How to Clean an Evaporative Air Cooler

An illustration of an air cooler on a white background.
  • 1-2 hours
  • Beginner
  • 0-50
What You'll Need
Hose with squirt nozzle
Scrub brush
What You'll Need
Hose with squirt nozzle
Scrub brush

An evaporative air cooler is something that you are going to need to keep an eye on and clean every so often. You will find that the more that you clean and take care of it, the longer it will last and the better it will work.

An evaporative air cooler is something that you are going to need to keep an eye on and clean every so often. You will find that the more that you are able to keep it clean and take care of it with proper maintenance and cleaning, the longer it will last and the better it will work.
Materials Needed:
Hose with Squirt Nozzle
Scrub Brush
Step 1 – Open
The first thing that you are going to have to do is get your air cooler opened up. Every air cooler is different so unless you have had to open it before you may have to look at the owner’s manual and check to see exactly how to do this. Doing this improperly could result in damaging your evaporative air cooler.
Step 2 – Inspection
After the cooler has been opened, it is a good idea for you to take out the pads and inspect them carefully. If they look to be in good shape and have no debris or mold on them, then they will not have to be replaced. Make a judgment call on these before you move on to the next step. If you do need to replace them, then make sure you get the right measurements so that the size you get is one that you can use.
Step 3 – Float Valve
Take a good look at your float valve and make sure that it is not sticking at all. If you notice that it is, then you are going to need to get it cleaned off. A lot of the time, you will find that hard water deposits and debris are the main reason why you are having issues with it. If you do not think that cleaning it is something that will be able to fix the problem, then this is something else that you may want to look into replacing all together.
Step 4 – Belt
Make sure that you check on the belt that is on your fan. It cannot be very loose as this something that could cause issues. Make sure that it is nice and tight and only moves slightly whenever it is pushed on. If the belt moves too much then it is going to need to be replaced.
Step 5 – Oil
It is a good idea to get the motor parts oiled up to make sure that it is able to run smoother and longer and not to mention quieter.
Step 6 – Clean
After you have done the proper checking you are ready to begin cleaning. You will begin by taking the pan out and scrubbing it until all of the deposits from hard water are gone. Make sure that they are all gone before you put it back. Take a look inside and make sure that there are not very many large deposits anywhere, if there are then scrub them away until they are all gone. Once you are finished, you will need to simply replace the necessary parts and put them all back together

Step 1 - Open the Cooler

The first thing that you are going to have to do is get your air cooler opened up. Every air cooler is different so unless you have had to open it before, you may have to look at the owner’s manual and check to see exactly how to do this. Doing this improperly could result in damaging your evaporative air cooler.

Step 2 - Inspect

After the cooler has been opened, it is a good idea for you to take out the pads and inspect them carefully. If they look to be in good shape and have no debris or mold on them, then they will not have to be replaced. Make a judgment call on these before you move on to the next step. If you do need to replace them, then make sure you get the right measurements so that the size you get is one that you can use.

Step 3 - Check the Float Valve

Take a good look at your float valve and make sure that it is not sticking. If you notice that it is, then you are going to need to get it cleaned off. A lot of the time, you will find that hard water deposits and debris are the main reason why you are having issues with it. If you do not think that cleaning it is something that will be able to fix the problem, then this is something else you may want to look into replacing altogether.

Step 4 - Check the Belt

Make sure that you check on the belt that is on your fan. It should not be loose as this can cause issues. Make sure that it is nice and tight and only moves slightly whenever it is pushed on. If the belt moves too much, then it is going to need to be replaced.

Step 5 - Add Oil

It is a good idea to get the motor parts oiled up to make sure that it is able to run smoother, longer, and quieter.

Step 6 - Clean

After you have done the proper checking, you are ready to begin cleaning. You will begin by taking the pan out and scrubbing it until all of the deposits from hard water are gone. Make sure that they are all gone before you put it back. Take a look inside and make sure that there are not very many large deposits anywhere. If there are, scrub them away until they are all gone. Once you are finished, you will need to simply replace the necessary parts and put them all back together.