[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by fine69

Would the coolers that are available in the market for 4-5k good enough if to be used in a 125 sqft shop? It doesn't have any window and is closed from all sides with the front having a wooden/glass door.

We don't want to get an AC right away as this business is an experiment and I don't want to splurge too much just in case it doesn't work out later on.

Would the cooler do any justice in a closed room? Ours is a ground floor shop with no direct sunlight anytime of the day.

Technically coolers work best when there is circulation of air. Since your shop doesn't seem to have provision for cross ventilation, you could try putting an exhaust fan on one corner, cooler at the other. But this arrangement would not help much during the hot & humid days.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Technically coolers work best when there is circulation of air. Since your shop doesn't seem to have provision for cross ventilation, you could try putting an exhaust fan on one corner, cooler at the other. But this arrangement would not help much during the hot & humid days.

Exhaust fan isn't an option. Would a cooler still make any sense?

I'm not able to understand why it wouldn't work, its going to pull the same cold air from within the room and throw it out, what am I missing?

[Guite]

Originally Posted by fine69

I'm not able to understand why it wouldn't work, its going to pull the same cold air from within the room and throw it out, what am I missing?

For optimum performance it needs to pull hot air, please see discussion on previous page. Going by your description you shop does not seem to have that option available.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by fine69

Exhaust fan isn't an option. Would a cooler still make any sense?

I'm not able to understand why it wouldn't work, its going to pull the same cold air from within the room and throw it out, what am I missing?

Indeed, an exhaust fan is not required!
If you mount the cooler at the front of the shop (like a window AC) and leave a door or window open, again, obviously at the front, the cooler will work quite well. It will throw cooled air deep into the room and push out an equivalent amount of air from the room, via the open window/door at the front.
How deep is the shop and is there place to mount a cooler at the front somewhere?

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by fine69

Exhaust fan isn't an option. Would a cooler still make any sense?

I'm not able to understand why it wouldn't work, its going to pull the same cold air from within the room and throw it out, what am I missing?

You misunderstood. I am not saying it won't work.
It will, but might not give you that good a cooling effect like if there was a provision for good cross ventilation. That's all!

As for exhaust, I recommended it to aid the circulation.

[Raja]

Looking for information and advice on buying a 'Waterless' Air Cooler.
Can someone recommend from their experience if they are worth buying?
Which brand to go for?

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by Raja

Looking for information and advice on buying a 'Waterless' Air Cooler.
Can someone recommend from their experience if they are worth buying?
Which brand to go for?

This has to be one of the biggest cons on the market today!
Please read the following and see if it makes sense:

.... Air Cooler PLUS is designed with a patent-pending waterless cooling chamber. The chamber houses two advanced frozen gel packs and features a powerful variable-speed fan. The gel packs are filled with advanced HD-Ice(TM), each offering more cooling than conventional ice packs. The cooled air flows through a special dry, lightweight HEPA filter to clean and cool the air.

You'll need to have frozen gel bags at the ready all the time. Where do you intend to freeze them?

[sgiitk]

I have been using them for over 50 years. My experience:

1. Do not use them to recirculate in the room.
2. most commercial units are junk, so get your own.
3. Make sure the enclosure in large, since the size can make a very big difference to the cooling. Also, getting a decent external pump is getting increasingly tough.
4. We have a 24" fan in a 6' x 3' enclosure (5' high) and are able to cool the whole house - about 3000 sq ft. The cooler is outside the top floor landing and using the stairwell works on all floors.

These beasts tend to be a bit finicky and may need frequent maintenance. Common problems are caused by the choking of the water outlets in the pipes, esp in hard water areas.

[driverace]

Guys,

Pune has killer dry-climate + heat combination. Another 2 months to go - at the least!
I am thinking of picking up an "air cooler" this weekend.
Budget = 5-7K INR

Consider this:
1. This cooler will do service in a dry / non-humid environment.
2. The temperatures are only high in 3 months of the year (Avg Max 35-40 deg C - for good 7-8 hours of the day)
3. Much needed / occassional use in the late mornings / afternoons of 7-8 months (where avg max temperatures are around 33-36).
4. Keeping air cooler is desirable + keeping it slightly on the humid side, is good for the birds we have as pets (Cockatiel & budgies)

Any suggestions/recommendations?

It will be used to cool 120sqft bedroom OR 170sqft hall area.

Typical Online search results / Local franchises of VS/Croma etc:

1. http://www.vijaysales.com/Kenstar-KC...15-Litres/3872

2. http://www.snapdeal.com/product/symp...umbLabelId:237

3. http://www.snapdeal.com/product/baja...umbLabelId:237

4. http://shop.bigbazaardirect.com/cont...r-cooler-white

5. http://www.snapdeal.com/product/maha...umbLabelId:237


I have even looked at local made ones (though this one's from Nagpur) -
http://www.ramcoolers.com/shop/room-coolers-2/uno-204/

I don't mind buying a rugged, local make one - if it comes with service & recommendations (from our group).

As it is always, with so many options & form factors around for any/all budgets, I am confused

Help me figure out,

Ace.

