Evaporative Cooling Perth

Evaporative cooling works by drawing hot outside air through water-soaked pads — the evaporation cools the air by 10–15°C before it's pushed through ducts into your home. The drier the outside air, the more effective the cooling. Perth's summer humidity averages just 35–45%, which puts us in the sweet spot where evaporative cooling delivers temperatures 8–12°C below ambient on most days.

The big win is running cost. A typical Perth evaporative system costs around 10–20 cents per hour to run, compared with $1.50–$3.00 per hour for ducted refrigerated air conditioning. Over a long Perth summer that's a difference of hundreds of dollars on the power bill — and because evaporative systems run with windows open, you get fresh air rather than recirculated.

Evaporative coolers sit on your roof through Perth's wet winters and dry summers, full of water and exposed to UV. Without an annual service, pads calcify, pumps seize, bearings dry out, and the unit either won't start in November or runs at half capacity through the hottest months.

Our pre-summer service covers: new or cleaned cooling pads, pump strip-down and test, fan bearings inspected and lubricated, water distribution lines flushed, water level adjusted, tray drained and sanitised, electrical components checked, controller and dump-valve tested, and a full run-up to confirm airflow and temperature drop. Most services take 60–90 minutes per unit.

Not cooling well: usually calcified pads or a partially blocked pump strainer — a service fixes both. No water on the pads: failed pump or stuck float valve. Loud rattling or rumbling: worn fan bearings or a cracked fan blade (don't run it — replace the bearings before the blade fails). Smelly water: tray hasn't been drained at end of season; flush and sanitise. Controller not responding: usually a failed transformer or controller board, both readily available.

We carry pads, pumps, float valves, bearings and controllers for the common Perth brands on the van, so most repairs are completed on the first visit.

Replacing an old evaporative unit is usually straightforward — the existing ductwork and roof penetration can stay, and a modern Braemar or Breezair drops into the same footprint. We size the unit to your home's airflow needs, install on the roof, connect to existing ducting and water supply, wire to a new wall controller and commission. Most replacements are completed in half a day.