Most Indian cities suffer from extreme heat during summer. Many Indian families desire to own an AC. However, AC is still a costly affair for middle-class Indian families.
Then what is the option? Keep suffering from this extreme heat?
Not really. You can always buy an Air Cooler. Obviously, you won’t get the same cooling effect from an air cooler. But at least it is better than having nothing.
Both an Air Cooler And an Air Conditioner have their positives and negatives. This article is all about discussing the differences between Air Cooler Vs Air Conditioner and finding out which one is more suitable depending on various conditions.
When Should You Use An Air Cooler?
Air Coolers are suitable for dry climates. Air coolers need a constant supply of water to deliver cool air. That is the reason it makes the room more humid.
Consider a city like Delhi or Hyderabad where the humidity is very low. All we get is a dry heat that can create a burning sensation on your skin. Dry heat is also not good for your health, as it can lead to Heat Stroke.
To protect yourself from dry heat, you can use air coolers to improve the humidity level and deliver cool air.
When Should You Use An Air Conditioner?
As the name suggests, an air conditioner conditions the air to fulfill your cooling needs. It takes away the heat from the room, and that is why you feel cold.
It has nothing to do with the humidity level as it does not add water to the air. Although it reduces the humidity level.
Since air conditioners can not improve the humidity level, they are more suitable for humid climates like those in Kolkata, Mumbai, or Chennai.
Air Cooler Vs Air Conditioner
We will find the difference between an air cooler and an air conditioner based on many parameters listed below, which will give a fair idea of which one is better.
Cooling Effect
We buy an AC or an Air Cooler to get the cooling effect. Both these machines offer the same. However, Air coolers will give you more of a humid cooling effect, whereas an air conditioner will deliver a dry cooling effect.
Depending on your climate conditions, you can choose either of the two. However, air conditioners have an edge as the cooling effect they deliver is more soothing to your body.
Cooling Coverage
You will get better cooling coverage in an air conditioner. An air conditioner can cool the entire room, whereas an air cooler can only cool up to certain areas where the air flows.
For example, if there are four people inside a room, probably only 1-2 people will get the cool air who are there directly opposite the air cooler vent. So in terms of cooling coverage, an air conditioner is a better option.
Air Circulation
Air Circulation is better in air conditioners. It can cool an entire room, whereas an air cooler can cool up to certain areas of the room.
For an air conditioner to cool your room, the room needs to be closed. In the case of an air cooler, you can use it in a closed space or an open space as per your requirement.
Comfortability
No doubt, the air conditioner provides the best comfort. It can deliver a cooling effect instantly and retain the same for some period of time even after you turn off the AC.
In the case of air coolers, although the cooling effect is instant, it can not retain the cooling effect. On top of that, air coolers will increase the humidity, which is not good in terms of comfort.
Health Concern
Air conditioners use refrigerant to absorb the heat from your room. Refrigerants are not good for health and the environment. Although the new refrigerant does not pose a health risk, it is still a bad idea in the long term.
Air coolers use cool water to deliver cool air by evaporating it. There is no chemical involved in the whole process. That is why it is a safer option.
Air coolers maintain the humidity level, again good for our skin and overall health.
Durability
Air conditioners are more durable than air coolers because there are more moving parts in air coolers. On top of that, air coolers were never designed with durability in mind.
Generally, an air cooler lasts 3-5 years, whereas an air conditioner can serve up to 10 years.
Functionality
You will get more functions in air conditioners. You may also get different air filters, which will give you healthy air. It also comes with different modern technologies to save power.
On the other hand, air coolers are meant only to deliver cold air. Not much innovation is happening for air coolers.
Portability
You can move air coolers anywhere you want without any help. Moving air conditioners would be a painful affair and may require calling a technician to set things up again.
Maintenance
Maintenance is easy and cheap in air coolers, too. All you need is to change the absorbent sheet regularly, and you are good.
For air conditioners, you will have to change the refrigerant every year. You may also need to regularly maintain costly components like the compressor, evaporator, PCB, circuit board, and pipes. If anything fails, you may need to spend a lot of money to fix it.
Power Consumption
Many people don’t buy air conditioners as they are one of the most power-hungry appliances in the household.
After the invention of inverter technology, air conditioners did not consume as much electricity as before, but they still consumed more electricity than air coolers.
Here is a power consumption comparison of a 5 Star 1.5 Ton Inverter AC against a 40-liter air cooler. This is based on the assumption that you will run the machine for 8 hours daily.
From the figure below, you can see that you will be saving around 498 units of power per year if you use an air cooler and not an air conditioner. That’s a good number. Isn’t it?
| Description | LG 1.5 Ton 5 Star Inverter AC | Symphony HiFlo 40L Cooler |
|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 54 Units Per Month | 12.5 Units Per Month |
Cost
Air Conditioners need a heavy investment. You must shell out a minimum of 50K INR to get a decent air conditioner.
In contrast, air coolers are damn cheap. Branded air coolers cost between 7K-15K INR which delivers a decent cooling effect. The maintenance is cheap too.
Air Cooler Vs Air Conditioner[ Summary]
| Air Cooler | Air Conditioner |
|---|---|
| Decent cooling effect | Best cooling effect |
| Poor coverage area | Best coverage area |
| Too much noise | Almost no noise |
| You may experience a bad smell if you don’t change the water regularly | No such issue |
| More moving parts | Fewer moving parts |
| Increases the humidity level | You only need to change the water daily |
| Does not deliver a soothing cooling effect | It can improve your comfort |
| Low maintenance | High maintenance |
| You need to call a technician to move it | Need to change refrigerant every year |
| Less durable | More durable |
| Cheap maintenance bill | Costly maintenance bill |
| No effect on health | Bad effect on overall health |
| You can move it anywhere you want | You need to call a technician to move it |
| Cheap spare parts | Costly spare parts |
| Air coolers are cheap | Air conditioners are costly |
Verdict: Air Cooler Vs Air Conditioner (Cooler Vs AC)
So, here is the deal. If you want a better cooling effect, have a good budget, and do not mind spending a good amount of money yearly on maintenance, go for an air conditioner. Otherwise, air coolers will suffice for your needs.
Please remember that the air cooler can sometimes be messy if there are any water leaks (Mostly it happens after 1-2 years of usage).
So if you like to keep your home clean and hygienic, air coolers are not for you.
Also, you may need to change an air cooler every 2-3 years, as those are not durable. So, if you think wisely, investing in air conditioners is not a bad idea considering the other benefits you will get.
FAQ | Air Cooler Vs Air Conditioner
Cooler Or AC, Which Is Better For Health?
Coolers are better for your health as they do not affect your room’s humidity level. It just evaporates the cold water to deliver cool air.
In the case of AC, refrigerant is used to absorb the heat from your room. Refrigerants are not good for your health and the environment.
What Is The Difference Between Air Cooler And Air Conditioner?
Air coolers use cold water as a medium to deliver cold air, whereas Air Conditioners use Refrigerant to deliver cold air.
Air coolers don’t require outside ventilation, while air conditioners must be vented.
Air coolers consume less power, whereas air conditioners are power-hungry machines
