[Tfug] *Way* OT: Swamp coolers, ACbrrs, etc.

[Bexley Hall]

Hi,

This is *way* OT so, perhaps, answers off-list
may be better?  (though I have found this topic
usually interesting to hear "folk-lore" and 
related pseudo-science...)

As a Tucson-transplant, swamp coolers were a
*huge* adjustment for me -- in psychological as
well as practical terms!  The idea of putting 
water *into* the air to make it more comfortable
was, in my previous life experience, unheard of!
(indeed, the goal was always to take water OUT
of the air to make things even *tolerable*!)

So, after many years, I have finally got a handle
on when and why the cooler should be applied vs.
the ACbrrr...  I've yet to undertake an empirical
study of which is most *economical* to operate
(if I get time, perhaps I will do that this week)
though I have definite preferences about which I
*like* best, and when...

Now, I'd like to try to codify rules for when to
use each of the above (we have dual cooling).  It
would be nice to build an expert system to tackle
this instead of relying on the "expert system" (ha!)
in my *head*!

But, this is a non-trivial algorithm!  (hence the
beauty of an expert system approach)

I think I can come up with an instantaneous assessment
of what is right (or wrong!) to use -- but, that
doesn't hold true when you think about "the rest
of the day"...

For example, we can typically get a 25 - 30 degree
delta from outdoor temperature (based, of course, on
RH, condition of the pads, etc.).  So, a simple
rule of thumb for the cooler is:

if (outdoor_temp > indoor_temp + 25)
   dont_use_cooler;

But, beyond that, it gets murky.  I.e. early in the
day, the outdoor temperature *tends* to be on the
rise.  So, even if the above conditional is false,
it may be foolish to run the cooler since it will
soon be *true*.  And, once all that moisture has
been introduced to the house, running the ACbrrr
thereafter puts a greater load on the ACbrrr to
*remove* it (to achieve a given level of cooling).

So, what have folks observed from their experiences
here that might add something to a "respectable"
ruleset?

[Apologies if this is *so* far OT that it annoys...]

--don


       
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