DIY guideAC and heat pump
Start up and shut down a swamp cooler; change its pads
For a ground or window cooler: new pads and a clean pan in spring, the float set and the pump run first; drained and covered in fall. A roof unit is a pro's.
- 45 min to 1½ hr
- 8 steps
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8 steps
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These steps are for a cooler on the ground or in a window. A roof unit is a pro's.
Unplug it or switch it off, and close the small valve on its water line.
Power off before you open any panel.Lift off the side panels, pull out the old pads, and fit new pads of the same size.
Drain the water pan, scrub off the scale, and rinse it.
Open the water and watch the pan fill. The float should shut it off below the rim; bend its arm to adjust.
Panels on, power on. Run the pump alone a few minutes to soak the pads, then the fan.
At the season's end, close the water, drain the pan and the line, and cover the cooler.
A cooler on the roof, a leak into the house, or a motor that won't run: ask Handyman for a heating and cooling tech.
What you need
- New pads cut to size
- A stiff brush and a bucket
- A screwdriver or pliers
- A cover for the fall
Call a pro if
- The cooler is on the roof
- Water leaks into the house
- The motor or pump won't run
- The pan is rusted through
Handyman says: On the roof? I'll find an HVAC tech.
Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.
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