evaporative cooling for A/C condenser test with garden hose study

[warmwxrules]

wait... isn't this the same thing newer window AC units are achieving with the lack of drainage holes and allowing condensate to pool up and be splashed/sprayed all over? I have 2 units that both have this design. They become slime mold factories quickly and have to be washed often. The larger unit (8000btu) become so annoying i just drilled a hole and no it just leaks condensate into a bucket...requiring far less cleaning..but probably also increasing energy usage.

[u3b3rg33k]

Originally Posted by warmwxrules

wait... isn't this the same thing newer window AC units are achieving with the lack of drainage holes and allowing condensate to pool up and be splashed/sprayed all over? I have 2 units that both have this design. They become slime mold factories quickly and have to be washed often. The larger unit (8000btu) become so annoying i just drilled a hole and no it just leaks condensate into a bucket...requiring far less cleaning..but probably also increasing energy usage.

the 8k unit i'm working on has some kind of thermostatic drain valve in the outdoor half.

[Elcam84]

Originally Posted by warmwxrules

wait... isn't this the same thing newer window AC units are achieving with the lack of drainage holes and allowing condensate to pool up and be splashed/sprayed all over? I have 2 units that both have this design. They become slime mold factories quickly and have to be washed often. The larger unit (8000btu) become so annoying i just drilled a hole and no it just leaks condensate into a bucket...requiring far less cleaning..but probably also increasing energy usage.

Haven't seen that happen here. Its hot and humid here with the highs 100+ mist days so the condensate doesn't hang around to slime up. Window units typically run 24/7 here as well so there is always agitation and airflow.

I have a 2 ton window unit in the shop which is way way undersized and it stays very clean. Its also out of the weather as its covered by a large roof.


What the OP wants to do is not use water directly on the coils but to use it in a swamp cooler style to precool the incoming air.

[warmwxrules]

Originally Posted by Elcam84

Haven't seen that happen here. Its hot and humid here with the highs 100+ mist days so the condensate doesn't hang around to slime up. Window units typically run 24/7 here as well so there is always agitation and airflow.

I have a 2 ton window unit in the shop which is way way undersized and it stays very clean. Its also out of the weather as its covered by a large roof.


What the OP wants to do is not use water directly on the coils but to use it in a swamp cooler style to precool the incoming air.

Maybe its all the bugs-spiders build webs/mosquitoes--that get into the inside of the AC unit. Probably just fuel for the slime molds. I would spray out thick snot like chunks of slime after a week or 10 days of straight running. I've been cooling the house with this one unit..so it would run nonstop most of the summer. Now i added another small unit to another room for during the real hot stuff. Just looking my 8000btu pulls about 730 watts on low with an outside temp in the upper 80Fs with dews in the upper 60Fs..so plenty of moisture in the air. Very very wet spring/summer.