs are high and windows ac takes more power than split one so in a dilemma
 
In Rajasthan, coolers are more effective in summers due to the dry weather but come monsoon and the coolers are totally ineffective due to high humidity. I have experienced cellulose coolers are better at temps of 46c during summers as opposed to air conditioners.
 
Window AC should not be a problem as it wont require much fitting to that of Split.

Do check Croma, They have some portable AC (movable type) & hose coming out which you need to keep outside of home. (I guess exhaust).
They come with 2 yrs croma warranty.

Heat in Pune is more. lol... Visit region like Chennai, I will admire you if you can stay atleast for 1 day without AC. You will sweat while showerin :)

Welcome to Global Warming....
 
Portable ACs are not practical. There is quite a large hose that needs to be routed outside. Efficiency would get affected, since it is a rented house and you may not be able to fix the hose in the best possible route.

Window AC is an option if the current window frames are designed to accommodate them; else it is extensive work. No landlord will permit that.

Split AC is the easier option. Other than one hole in the wall - which you can offer to fill up (pay for filling up) when you vacate the house - there is no other "damage" to the structure.
 
@Praks

I read one review of the croma one on mouthshut and it says it is very bad. Anyways i am not putting 20+ K to something which is still not mainstream.
Chennai yes, like Mumbai one will sweat everytime.
In Pune the humidity is less so not much sweating. But the heat is still very high.
 
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Worst part is power goes at morning 10-12 that time I wake up I sleep on the floor whole body gets wet due to sweat have to bath at least 3 times a day night manageable
 
I am in Delhi and am trying to finalize between LLoyd Weatherite LC65HC Air Cooler and Symphony Diet 50E Cooler. I see lots of complaint about Symphony products online. Can anyone help me to finalize which one will be more effective in terms of cooling and less bothering in terms of maintenance.
 
The plastic body coolers have a lot of noise. Check the noise factor. I'm in Rajasthan and cellulose pad coolers are very effective. They are made locally and I do not know if branded ones are available yet.
 
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