The change in the weather impacts things around the house. During the winter season, one of the most important things you need to do is winterize your swamp cooler. As the exposed part of your HVAC system, the swamp cooler can suffer a lot of damage if it isn’t properly prepared. The cold temperatures and its water content can react badly.
Below we walk you through the steps of how to winterize a swamp cooler. The best part is, it doesn’t take a lot of time.
Disconnecting the Power Line
The first step is to disconnect the power from the swamp cooler. Just remove the plug while you are cleaning and preparing it. You don’t want it to accidentally turn on. Water and electricity are a dangerous combination. Additionally, you can also choose to keep the cooler off throughout the winter months. This prevents any electricity waste, and when you’re ready to use it again in spring or summer, you can just plug it back in.
Disconnecting the Water Line
Swamp coolers usually have their own connection to the water line via a valve, so you need to disconnect it from there as well. To do this, the first thing to do is to locate the valve. It is usually located in the crawl space under the house.
Once you turn the valve off, you can disconnect the water line and drain it of any extra water. Be careful not to be too rough when removing the line to avoid causing any damage. If you cannot disconnect the water line, make sure to drain and dry it as thoroughly as possible to remove all moisture. This can freeze and crack the line in the winter.
Drain All Water
Next, you should drain all the water in the swamp cooler. You can do this either by draining with the help of the valve or bringing in a bucket and sponge. Even if you use the valve, make sure to mop up the tank to remove any excess moisture. When using the valve, be sure to place it back in a way to maintain the integrity of the seal.
Clean out the Swamp Cooler
Once the swamp cooler is empty, you can clean it out. Most of them usually have a lot of mineral buildup, some dirt or other debris. Give it a thorough cleaning to make sure it will be clean and ready to use for spring.
You might also want to change the moisture pads in the swamp cooler, but this will depend on your preference. Or you can leave it to be changed in the spring – either option works. You should also spray some metal sealer on the inside to prevent it from rusting.
Cover up the Cooler and Vent
Once you have cleaned the cooler, you need to put a swamp cooler cover on top. They usually tie down on one side so make sure you tie them securely. This protects the cooler from the winter elements, which helps keep it’s lifespan nice and long.
With the help of these steps, you can easily winterize your swamp cooler in no time. If you have any questions, let us know, we are happy to help.
Happy winterizing!
