10 Best Air Coolers in India (2022)
Want to beat the summer heat with an affordable cooling appliance?
Here, you can find the best air cooler in India 2022 with price specified in our comprehensive list of all the best coolers available on the market. We have researched numerous air coolers, their features and pricing to select the best ones. If you are searching for information to choose the best cooler for your needs, we have included a buying guide to help you. Read on to find out more about- how air coolers work, their advantages, types, how they fare against A/Cs and understand features like tank capacity, CFM, cooling pads etc.
Table of Contents:
List of 10 Best Air Coolers in India 2022
- Crompton Ozone 75-Litre Desert Air Cooler (White and Teal)
- V-Guard AIKIDO 70-Litre Desert Air Cooler (WHITE)
- Crompton Ozone 55-Litre Desert Air Cooler for Home and Commercial (White and Teal)
- Bajaj Platini Torque 36-Litre Air Cooler for Medium Room (White)
- Symphony Diet 3D – 30i Personal Tower Air Cooler 30-Litre (Black & White)
- Crompton Ozone 88-Litre Inverter Compatible Desert Air Cooler (White and Teal)
- Havells Celia 55 Litres Desert Air Cooler (White and Grey)
- SJ AIR 65 Litres Cooler, Alpha
- Bajaj DC 55 DLX 54-litres Desert Air Cooler for Large Room (White)
- Symphony Storm 70-litres Desert Tower Air Cooler (White)
- How Does An Air Cooler Work?
- Air Cooler Vs Air Conditioner- Pros And Cons
- What Are The Benefits Of Using Air Coolers?
- Effect of Relative Humidity and Temperature on the Cooling Effect.
- What Are The Various Types of Air Coolers?
- Personal/Tower Cooler vs Desert Cooler- Which Is Right for Me?
- How Much Water Tank Capacity Does An Air Cooler Need?
- How Much CFM/Airflow/Cooling Area Should My Air Cooler Have?
- What Type of Cooling Pad Is Best for an Air Cooler?
- What Are Inverter Air Coolers?
- Mosquito Removal And Anti-Dust Features
- Design Features of Air Coolers
- Additional Features To Consider
- Tips to Get The Most Efficient Cooling Out of My Air Cooler
1) Crompton Ozone 75-Litre Desert Air Cooler (White and Teal)
With a large 75-litre water tank and a wide airflow covering a 500 square feet room, this Crompton Ozone desert air cooler is the first on our list of the best air cooler in India. It offers wide-angle air-throw and humidity control for superior cooling. Its Everlast Pump is less susceptible to jamming even when the TDS level of your home water is high. It comes with Inverter Capability to continue cooling during a power cut and auto drain function for easy cleaning. It ensures uniform air distribution with motorised louvres for 4-way air deflection. This cooler is meant to be long-lasting as it has a rust-free body that also very easy to clean.
Features:-
- 75 Litre Capacity:
Having a capacity of 75 litres of water, this portable and sleek cooler will prevent the inconvenience of frequently filling the tank.
- Suitable For Up to 500 Sq. Ft:
You can keep this cooling companion next to your bed, dining table or sofa. This cooler will efficiently cool the entire room as it covers an area of 500 square feet.
- Wool Cooling Pad:
The Crompton desert air cooler is designed using wood wool cooling pads for superior water retention and excellent cooling performance. It ensures 4200 m3/hr of air delivery so it can reach every corner of your room.
- Inverter Capability:
This cooler can run on an inverter so you can enjoy uninterrupted cooling on the hottest summer days, even when there’s a power cut.
- Automatic Louvre Movement:
This cooler boasts a 4-way air deflection, thanks to the motorized/oscillating louvres.
- Rust-free Body:
Its durable fibre body keeps it free from corrosion and does not allow deposition of watermarks on its stylish body.
- Easy to Clean:
Having smooth exteriors, this cooler is very easy to clean using just a clean cloth.
- ICE Chambers:
The cooler comes with a separate ice chamber for keeping ice cubes to enhance the cooling experience.
