Warning: fixing my swamp cooler in April turned into a 3 weekend mess

I figured I would get ahead of the heat this year and tune up my swamp cooler on the westside house back in April, you know, before it hits 95. Pulled the panels off, and the pad on the north side had basically turned into cardboard, so I swapped all four pads, cleaned the pan, and felt pretty good about myself. Then I flipped the pump on and nothing, just a hum. Ended up replacing the pump, then the spider cage bearing started screaming, then I found a hairline crack in the water line that had been dribbling down the side of the house for who knows how long. Three weekends and about $280 later, plus a $60 hose bib I didn't plan on, it finally runs cold again. My neighbor Ted came over and just laughed and asked why I didn't wait until it actually broke in June like everyone else. So now I'm wondering, do you all do a spring tune up on your coolers, or do you just run it till it dies and deal with it in 100 degree weather?

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daniel5521d ago

Nobody talks about the part where a "tune up" in April means you're up on a ladder in perfect 75 degree weather instead of on a roof in June when it's 105 and you're mad and sweaty and the hardware store is sold out of pumps. That alone makes the spring thing worth it to me. Your point about Ted laughing is funny because waiting till it breaks means you're fixing it at the worst possible time, and parts are picked over by then. The one thing I'd add is to check the water line and the bearing by hand every spring before you even flip the switch, since both of your surprises would've shown up early if you'd looked. April pain is way better than July pain in my book.

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