winterize swamp cooler

You always hear about people saying you have to winterize your swamp cooler.  In fact, we’ve written an article about it ourselves.

But is the swamp cooler really so delicate? What would happen if you left it as it is?

Winterizing it just takes too much time and effort. In fact, you don’t really hear much about the downsides so it can be tempting to procrastinate. However, doing so can lead to terrible consequences. It’s every homeowner’s worst nightmare come to life.

Chances of Flooding

One of the major steps for winterizing your swamp cooler is to disconnect it from the water supply. This is recommended to be done no later than October, particularly in chilly climates. When you don’t remove the waterline, there is a high possibility of the swamp cooler overflowing with water.

This also increases the chances of water damage. Since most swamp coolers are in the attic or the roof, this means the water will seep through the roof and affect the walls of your home as well.

Mold Damage

Swamp coolers have a pan with water and cooling pads inside them. If you don’t drain and dry the insides of the cooler, you have an increased possibility of growing mold in there. Sometimes, this can go unnoticed and you will end up causing the mold to spread when you simply turn it back on.

In cases where the water damage has occurred, you have a higher chance of getting mold in your home, particularly if you are slow about applying the appropriate measures to dry out your home properly.

Problems in the Pipeline

Water in the pipelines, particularly the swamp cooler is more likely to get affected by the cold weather. It will freeze over and can cause damage to the pipelines by making it burst the pipes. In other scenarios, it can increase the chances of the pipeline getting rust around it.

Excess moisture inside the swamp cooler, even if you remove the cooling pads, can create rust. This rust can shorten the life of your cooler and will require replacements faster.

Repairs for Thousands of Dollars

If you don’t take the time to winterize, you are facing damages potentially costing you thousands of dollars. Mold and water damage is very expensive, and even a busted or damaged pipeline will rack up a few hundred dollars.  Plus labor charges and more!

Problems with Insurance Claims

It can be hard to file for an insurance claim when you’re the one who is at fault here. While insurance is usually in place to help with repairs, they usually have limitations about which scenarios qualify. Getting your claim approved by the insurance company can be difficult in this case. Which means more money coming out of your pocket.

Save yourself some time and trouble by winterizing your swamp cooler. It’s really a very simple process and will take you around 20 to 30 minutes. Check out our easy to follow guide here!