Technical Details:-
Warranty: 1 Year
Item Model Number: ACGC-DAC751
Product Dimensions: 61 x 40.5 x 120 cm
Item Weight: 14 kg 500 g
Included Components: Cooler, user manual and warranty card
Colour: White and Grey
Capacity: 75 Ltrs
2) Crompton Ozone 75-Litre Desert Air Cooler (White and Teal)
This heavy-weight desert cooler from V-Guard is the second entry on our list of the best cooler in India as its capable of cooling large spaces. With an air delivery of 4700 m3/hr, the air cooler will deliver cool and fresh air uniformly across your room. It has 70 litres capacity, so you don’t have to refill it frequently. Its Honeycomb cooling pads retain more water, resulting in faster cooling. This is 40% thicker than standard ones on the market for long-lasting cooling. Some additional features of this effective and reliable air cooler are motorised louvre movement and thermal overload protection.
Features:-
- Smart Humidity Control:
The Aikido Desert Cooler is equipped with a special pumping system to control the water pumping cycle. This helps regulate the humidity of your room. - Smart Controller:
The cooler has a smart built-in controller offering advanced features like Smart Sleep Mode, Off Timer and Smart Memory feature. - Low Water Indicator:
Provides useful audio and visual information to refill the tank before it’s completely dry. - Smart Sleep Mode:
This automatically steps down the fan speed every hour from a preset time. This settles the cooler at a comfortable low speed when you’re asleep. - Smart Memory Feature:
After a power cut, the system will restart with preset parameters.
Technical Details:-
Colour: White
Product Dimensions: 70 x 45 x 70 cm
Item Model Number: AIKIDO F70
Item Weight: 19 kg
Included Components: USER MANUAL GUIDE, WHEELS
Capacity: 70 Ltrs
3) Crompton Ozone 75-Litre Desert Air Cooler (White and Teal)
Crompton coolers are designed keeping in mind the cooling needs of the Indian market. The Crompton Ozone 55 litre desert cooler is built with wide-angle airflow of 4250 m3/hr and four-way motorized louvre movement. It has a powerful 190 W motor that helps distribute the air in every corner of a large 500 sq ft room/hall. The air cooler comes with a water drain plug for easy cleaning and an easy-to-clean, rust-free body. It’s capable of continuing the cooling during a power cut as it can run on your home inverter. With a reasonable cooler price in India and so many features, this is certainly one of the best air coolers available.
Features:-
- 55-Litre Capacity:
This large tank saves you from the inconvenience of having to fill it multiple times.
- Inverter Capability:
For uninterrupted cooling during a power cut.
- Wood Wool Cooling Pad:
Improved water retention and better cooling performance. It boasts an air delivery of 4250 m3/hr.
- ICE Chambers:
Separate ice chambers to enhance the cooling speed.
- Motorised Louvre Movement:
Features automatic oscillating louvres for 4-way air deflection.
- Rust-Free and Easy-To-Clean Body:
The air cooler comes with a rust-free and durable construction. The body is very easy to clean with a piece of cloth.
Technical Details:-
Warranty: 1 Year
Capacity: 75 Ltrs
Colour: White and Maroon
Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 37.2 x 54 cm
Item Model Number: ACGC-DAC555
Item Weight: 5 kg 300 g
4) Bajaj Platini Torque 36-Litre Air Cooler for Medium Room (White)
This Bajaj personal air cooler is suitable for different climates and geographical locations of India. It delivers sustained cooling with high air delivery to cool all the space in your room evenly. The cooling media is built with Hexacool technology to deliver an enhanced cooling experience while consuming minimum water. You can enjoy fast cooling on the hottest summer days, as it has Turbo Fan technology to deliver quick and effective cooling. This air cooler works on an inverter and has a power consumption of only 100 Watts. It’s equipped with castor wheels for easy mobility.
Features:-
- Hexacool Technology:
The air cooler has a specially designed cooling media with a hexagonal pattern to maximize cooling with minimum water. - Turbo Fan Technology:
Enjoy soothing time on the hottest summer days. - Powerful Air Throw:
This air cooler has a powerful air throw of 70 feet to deliver air in every corner of your room. - Side Cool Master:
It gives you an option of 3 fan control speeds to adjust cooling as per your needs. - Super Air Delivery:
It ensures high air delivery to cool every corner of your room. - 36 Litre Water Tank:
Ensures longer cooling without wasting too much water.
