Swamp Coolers - Orchid Board

Dub3 · #1 10-22-2013, 10:44 AM

Howdy,

Just erected a 10 X 12 quonset style polycarbonate house and know that it will need cooling next summer. I live in Central Texas where temps will reach 105+ many days. Humidity should be in the 20-30% range on these hot days. My house is in the shade of a large Live Oak tree and I also have 70% shade over 1/3 of the top to provide lower light for my Phaps.

I have operated commercial greenhouses before with over 90 feet of KoolCell pads and know that they work on large operations. The problem I have here is my greenhouse and my pocketbook are too small for such an operation. Misting systems are out of the question as they are self defeating (raising the humidity and thereby reducing the amount of evaporation that provides the cooling effect). Therefore I am looking at swamp coolers that can be mounted through the wall. The portable type set inside the greenhouse have the same limitations as the misting systems.

Has anyone used such a system on hobby Greenhouses? What size would one need (how many CFM)? Do they work? Any recommendations?

Thanks for your input

hcastil3 · #2 10-22-2013, 11:17 AM

Great question, i was actulaly wondering this myself as well.

the orchid grower in my area, uses a huge swamp coller in the summer but the green house is a separate permanent structure.

silken · #3 10-22-2013, 11:22 AM

I know of someone who uses one that is installed in the wall in his non commercial greenhouse. He loves it. I don't remember the brand and his conditions aren't as hot and dry as yours (he lives on Vancouver island). He got it from Home Depot. He lives in Canada and ordered it thru a U.S. Home Depot and crossed the border to get it and bring it home.

I have a 10 x 33 greenhouse attached to our home. There is no way I can install a wall unit on mine so I bought a Porta Cool (made in U.S.A.) It sits at one end where there is an air intake fan that cuts in when the temps are high. So it does get a good dose of outside air. The cooled and moistened air is pulled thru the greenhouse where it is exhausted thru a huge fan at the other end. It isn't like air conditioning but it keeps the temps and humidity good enough for my plants on hot prairie days where we do have fairly hot and dry summer days.

Hope that helps a bit. You need to calculate your cubic dimensions and get one that cools as many or more cubic feet per minute (CFM's) than what your greenhouse is. A greenhouse grower likely has more accurate info on that and swamp cooler shows what CFM it is rated at.

Ray · #4 10-23-2013, 08:46 AM

I used to use a swamp cooler, and it was quite effective.

Now I have a hydrofogger instead - in the winter, it draws in interior air for humidification, and in summer, I draw in ducted outside air, and do get evaporative cooling.

Residential Coolers - Essick Air Products

orchidsman · #5 10-26-2013, 07:41 PM

I just purchased mine this past summer, I have a 13x26 10 mil. polycarb greenhouse. I got it from greenhouse mega store. they will help you decide what size of cfm you need. you will have to have a electrician wire it unless you feel comfortable doing it yourself.
Other than the wiring it is a breeze to install, plug and play almost. it adapts to a garden hose to fill also. Be careful installing the connection to the garden hose the little brass compression fitting will fold on you if you aren't exact, but lowes sales these.
It took my greenhouse down almost 15 degrees.
It works best if you have 2 vents in the opposite ends of your greenhouse so the forced hot air is pushed out.
The only thing I had to do is add some sheet metal to the air outlet coming out of the cooler it wasn't sufficient enough to go through the wall enough for my use, so I just cut some galvanized metal ,wrapped around it and it workout just fine.
Mine was shipped very fast and the truck service was very helpful helping me unload it.
I would recommend this product very highly.

Dub3 · #6 10-26-2013, 10:09 PM

Orchidman
I found a port a cool 2000 used for 300. Hope it will work. Looks like I wll have rigg something like you did to get air in and I have windows at the other end for exhaust.

What I would like to do is install a thermostat for auto control in the summer that way we could leave for a day or two. Don't know how to do that.

silken · #7 10-26-2013, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dubstewart@cs.com

Orchidman
I found a port a cool 2000 used for 300. Hope it will work. Looks like I wll have rigg something like you did to get air in and I have windows at the other end for exhaust.

What I would like to do is install a thermostat for auto control in the summer that way we could leave for a day or two. Don't know how to do that.

This is what I have-a Port A Cool 2000. I left mine running while we went away. I don't know, hubby didn't complain that the electric bill was thru the roof and it really is mostly a fan, albeit a powerful one! I have mine hooked up to a water hose so the reservoir never goes dry.

orchidsman · #8 10-26-2013, 10:22 PM

the way the electrician did mine. he ran the power from the breaker box to the therm. first. Then he ran the power from the thermostat to the swamp cooler. I do not know how yours receives the wires but that's the way he did mine. I hope this helps.

nutgirl · #9 10-27-2013, 10:40 AM

I have a 8x16 greenhouse, 7' at the peak with old corrugated fiberglass covering. It's in the sun until about 3pm. 60% shade cloth.
Not air tight by any means. Vents at the peak and in the roof.

My temps are similar to yours in summer but dryer.
I have a small wall mount swamp cooler 1/8 HP, 2 speed. It keeps the temps in the 85-90 range as long as the outside temps aren't above 105-110.
I think if I had it to do over, I would get a larger one.
I use a plugin bulb thermostat that I got at Graingers. It works great for me. I can't grow anything that likes it too cool.

Maureen

Dub3 · #10 10-27-2013, 10:59 AM

Nut girl,
Thank you for the input. I will look at graingers for the the thermostat