If you are shopping around for an air cooler, you might be confused between Desert Cooler Vs Personal Cooler.
You might wonder what the differences are between a Desert Cooler and a personal Cooler, as the two have a significant cost difference.
Do any of these air coolers have an advantage over the others? Which one cools better? What is the difference in size and power requirement for these coolers? This article will answer all these questions.
Coolers are a viable alternative to Air Conditioners as they are not power-hungry. Although the cooling effect may not be as good as that of ACs, it can offer decent cooling for casual usage.
The market mainly has two air coolers: a desert cooler and a personal cooler.
Although both work on the same principle, they cater to different segments and are also different in size and pricing.
What Is A Desert Cooler?
Desert coolers are good for dry weather. Desert coolers suck air from the outside, so you need to keep it on the window, patio, balcony or other similar place.
Usually, desert coolers are not movable, but desert coolers with movable wheels are also available in the market (Very rare)
It works on the evaporation principle. You need to pour water and ice into the cooler. Then, a pump in the air cooler drenches the honeycomb pads on three sides of the coolers with water.
When the air passes through those honeycomb pads, water evaporates. The hot air relieves the heat from the water particle, causing evaporation. As the air loses heat, we get cool air on the other side.
Desert coolers are notorious for increasing the moisture content in the room as it sucks air continuously from the outside and leaves moisture inside the room.
Personal coolers also increase the moisture, but after some time, it stabilizes.
What Is A Personal Cooler?
The personal cooler does not get air from outside. It recirculates the air available inside the room and conditions it. It also works on the same principle as a desert cooler.
It takes hot air from the room, passes it through the honeycomb pads already drenched with water, and then evaporates it, resulting in cool air.
The beauty of personal coolers is that they stabilize the room air temperature after a certain time, as they do not constantly get hot air from outside. After a few cycles, you will feel the room is already cold.
Most personal coolers are movable, as they do not need outside air. In the desert cooler, honeycombs are placed on one side instead of three sides.
Desert Cooler Vs Personal Cooler: Which One Is Better?
Although the working principle is the same for both, there are some fundamental differences between the two in terms of the way these are built, how these machines supply cool air, and portability.
Personal air coolers are small (usually 20-30 liters capacity), whereas desert coolers are bulky.
Desert coolers’ capacities vary from 50 to 70 liters, and moving them from one place to another is a pain.
Desert coolers are only good for dry climates as they increase the moisture content, whereas personal coolers are good for dry and humid weather, although they also increase the moisture content.
Desert coolers have the best cooling effect, but a personal cooler lasts longer.
Desert coolers do not condition the air inside the room. They take hot air from the outside, condition it, and deliver it to the room.
That is why, in a desert cooler, you will feel the cooling effect only when facing the airflow. Otherwise, the air will still be hot and humid.
In the case of a personal cooler, you will feel the whole room getting cooled after some time.
Desert coolers use more power, have larger motors, and cost more, but they cool better, too. Personal coolers, primarily used for home use, come at a very cheap price tag.
Desert coolers are good for industrial usage, offices, malls, etc., whereas personal coolers can be used anywhere. The movability feature complements its versatile usage.
Which One To Choose: Desert Cooler Vs Personal Cooler
Choosing an air cooler depends on how hot and humid your location is. For dry cities like Delhi, a desert cooler is the best option, whereas in places like Kolkata or Chennai, where the humidity is already very high, desert coolers will worsen things.
Other parameters like portability, size, and power should also be considered when you choose between Desert Cooler Vs Personal Cooler, but the weather and cooling effect should drive your decision.
FAQ: Desert Cooler Vs Personal Cooler
Why Does A Desert Cooler Cool Better?
A desert cooler cools better on a hot, dry day because the lower humidity and higher temperature increase the rate of water evaporation, which is the cooler’s cooling mechanism.