[anupmathur]

Ace, the local brand looks the best to me. The larger the cooling pads the better the cooling. These can be 'serviced' by anyone or even yourself.
Of the branded ones your best bet would be this: http://www.snapdeal.com/product/symp...ler/1894397662

The cooler should be mounted in a window with the front flush with the window. The cooler must draw air entirely from the outside. It is most practical to have a ball valve fitted and give a permanent water filling connection.

A cooler will cool best when the air from it is given an exit path to the outside. This is NOT like an AC where you'd re-circulate the indoor air for best cooling.
By choosing the exit path you can control what spaces get cooled.

[manish_symc]

Originally Posted by driverace

Guys,

Pune has killer dry-climate + heat combination. Another 2 months to go - at the least!
I am thinking of picking up an "air cooler" this weekend.
Budget = 5-7K INR

Consider this:
1. This cooler will do service in a dry / non-humid environment.
2. The temperatures are only high in 3 months of the year (Avg Max 35-40 deg C - for good 7-8 hours of the day)
3. Much needed / occassional use in the late mornings / afternoons of 7-8 months (where avg max temperatures are around 33-36).
4. Keeping air cooler is desirable + keeping it slightly on the humid side, is good for the birds we have as pets (Cockatiel & budgies)

Any suggestions/recommendations?

It will be used to cool 120sqft bedroom OR 170sqft hall area.

Typical Online search results / Local franchises of VS/Croma etc:

1. http://www.vijaysales.com/Kenstar-KC...15-Litres/3872

2. http://www.snapdeal.com/product/symp...umbLabelId:237

3. http://www.snapdeal.com/product/baja...umbLabelId:237

4. http://shop.bigbazaardirect.com/cont...r-cooler-white

5. http://www.snapdeal.com/product/maha...umbLabelId:237


I have even looked at local made ones (though this one's from Nagpur) -
http://www.ramcoolers.com/shop/room-coolers-2/uno-204/

I don't mind buying a rugged, local make one - if it comes with service & recommendations (from our group).

As it is always, with so many options & form factors around for any/all budgets, I am confused

Help me figure out,

Ace.

I also live in Pune since last 11 years and first time I had to purchase air cooler.

I too had similar requirement and bought Kelvinator kpc20a from Radhika Sales Corporation, Pimpri.

You can see the same model at snapdeal. Here the price is Rs. 6199/- but I purchased it in Rs. 4300/- I find this cooler very good for a room size of 16x10.

http://www.snapdeal.com/product/kelv...r/679033339768

[Samurai]

Bangalore is basically roasting me and family this summer. Since I am in a rental home, don't want to install expensive AC.

So I looking for air cooler instead. People are suggesting I buy local air cooler than a branded one. But, how does one buy a local air cooler, does Bangalore even have that option?

[adithya.kp]

I dont know about the local coolers. I have been using http://www.amazon.in/Symphony-Diet-1.../dp/B00IYD419Q and found it very good. Its good enough for 2/3 people. Btw you get better deals in brick and mortar stores.

Originally Posted by Samurai

Bangalore is basically roasting me and family this summer. Since I am in a rental home, don't want to install expensive AC.

So I looking for air cooler instead. People are suggesting I buy local air cooler than a branded one. But, how does one buy a local air cooler, does Bangalore even have that option?

[aim120]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Bangalore is basically roasting me and family this summer. Since I am in a rental home, don't want to install expensive AC.

So I looking for air cooler instead. People are suggesting I buy local air cooler than a branded one. But, how does one buy a local air cooler, does Bangalore even have that option?

The only air cooler you get here are some branded plastic crap ,overtime the water tank sag with the weight of water,same goes to the wheels.

I bought a ramcooler nagpur aircooler online,smart 550h model.It does a good job of cooling around 450sq feet.Ambient indoor temperature without air cooler 35c and with air cooler 29c .
But humans will feel the air even cooler because the moisture evaporates when it comes in contact with your skin.
If you put in a smaller room of say 150sq feet ,then the temperature can drop to 26c.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by aim120

The only air cooler you get here are some branded plastic crap ,overtime the water tank sag with the weight of water,same goes to the wheels.

I bought a ramcooler nagpur aircooler online,smart 550h model.It does a good job of cooling around 450sq feet.Ambient indoor temperature without air cooler 35c and with air cooler 29c .
....
If you put in a smaller room of say 150sq feet ,then the temperature can drop to 26c.

What you say is not correct. In a smaller room the temperature will not come down; you are equating this cooler with the principle that air conditioners work on.
And, further, if this same cooler is mounted in a window it will manage to bring the temperature down by at least another 3 to 5°C.
With a large (3X3X5½ feet) cooler mounted correctly in a window my entire home, including bathrooms and kitchen, (approx 1700 SqFt) is at 21 to 24°C with RH in Delhi these days at 7 to 14% and ambient at 42°C. Hard to beat with ACs.
The performance of an air cooler depends on the RH - the lower the RH the better the cooling. The ambient temperature is not important; it will manage to cool the house the same even with ambient of 50°C.