Technical Details:-
- Warranty: 1 Year
- Colour: White
- Product Dimensions: 45.5 x 43.5 x 82 cm
- Item Model Number: PX97 Torque
- Item Weight: 11 kg 200 g
- Capacity: 36 Ltrs
5) Symphony Diet 3D - 30i Personal Tower Air Cooler 30-Litre (Black & White)
Symphony Diet 3D 30i is a powerful, sleek, and one of the best air cooler in India meant to beat the harsh and blistering summer heat. It covers less carpet area due to its vertical design but still has a 30-litre large water tank for long-lasting cooling. It’s equipped with honeycomb cooling pads on its three sides to provide superior 3-dimensional airflow. This air cooler comes with advanced features like a pop-up touchscreen and magnetic remote control. It also delivers filter-fresh air as it has multi-stage air purification filters comprising of an allergy filter, dust filter, PM 2.5 filter and bacteria filter.
Features:-
- 3D Honeycomb Pads:
Highly effective honeycomb pads on all three sides deliver superior three-way cooling for efficient, cool air circulation. - Multi-Stage Filtration:
Powered by I-Pure technology, the multi-stage air purification system has a dust filter, allergy filter, PM 2.5 filter, bacteria filter and smell filter. - Low Power Consumption:
Designed to deliver superior cooling at the operating cost of a fan. - Use it Anywhere:
The cooler is designed to provide comfortable cooling, whether inside the home or outdoors. - Magnetic Remote:
It comes with a fully functional magnetic remote which sticks to the cooler body. Now you don’t have to worry about where to find your remote. - Pop-up Touchscreen:
The air cooler is equipped with a user-friendly pop-up touchscreen to ensure convenience and ease of use.
Technical Details:-
- Warranty: 1 Year
- Colour: White & Black
- Product Dimensions: 38 x 35 x 95 cm
- Item Model Number: Diet 3D – 30i
- Item Weight: 8 kg
Capacity: 30 Ltrs
6) Crompton Ozone 88-Litre Inverter Compatible Desert Air Cooler (White and Teal)
The next air cooler on our list of the best cooler in India is this desert air cooler from Crompton. With a tank capacity of 88 litres, you don’t have to worry about it not cooling your room in the middle of the night. The honeycomb cooling pads improve water retention and deliver 4200 m3/hr air throw. With fully motorised louvres, it can uniformly cool an area of 500 square feet. It has low power requirements and can run on inverter power when there’s a power cut. This air cooler has a durable and rust-free body with smooth exteriors, making it very easy to clean.
Features:–
- 88 Litres Capacity:
You don’t have to worry about filling this water cooler at inconvenient times as it has an extra-large capacity of 88 litres. - Suitable for 500 sq ft Room:
It can efficiently cool an area of 500 square feet. - Inverter Compatible:
You can enjoy continuous cooling even during a power cut if the cooler is connected to a home inverter. - Motorised Louvres:
Motorised automatic louvres provide 4-way air deflection. - Rust-Free and Easy-To-Clean body:
The air cooler comes with a durable, rust-free body that doesn’t allow water-marks. Its smooth exteriors make it very easy to clean with just a cloth. - Ice Chambers:
Get enhanced cooling by filling the ice chamber with ice cubes. - Honeycomb Pads:
The cooler is equipped with honeycomb cooling pads to ensure increased water retention and cooling performance.
Technical Details:-
- Warranty: 1 Year
- Colour: White & Black
- Product Dimensions: 34.8 x 19 x 19 cm
- Item Model Number: Honeycomb
- Item Weight: 3 kg
Capacity: 88 Litres
7) Havells Celia 55 Litres Desert Air Cooler (White and Grey)
The Havells Celia Desert is on our list of the best cooler in India due to its many innovative features. It comes with a unique fan designed to operate with less noise so that you can sleep peacefully. It’s equipped with 3-side Honeycomb pads, which absorb dust particles and clean the indoor air. These cooling pads are durable and require little maintenance. The Auto-Fill feature allows you to connect the cooler to the water supply and never worry about manual refilling. Collapsible louvres prevent dust and insects from entering the air cooler. It also comes with wheels for easy portability.
