Systems · 17 February 2025
What to look for when buying an evaporative cooler
A useful quote names airflow, water management, pad type and who will service the roof. Brand names describe the Australian market; they are not a ranking.
The kit
Systems
Ducted rooftop units, wall and window machines, portables, commercial sheds, and how to size the thing before you buy.
Systems · 3 February 2025
How to size an evaporative cooler for an Australian house
Floor area is a starting guess, not a size. Airflow, ceiling height, insulation and leaky ducts decide whether a rooftop unit can actually cool the rooms you live in.
Systems · 20 January 2025
Commercial evaporative cooling for sheds, warehouses and workplaces
High-volume sheds and warehouses can still be cooled with wet pads if the air can leave, the pads are serviced, and heat is treated as an OH&S problem rather than a comfort extra.
Systems · 8 January 2025
Window and wall evaporative cooling units
A through-wall or window evaporative cooler sits between a portable and a ducted roof system: roughly 30 to 50 square metres, a hole in the masonry, and a noise profile the neighbours will have an opinion about.
Systems · 14 December 2024
Portable evaporative coolers: what they can and cannot do
A wheeled evaporative cooler can take the edge off a small, well-ventilated room in dry weather. It will not refrigerate a sealed lounge, and ice packs do not change the physics.
Systems · 2 December 2024
Ducted evaporative cooling: a buyer’s guide for Australian roofs
A rooftop unit, a wet pad, a fan, ceiling vents and a water point: the Australian whole-house cooler is a building decision as much as an appliance purchase.
Questions this desk keeps hearing
- What size evaporative cooler do I need?
- Size is about airflow, roof load, duct design and the climate — not a single square-metre rule. Start with a measured house plan and a local installer, not a brochure table.
- Are portable evaporative coolers worth buying?
- They can take the edge off a small, well-ventilated room in dry weather. They will not cool a sealed lounge the way a split system does.
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