An air cooler is a wheeled cabinet with a fan on the front and a water tank in the base. The name is South Asian, and US stores sell the same machine as an evaporative cooler or swamp cooler.
The parts of an air cooler fall on two sides: the wet side, which touches water, and the dry side, which stays dry.
Air Cooler Parts Name on a Labeled Diagram
The front of an air cooler is a grille with adjustable louvers over a large fan. Honeycomb pads line the back and both sides of the cabinet, and a water tank fills the base. A pump in the tank lifts water to a pipe along the top of the pads. The controls are on the top panel, and four casters lift the cabinet off the floor. These are all the parts of an air cooler, from the pads that evaporate water to the fan that pushes air out.
| Part | Where you find it |
|---|---|
| 1. Water tank | Reservoir in the base of the cabinet |
| 2. Cooling pads | Honeycomb or wood wool panels on the sides and back |
| 3. Water pump | Small submersible motor in the tank |
| 4. Distributor pipe | Perforated pipe along the top of the pads |
| 5. Water level indicator | Transparent window on the side of the cabinet |
| 6. Drain plug | Screw cap at the bottom rear of the tank |
| 7. Ice chamber | Removable tray on top of tower and personal coolers |
| 8. Cabinet | Plastic or steel shell around all parts |
| 9. Fan blade | Three to five wings behind the front grille |
| 10. Fan motor | Sealed motor behind the blade |
| 11. Front grille | Wire or molded guard over the fan |
| 12. Louvers | Adjustable slats across the air outlet |
| 13. Control panel | Buttons or knobs on top of the cabinet |
| 14. Dust filter | Mesh screen over the pads |
| 15. Casters | Four wheels under the base |
| 16. Remote control | Hand-held unit with buttons |
| 17. Blower wheel | Cylindrical fan inside a swamp cooler |
| 18. Duct | Metal or flexible pipe from a swamp cooler to the room |
Main Parts of an Air Cooler
Four of the parts of an air cooler do the cooling, and the rest support them.
- Water tank: The reservoir in the base, 1 to 18 gallons depending on the size of the cooler.
- Cooling pads: The wet panels of honeycomb paper or wood wool that line the cabinet walls.
- Water pump: The small motor in the tank that lifts water to the top of the pads.
- Fan: The bladed wheel behind the grille that draws air through the pads and out of the louvers.
Wet Parts of an Air Cooler
Seven of the parts of an air cooler touch water. Three are in or around the tank, and four run along the pads and the outside of the cabinet.
Water Tank
The water tank is a molded plastic reservoir in the base of the cabinet. Personal coolers have a tank of 1 to 2 gallons, tower coolers 3 to 6 gallons, and desert coolers 10 to 18 gallons. A wide fill opening is set in the top or the back of the cabinet.
Cooling Pads
The cooling pads are panels of honeycomb cellulose paper or aspen wood wool, 2 to 4 inches thick. They line the back and both sides of a desert cooler and the inside walls of a tower. Cellulose pads are brown and ridged, and wood wool pads are pale and stringy.
Water Pump
The water pump is a small submersible motor, about 3 inches long, that rests on the tank floor. It is rated at 15 to 40 watts and lifts water through a plastic tube. A short cord leaves the tank through a rubber grommet.
Distributor Pipe
The distributor pipe is a perforated plastic pipe, about half an inch wide, that runs along the top of the pads. It has a row of small holes that drip water onto the pad face. Some tower coolers replace it with a shallow tray.
Water Level Indicator
The water level indicator is a transparent window on the side of the cabinet, marked with MIN and MAX lines. A small float inside it rises and falls with the water. The window is about 6 inches tall.
Drain Plug
The drain plug is a threaded plastic cap at the bottom rear of the tank. Unscrewing it empties the tank into a pan or a floor drain. A rubber gasket seals the cap.
Ice Chamber
Tower and personal coolers add an ice chamber, a removable tray on top of the cabinet that takes ice packs or cubes. Its floor is drilled so meltwater drips onto the pads. The tray is white or gray plastic.
Dry Parts of an Air Cooler
Nine of the parts of an air cooler stay dry, and they form the fan assembly, the outer cabinet, and the controls.
Cabinet
The cabinet is a shell of impact-resistant plastic or powder-coated steel, 30 to 45 inches tall on most models. A molded grab handle is set into the top or the back. The power cord leaves the rear through a rubber sleeve.
