Champion evaporative coolers: the best value for money

I am writing this article because I just read an article on the benefits of buying Champion evaporative coolers (some call them swamp coolers). The author mentioned that they are of good quality, cost-effective and durable. This is all true. But then I thought, how would a man who has written hundreds of articles on interior decorating and outdoor lawn care know why they are quality units? I have installed and maintained them for years and can tell you why they are quality and durable. Here are a few reasons why I recommend Champion.

Cooler air with Celdek Media

All Champion Ultracool and Mastercool units use celdek media in place of the commonly used poplar pads. Poplar pads are made from scraped wood from poplar trees encased in plastic gauze mesh. These pads are generally only one inch thick. Celdek media is a cellulose board material designed in honeycomb blocks. Most Ultracool and Mastercool models have a choice of 8- or 12-inch thick celdek paper. Air that passes through 12 inches of material absorbs more water than air that passes through 1 inch of material. More water absorbed into the air means cooler air is blown into your room. I once worked a job that had a cooler with celdek media side by side with poplar pads. With my thermometer, I measured the air 5 degrees cooler in the unit using celdek media. I have also found that celdek media generally lasted at least 5 years, while aspen pads need to be changed at least once a year. Since most people fear maintenance work, spending 5 years between media changes is a real advantage. Some poplar pad units have rusted and had to be replaced within 5 years.

Designed to protect the cooler from corrosion

Champion uses several strategies to help its evaporative coolers last years longer than other brands. First, after using heavy gauge steel in their construction, they apply a polyester powder coated finish. This coating has proven to be more durable than paint. They then use a plastic reservoir at the bottom of the water section, whereas most other brands contain the water in their metal reservoir. With only the water evaporating into the air, the minerals, which are highly corrosive, remain in the water reservoir. Corrosion usually starts in a few years with most other units. Champion also installs vinyl siding between the celdek media and the side panels. The Ultracool and Mastercool units are designed so that water never touches the metal housing. Most other brands not only let the water settle in the metal bowl, but they also hold the wet poplar pads against the metal side racks with metal clamps. This often initiates corrosion in the early years.

I hope these few points that I have made will help you in the future to decide which brand of Cooler to buy. This information does not come from brochures or advertisements that are trying to convince you to buy this brand. It comes from many years of installation and maintenance of all brands of Swamp Coolers.