Often a cause for confusion, we often debate over what to opt for, an air cooler or an air conditioner. Selecting the right one is vital for your home. With the summer heat providing no respite, here, we break it down for you - Is Air Cooler the more fitting choice or an air conditioner?
First things first, let us define both.
What is an Air cooler?
An air cooler cools the air through the process of evaporation. It works on the principle of enthalpy, i.e., water absorbs a proportionately larger quantity of heat in order to evaporate. In dry environments, cooling of air via evaporation also has the benefit of conditioning the air with added moisture, ensuring your comfort.
What is an Air Conditioner?
An air conditioner treats the air in an enclosed area through refrigeration. Here, hot air is taken, replacing it with cooler air. The whole process is referred to as HVAC, which is heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. It is done by altering the properties of air in a closed-door space and cooling the air within by changing the temperature.
An Open-ended Discussion: Air Cooler or Air Conditioner?
To address the above, let us look at the pros and cons.
Which is more Economical?
When it comes to this, an air cooler is definitely lighter on the pocket than an AC. Although both more or less serve the same purpose, an Air conditioner is priced relatively higher. This is including the initial set-up cost and operating costs. Air cooler also consumes 80% less electricity, as compared to an AC, making an air cooler, a viable choice in the longer run.
Environmental Concerns
If you are someone who cares for the environment, then air coolers are the go-to option here as well. Air conditioners utilise Chlorofluorocarbon and Hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (CFC and HFC) as a refrigerant, which is quite detrimental to the environment. Air coolers, however, are eco-friendlier, since they only use water as the refrigerant.
Air Quality - Which is better?
An air conditioner internally circulates the air within a room over and over again, whereas an air cooler draws fresh air from outdoors and then cools it. Based on the way it functions, an air cooler offers a better air quality, often favoured by somebody diagnosed with breathing problems, asthma or dust allergy.
Installation
Air coolers do not require any installation, it is portable too. However, for air conditioners, necessary arrangements have to be done beforehand, making it a very tedious task. Depending on the placement and type of AC, the arrangements have to be made.
Maintenance
Air coolers require constant maintenance on a day-to-day basis, whereas, air conditioners require no maintenance on a daily basis. At most, you have to get servicing done, once or twice a year. However, it is imperative to note that air conditioner maintenance can be comparatively pricier.Now that you are well acquainted with the pros and cons of an AC and an air cooler, it is up to you to make the right choice by taking your budget and type of cooling into consideration. You can also choose to get an ac on rent or an air cooler on rent.