Fan Blade
The fan blade is a wheel of three to five aluminum or plastic wings, 12 to 18 inches across on a desert cooler. It is fixed to the motor shaft behind the front grille. The design matches the blade of a household electric fan, only larger.
Fan Motor
The fan motor is a sealed electric motor, rated at 75 to 200 watts, behind the blade. A steel bracket bolts it to the cabinet frame. A rubber mount cuts vibration.
Front Grille
The front grille is a guard of wire or molded plastic, round or square, over the fan. Its bars are spaced about half an inch apart. The louvers are mounted just in front of it.
Louvers
The louvers are adjustable slats of plastic across the air outlet, in a horizontal or vertical set. Hand tabs or a swing motor turn them. They steer the cool air left, right, up, or down.
Control Panel
The control panel is a strip of buttons or knobs on top of the cabinet. It has a power switch and a fan speed control with three settings. Many panels add buttons for swing, pump, and timer, each with an indicator light.
Dust Filter
The dust filter is a fine mesh screen or foam sheet fitted over the pads on the outside of the cabinet. It is a rectangle of white or gray plastic mesh. It slides out or unclips for rinsing.
Casters
The casters are four swivel wheels, 2 to 3 inches across, bolted under the base. Two of them lock with a small foot tab. The wheels are black or gray hard rubber.
Remote Control
A remote control comes with premium models: a slim hand-held unit with buttons for power, speed, swing, and timer. It uses two AAA batteries. A small receiver window on the control panel picks up its signal.
Air Cooler Types and Their Parts
The parts of an air cooler change with the type. Four types cover most air coolers on sale.
Desert Air Cooler
The desert air cooler is the largest home type, a boxy cabinet 30 to 40 inches tall. Pads line three sides, and a big fan is fixed in front. Its tank is 10 to 18 gallons, and four casters roll it between rooms.
Tower Air Cooler
The tower air cooler is a slim vertical cabinet, 30 to 45 inches tall, with pads inside. Louvers run across the front, and an ice chamber is set on top. The tank is 3 to 6 gallons, and the base fits into a corner.
Personal Air Cooler
The personal air cooler is a small desktop unit, 10 to 14 inches tall, powered by USB or a wall adapter. It has a 1 to 2 gallon tank, a small pad or filter cartridge, and a fan under 10 inches across. It cools one person, not a room.
Swamp Cooler
The swamp cooler is the US form of the air cooler. It is a large box on a roof or in a window, fed by a water line. Pad walls line three sides. A cylindrical blower wheel, turned by a belt and a motor of 1/3 to 1 horsepower, pushes the air into a duct. A float valve keeps the pan full.
FAQs
Q1. What are the parts of an air cooler?
The different parts of an air cooler are the water tank, cooling pads, pump, distributor pipe, fan blade, motor, louvers, control panel, and casters. The tank, pads, and pump form the wet side. The fan, motor, louvers, and cabinet form the dry side.
Q2. What are the parts of an evaporative cooler or room cooler?
An evaporative cooler has the same parts as an air cooler: a tank, pads, a pump, a fan, and a cabinet. Room cooler is another name for the same machine. US swamp coolers add a duct and a belt-driven blower wheel.
Q3. What are the parts of an air cooler fan?
The air cooler fan has a fan blade, a motor, a front grille, and louvers. The blade has three to five wings and turns on the motor shaft. The grille guards the blade, and the louvers steer the air.
Q4. Is an air cooler the same as an AC?
No, an air cooler is not an AC. It cools by evaporating water from wet pads, while an air conditioner cools with refrigerant and a compressor. An air cooler adds humidity to the room, and an air conditioner removes it.
Q5. Does an air cooler need ventilation?
Yes, an air cooler needs ventilation. Its pads add moisture to the air, so an open window or door lets the humid air leave. In a closed room, the humidity rises and the cooling weakens.
Q6. What happens when an air cooler runs out of water?
When the tank runs empty, the pads dry out and the air stops cooling. The fan keeps running and blows room-temperature air. Running the pump dry damages it, so refill the tank at the MIN line.
Q7. What are the mechanical parts of an air cooler?
The mechanical parts of an air cooler are the fan blade, fan motor, water pump, louvers, and casters. The motor turns the blade, and the pump lifts water to the pads. The louvers and casters are the moving parts on the outside of the cabinet.
You May Also Like
- Parts of an Air Conditioner
- Parts of an Electric Fan
- Parts of a Window
- Parts of a Refrigerator
- Parts of a Chimney
