What are the differences between an air conditioner and evaporative cooler?

With sky-rocketing utility costs and climbing global temperatures, businesses across manufacturing, construction, hospitality, and facilities management are turning to cost-effective commercial cooling solutions. Traditional air conditioning systems and industrial fans may be effective for certain climates, like enclosed offices in humid areas. However, for open-air or semi-enclosed spaces like warehouses with bay doors, automotive shops, construction sites, and outdoor event spaces, evaporative coolers offer a more efficient and portable cooling option. 

While both air conditioners and evaporative coolers protect people from heat stress, each has its own set of benefits and drawbacks. Evaporative coolers are perfect for hot, dry spaces that have access to outside air. They’re also cheaper to operate, at just $1 a day. Meanwhile, air conditioners thrive in enclosed, humid environments. ACs are also more expensive to operate and maintain. 

When deciding between an air conditioner and a portable evaporative cooler, it all comes down to your climate and your temperature goals, like meeting OSHA temperature guidelines. The effectiveness of each cooling system depends on how it operates and the conditions it’s designed for. 

How do air conditioners work? 

Generally, air conditioners use chemical refrigerants to remove heat and moisture from inside a space. They use a fan to distribute the conditioned air to both improve thermal comfort and indoor air quality. Most commonly, they are fixed, ducted systems and require a minimum of bi-yearly maintenance by a professional to operate optimally.  

Air conditioners work best in fully enclosed environments and can reduce temperatures to an exact, selected ambient temperature, regardless of outdoor conditions. 

However, high upfront installation costs and monthly electricity bills make them less ideal for large, open, or frequently accessed areas. 

How do evaporative cooling systems work? 

Evaporative cooling systems (sometimes referred to as swamp coolers or desert coolers) require fewer materials to operate – typically only water and electricity. 

Evaporative coolers work via the natural process of evaporation. A fan pulls in air and passes it through water-soaked media, which acts like a wet filter. When the air is pulled through the media, it interacts with the water and absorbs heat from the air. This process takes in hot air and replaces it with cooler, slightly moistened air.  

Evaporative coolers work best in well-ventilated, open environments such as warehouses, hangars, garages, construction trailers, and outdoor job sites. They arrive ready to use—just fill the water reservoir and plug it in. Operation costs remain low – often as low as a $1 a day – offering a more energy-efficient cooling solution for industrial and commercial facilities than air conditioning. 

Is evaporative cooling right for your facility? 

There are many factors to consider when choosing cooling systems for structures or outdoor use. One of the first – and most important – things you must determine is if the environment has access to fresh air or if it is enclosed. 

For example, if you work in a warehouse where the doors are open most of the day, air conditioning is not a viable option, as you are letting all of your expensively cooled air escape. However, if you are in an office setting where no windows open and doors stay closed, evaporative cooling may not work as well and could even make the environment more uncomfortable by adding too much moisture to the air.

Do evaporative coolers only work in dry climates? 

To bust one myth, many people will tell you that evaporative cooling only works in dry climates. While evaporative coolers achieve significant temperature drops in more arid climates and drier spaces, they can and do provide relief from the heat in any climate due to the advancements in evaporative cooling technology. 

These aren’t the swamp coolers of years ago! 

Even in hot and humid areas, such as Houston, you can still expect to see 10°F-13°F cooling. (We know this for a fact – we are located in the small East Texas town of Center and know hot and humid. We use our own portable evap coolers to keep our manufacturing employees safe and comfortable for more than half the year! Really, we do – you can read our story here!) 

Find the perfect Portacool outdoor evaporative cooler  

The Portacool APEX™ Series delivers high-performance evaporative cooling for demanding industrial and commercial applications. Whether you’re cooling a warehouse floor, a machine shop, or an outdoor workspace, the APEX line offers dependable results. 

Equipped with advanced features, each APEX unit features: 

• Portacool HydroTek™ Evaporative Media for superior air cooling 

• CoolSync™ Technology for remote monitoring and control 

• Durable construction for rugged job site conditions 

• Affordable operating costs—starting at just $1/day 

From sideline cooling at sporting events to large-scale facility ventilation, Portacool evaporative coolers provide a reliable, American-made cooling solution that outperforms traditional fans and A/C units in open environments. 

With the APEX series, Portacool continues to set the standard for portable cooling solutions, ensuring peak performance in challenging conditions from home and husbandry to commercial and industrial applications. Find the right evaporative cooler for your needs or reach out to us through the contact page.