Features:-
- Easy to Move:
It comes with wheels to make it easy to move from one room to another. - 3-side Honeycomb Cooling Pads:
These are very durable and requires little maintenance. They can clean the air thoroughly and have hydrophilic, anti-erosion and anti-deformation properties. - Inverter Compatible:
You can get continuous cooling even during power cuts as this Celia air cooler is inverter compatible. - Auto Fill:
This allows you to connect it to a continuous water supply. With this air cooler, there’s no hassle of refilling it manually every day. - Low Noise:
It comes with a unique fan design to produce less noise. - India’s First Innovative Cooler Range:
The Celia air cooler boasts many innovative features like a unique fan design, collapsible louvres and auto-fill.
Technical Details:-
- Warranty: 1 Year
- Colour: Silver
- Product Dimensions: 66 x 51 x 111.5 cm
- Item Model Number: Celia
- Item Weight: 25 kg 900 g
Capacity: 55 Ltrs
8) SJ AIR 65 Litres Cooler, Alpha
The next entry on our list of the best air cooler in India is this air cooler from SJ with UVC technology. It uses Ultraviolet C light for air purification and kills bacteria and viruses alike, making your room germ-free. Its 65 litres capacity saves you from the hassles of having to refill it at inconvenient times. This air cooler comes with 3 side honeycomb pads for greater water retention, which results in faster cooling. It also has an ice chamber to further enhance the cooling speed. This aesthetically well-designed air cooler also has collapsible louvres to prevent dust accumulation.
Features:
- UVC Technology:
This air cooler uses UV-C lamps to kill bacteria and virus including Covid-19 from indoor air.
- 3-side Honeycomb Pads:
It ensures maximum cooling as these pads are thick and absorb more water. They also require little maintenance and have higher durability.
- Collapsible Louvres:
Automatic louvres help to spread the cool air across your room. These are collapsible to prevent the entry of dust and insects inside the air cooler.
- Ice Cube Chamber:
It has an additional ice chamber to put ice cubes for enhanced cooling.
Technical Details:-
- Warranty: 18 Months
- Colour: Gray, White
- Product Dimensions: 65 x 42 x 112 cm
- Item Model Number: SJ-ALPHA MODEL
- Item Weight: 17 kg
Capacity: 65 Ltrs
9) Bajaj DC 55 DLX 54-litres Desert Air Cooler for Large Room (White)
Equipped with a large 54-litre tank and having high air delivery, the Bajaj DC Desert Air Cooler is one of the best air cooler in India. It offers sustained and effective cooling in the different climates and geographical locations of India. It has 3 sided honeycomb pads and ice compartments for better cooling. The air throw is powerful, covering 70 feet of space and delivering air to every corner of a 600 sq ft room. This cooler also comes with turbo-fan technology for those times when the room is a bit too hot.
Features:-
- Hexacool Technology:
The specially designed cooling pads with hexagonal design delivers maximum cooling while keeping the water consumption low.
- ICE Chamber:
This can be filled with ice cubes to deliver chilly air and improved cooling.
- Super Air Delivery:
This cooler is equipped with multiple features to deliver enhanced air delivery.
- 54-Litre Tank:
The large water tank saves you from the trouble of having to fill it up frequently.
- Turbo Fan Technology:
With this, you can enjoy a soothing time in the warmest of temperatures.
- Powerful Air Throw:
The Bajaj air cooler has a 70 feet powerful air throw that can reach all corners of your room.
Technical Details:-
- Warranty: 1 Year
- Colour: White
- Product Dimensions: 42.5 x 26 x 114 cm
- Item Model Number: DC 55 DLX
- Item Weight: 18 kg 500 g
- Capacity: 54 Ltrs
10) Symphony Storm 70-litres Desert Tower Air Cooler (White)
The last entry on our list of the best cooler in India is the Symphony Storm 70 XL. This desert air cooler is equipped with a powerful fan to provide great airflow. Its compact design makes it a great addition to any place, whether it’s a large living room, outdoor area, office, showroom or public spaces. The cooler is equipped with a Cool Flow dispenser for better water distribution resulting in improved cooling. It offers great performance at low energy costs, only consuming as much as a fan.
