Adiabatic air coolers FAQ

Do evaporative air coolers increase the risk of Legionnaire’s disease? And can I use it if I work in the steel industry? Is it noisy?

This article provides answers to the most frequently asked questions about evaporative cooling.

Do evaporative coolers increase the risk of infections and other health problems ?

No, on the contrary! This question is generally based on the erroneous assumption that because evaporative coolers can cause a slight increase in humidity, they also increase the risk of viral, bacterial and fungal growth. All OberA air fresheners are equipped with pre-filters and a UV lamp, which treat the air to eliminate particles that encourage the movement of viruses and bacteria.

The positive effects of using evaporation are in fact well established. In addition to providing clean, fresh, filtered air, evaporative cooling consumes significantly less energy and is easier to maintain. It does not require the use of harmful CFC gases – unlike many air conditioners.

I work with steel products, so I don’t want any humidity in my working environment because I want to avoid any risk of corrosion. Does this mean that evaporative cooling cannot be used?

Do our coolers evaporate water ? No The water in the cooler is in the form of vapor, not liquid (micro-droplets). Humidity will increase between 2% and 5%, depending on the environment.

There are some things you can do to avoid an increase in humidity in your environment.

• Increase ventilation(open doors and windows). More ventilation means less humidity. The more ventilation there is, the less humidity will increase
• Monitor the temperature and humidityto keep it at the right level at all times. Our evaporative coolers feature a built-in control panel to set the level.

We often talk about spot cooling with portable coolers. This means that of a total surface area, only a portion will be cooled. As a result, the total humidity effect will generally be much lower than 2-5%. Also, bear in mind that powerful evaporative coolers actually expel warm, humid air from the building.

Does evaporative cooling increase the risk of Legionella because it uses water ?

Legionella is a bacterium that thrives in hot water systems. Our units are equipped with UV lamps. 100% of the water running over the cooling panels is treated by UV.

What’s more, Legionnaires’ disease is transmitted by inhalation of an aerosol of water contaminated with Legionella bacteria. However, our units do not spray aerosols. Water is vaporized or transported in vapour form, not in liquid form.

The risk is therefore extremely low and is no greater than with conventional air conditioning.

Can I reduce the noise level of an evaporative air cooler ?

The noise levels of our units are generally below the existing noise levelin our main markets (industry, logistics, production) Moreover, the importance of the cooling effect far exceeds that of the sound reduction. Our coolers are equipped with speed control so you can reduce the speed and therefore the sound, if necessary. The smaller the cooler, the lower the sound level. The noise level of our units is 66 dB.

What can I do to adjust the airflow ?

Similar to question 4 on sound, in a factory hall, some people may find the airflow disturbing. In this case, it is possible tomove the unit away or adjust the direction of flow. Our coolers are equipped with adjustment vanes, which allow you to control the direction of the airflow. You can also adjust the speed with the control panel and lower the unit’s air flow.

Another solution is to place the cooler at a higher location to avoid directing the air towards people (the cool air always moves downwards, so this solution also guarantees proper cooling).

Why bother spending money on comfort – it’s cheaper to do without, right ?

Installation, operating and overall ownership costs are actually quite limited, so in terms of use, evaporative cooling is a financially sound solution. What’s more, employees who have to work in hot environments are exposed to heat stress, which will affect both safety and productivity. Working in a comfortable environment will improve their concentration and ability to work efficiently.

How do I clean my air cooler and store it at the end of the hot season ?

If the working environment is dusty or dirty, the frequency of cleaning and draining must be increased. We recommend emptying the water tank once a month during periods of use, and cleaning with clear water.

Prepping the air coolers for winter at the end of the season

The panels do not need to be changed if they are stored dry at the end of the season.

We recommend doing the following at the end of each season before storing the evaporative coolers for winter :

• Drain the units
• Rinse them with clean water.
• Run the appliances with clean water and add white vinegar if needed.
• Drain them completely
• Run them for at least 6 hours without water to dry the panels and the unit

Do you have another question ?

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Someone will be happy to answer your questions and help you with your air-cooling project.