How to butcher a swamp cooler ....

DoubleAtotheRON

Well-Known Member
I was on the struggle bus moving hoses, and trying to figure out how to fill, clean and maintenance my swamp cooler without removing 16 screws. When im in veg, and in the main room, it's pretty easy to just use the female port on the side of the unit using condensate water from my mini split. To keep it from backing up and making a mess, I removed the float ball on the valve. Easy. However, when the main room starts making it's own humidity, I start clones in the mother room. I just have a window unit in there, and have no way to collect condensate via that unit. So!..
First, remove all the access panels (I cut mine in half) to easily reach the pump to clean out the intake screen. Take off all the dump doors, and flow covers....
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Next, drill a 3/4" hole at the top with a step drill, making sure you're not drilling into any wiring harnesses, or whatnot. Slide a piece of standard garden hose in the hole, and make sure it's above full water level in the tank. You can glue or silicone a funnel to the hose.
This way, I can collect some condensate water from the main room in a jug, and dump it into the funnel, and not have to worry about stringing hose in and out of the door, letting all my CO2 out of the main room. As always, don't be a bonehead, and do this while it's plugged in. Water and electricity don't like each other.
The main reason I did this mod, is because my water is pretty hard. And after 3 years use, my honeycomb media is getting pretty crusted up (just ordered a new one). The condensate water is 2ppm, and keeps everything much cleaner, and I don't have to do as much maintenance on it. Hope this helps with some of you who are looking for ways to make your life easier. .... which Im always doing because Im lazy.



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Nice idea!

I'm curious, have you used AC condensate before? I tried using filtered condensate earlier this year to water my plants but ran into issues after some "stuff" started growing in the water in the filter pitcher.
 
Nice idea!

I'm curious, have you used AC condensate before? I tried using filtered condensate earlier this year to water my plants but ran into issues after some "stuff" started growing in the water in the filter pitcher.
No sir. Just use it for humidity in the swamp cooler, and to clean my Apera PH meter. Otherwise, I use well water for the plants. It varies throughout the year from 275-320ppm from the ground. So far, the condensate water in the cooler is running very clean. The well water would muck up the pump screen every now and then, and cleaning the whole thing with a power washer every few months is a pain. I think this will lessen my maintenance on it.
 
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