Seven Myths about Water Cooled Air Conditioners
One of the internet’s greatest weaknesses is misinformation. Rumors get started, word of mouth spreads and before you know it everyone “knows” what’s true about everything. This has largely been the case with air-cooled A/C units, as many people seem to be very confused about how they work and their capabilities. The truth is air-cooled A/C is actually one of the best options for cooling indoor spaces in hot, dry climates. Forget what you’ve heard, here are seven myths about water-cooled air conditioners people need to stop believing.
- Water Cooled A/C Doesn’t Work as Well as Air Cooled AC
Let’s start with the most popular misconception about water-cooled AC. Conventional air-cooled A/C units remove heat from inside air by pushing it outside. So long as you have electricity and a way to vent the hot air to the outdoors, you can place them just about anywhere, and they don’t need to take up a lot of space. This makes installation and maintenance easier, but it doesn’t actually mean they cool air more efficiently.
Water-cooled A/C units have their drawbacks, but they have a significant advantage air-cooled A/C units will never have: cooling efficiency. Thanks to physics, water-cooled A/C possesses a heat flux and consistency of cooling superior to air-cooled units by a factor of 10-100. Hot air passing through a water cooler and into a space is always cold, and so a water-cooled A/C unit produces colder air coming into a room at a fast, reliable and more consistent rate.
- Water Cooled AC is Only Effective For Small Spaces
The second myth is as easily dispelled as the first. Water-cooled A/C systems are ideal for keeping large spaces like warehouses and large commercial or residential buildings cool all year long. Contrary to popular belief, the more space you have for a water-cooled A/C system, the more efficiently it will function since it works best with more space between the cooling towers. Large spaces are actually best cooled by a water-cooled A/C compared to an air-cooled A/C system.
- Water Cooled AC Does is Not Effective in Areas/Regions With High Ambient Temperatures
Hot air coming into a water-cooled A/C system does not present the same problem as it does for an air-cooled A/C unit. The exposure to refrigerant lines in air-cooled A/C is far less efficient than the heat transfer matrix used by water-cooled A/C.
Incoming air is always hotter from an air-cooled unit, but a water-cooled A/C brings in significantly cooler air as it is circulating out any hot air already in the room. No matter how hot it is outside, a water-cooled A/C will always cool faster and better than an air-cooled A/C unit.
- Water-Cooled AC Units Take Up More Space Than Air-Cooled AC
This may have been true in the past, but recent advances in technology and design have rendered this argument moot. Water-cooled units can easily be installed in the same or similar spaces that would traditionally only accommodate an air-cooled A/C unit. There are even air-cooled portable units that can be used on-demand should the main A/C system at a location or facility go offline.
- Water-Cooled AC Uses More Energy Than Air-Cooled AC
Given that water-cooled A/C units don’t need to run as often to keep inside air cooler, they actually use significantly less energy than air-cooled A/C. They do more using less all the time since they can cool incoming air more efficiently, and they run the exhaust system less often because the air inside stays cooler longer.
- Water Cooled AC Wastes Water
Many homeowners and facility managers get wide-eyed when they hear the words “water-cooled A/C” for the first time. Some estimate that they will drive up utility costs since they require two resources: water and power. The fact is that water-cooled units recycle up to 95 percent of the water they use every day, and they use less electricity because they cool air more efficiently and so don’t need to run as often.
- Water Cooled AC Costs More To Rent Than Air-Cooled AC
While the cost per unit is higher with a water-cooled A/C if you are purchasing one, the rental fees are actually the same. We offer portable water-cooled A/C to our clients since it often provides an optimal cooling solution during the arid, scorching Texas summers. Sometimes an air-cooled A/C unit is the best solution, but even these reliable workhorses are no match for certain hot weather or specific scenarios where the internal heat is almost as great as the external heat.
Need portable air conditioning? Preferred Climate Solutions can help you find the best way to keep your business or event cool this summer without spending a fortune on fees and utilities. Contact us today to learn more about our water-cooled portable A/C units.
