Anyone have any experience with the evaporative fan/coolers being sold at Lowe's/Home Depot?
Considering one for the patio and the garage shop.
Thanks

I think they work well but only for direct areas.

We bought one for tailgating years ago and I still use it in the backyard when playing with the kids. Definitely makes a difference.

One thing I'd be wary of, particularly in the garage, is humidity. Putting it in a closed space gets things swampy and fast.

Edit: mines an old port a cool before they were widely available. Had to go direct to them or select distributors

Great advice about not using it in the garage. Thanks for your input .

Where are you located? My understanding is that they will not work in areas of high humidity such as Houston.

Dill-Ag13 said:

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Where are you located? My understanding is that they will not work in areas of high humidity such as Houston.

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I'm in houston. I can tell you it's a significant difference than just a fan when I'm out with the kids. Now, it's not like a house with ac or cold by any means, but definitely helps.

They'll cool the air down to the dew point. But as others have said, in an enclosed space your also raising the humidity.

Good to know, I didn't think they worked at all

Thanks for the tips - I'm in BCS and thinking about using one on my screened porch this summer.
Gotta figure the size next.

Lived overseas without A/C, and swamp cooler could slightly cool our bedroom, but never make it cold. We would fill it with ice and water too. Gave up and bought a portable A/C. I think it would be decent for a garage if you are just need a cooler breeze.

They work awesome outside when the fan is blowing directly on you. I've got the Hessair that is sold at Home Depot. Highly recommend and works 3x better than a fan and is quiet.

After the hurricane, with no power, I brought mine into my bedroom and tried it. Miserable failure and it made the entire bedroom into a swamp. I was sure it wasn't going to work but was willing to try anything.

In summary, they work great outside but not inside a closed space.

Pro tip. Freeze milk jugs and place in the water basin. Helps a ton here in the panhandle.