Swamp coolers
 

This is what we call em in NM
" evaporative air coolers don't work everywhere. Swamps, for instance, are lousy places for swamp coolers. It's not entirely clear where they got the nickname, but it probably refers to the humidity they add to the air or the swampy smell that can develop when they aren't cleaned often enough. In order to work, they need a hot, dry climate. "

Last year I did not pay attention to humidity for my few Phals, because I did not know any better. The swamp cooler works very well in my home. 100* out and 70* in.
My question is for anyone else in a dry arid climate, do you use evaporative coolers, and what effect does it have on orchids. Should I still run a couple of humidifiers near them, I guess that would be trial and error, but I am a curious one and just thinking ahead.

Swamp coolers and wet walls - both evaporative coolers - are quite common additions to greenhouses.

In your home, you’re looking for the temperature reduction more than for the humidity. In a greenhouse application, you take advantage of both.

Arid conditions are not required for their use, but they are less effective as the ambient humidity increases. That said, I was surprised at how effective they were in a greenhouse in Pasadena TX, a suburb of Houston.

Just saw this. I use a swamp cooler in my sunroom in Phoenix. It doesn't cool as much in the monsoon season, but it keeps the room under 85 degrees F / 30C. It humidifies the effluent air to nearly 100%.

In the old days people here had whole-house evaporative cooling. I'm thinking of installing it into my house because I much prefer the evaporatively cooled air to air conditioned air, and it uses far less electricity.

I use one in the greenhouse here in NJ. Anytime the humidity is less than 50%, it provides cooling. Even on hot, humid days by late afternoon the humidity drops enough for it to work. Combined with a fogger and lots of air movement, I can usually keep the temperature below 85F/30C.