Features:-
- Pedestal with Castor Wheels:
The Symphony cooler has a high-quality pedestal with castor wheels that rotate 360 degrees. Thanks to this, you can easily move this around the house.
- Convenient Dial Knob:
It’s equipped with a handy and convenient dial knob to control the cooling.
- Cool Flow Dispenser:
It distributes the water more evenly, resulting in better cooling.
- Powerful Fan:
A powerful fan inside the cooler ensures better air throw and faster cooling.
- Low Power Consumption:
It uses as much power as a fan while delivering excellent cooling performance.
- Use It Anywhere:
You can get efficient cooling from this both indoors and outdoors.
Technical Details:-
- Warranty: 1 Year
- Colour: White
- Product Dimensions: 63.5 x 50 x 112.5 cm
- Item Model Number: STORM 70 XL
- Item Weight: 14 kg 900 g
- Capacity: 70 Ltrs
- Included Components: 1 unit air cooler, 4 unit castor wheels, 1 unit pedestal
How Does an Air Cooler Work?
An air cooler works on the evaporative cooling principle, where water evaporation cools the air inside the room. A simple example of this is sweating/transpiration in humans. As sweat starts to evaporate from our skin, it extracts the extra heat and releases it as water vapour. This results in a cooling effect on our body every time we sweat. In air coolers, warm indoor air passes through an evaporating media and then through the cooling pads via a water pump. The flowing water extracts the indoor heat and evaporates, turning to fresh and cool air that’s thrown back into the room by the fan/blower. Today, many of the best coolers are equipped with dedicated ice cube trays to accelerate the cooling process.
Air Cooler vs Air Conditioner- Pros and Cons
Air coolers and air conditioners are the two most popular options for people to save themselves from the summer heat. However, their pricing, cooling and functions are different. A brief comparison of their pros and cons will make it clear.
Air Cooler
Pros:
- An air cooler cools the air by adding humidity to it from the water compartment. Water pours down from it to the honeycomb pads, evaporates and its fans/blowers throw the moist air into your room.
- Air coolers are very simple to operate and service, requiring minimal expertise to repair, unlike air conditioners. It’s also very easy to find spare parts of even the best coolers on the market.
- As a result of their simplicity, air coolers cost much less than A/Cs and uses only 1/5th or less power used by an energy-efficient A/C.
- They don’t need the help of an external stabiliser or refrigerant replacement services, unlike air conditioners.
Cons:
- Air coolers can only work in a relatively dry climate, as it uses humidity to cool a room.
- It requires regular filling of water and ice for its cooling function to work. Otherwise, it can only work as a fan/blower unit.
Air Conditioners
Pros:
- Air conditioners work by circulating the indoor air and transferring the heat to the outdoor unit using the refrigerant.
- The primary reason why most people buy air conditioners is their fast cooling and high comfort level.
- It works equally well regardless of dry or humid climate.
Cons:
- A/Cs are very costly to buy up-front, making it inaccessible for many lower-income families. You will also need to pay extra for installation and accessories like wall brackets, copper pipe etc. Additionally, there’s an annual maintenance change you have to pay to keep it running.
- An air conditioner consumes many times the electricity as the best air coolers in India. It contributes to a significant portion of the energy bill every summer.
- A/Cs are not environment friendly, with older units releasing HCFCs that depletes the ozone layer and cause global warming.
What Are the Benefits of Using Air Coolers?
The following are some of the benefits of choosing an air cooler:
- Clean, fresh and breathable air –
Unlike air conditioners which circulate dry indoor air, air coolers use evaporative cooling. This exchanges the stale indoor air with fresh outside air. The best air cooler in India will have dust and anti-bacterial filters to clean the air further.
2. Minimum Operating Cost –
Air coolers are one of the most efficient cooling appliances at their prices. There are no costs involved for installation, yearly servicing and the occasional part replacements. The operating costs are also very low, as they consume little electricity.
3. Portability –
Air coolers come with wheels and can be easily moved from one room to another.
4. Eco-friendly –
Air coolers are eco-friendly as they have no global warming potential. Unlike air conditioners which use refrigerants like HCFCs which deplete the ozone layer, air coolers only use water for cooling.
5. Usage –
Coolers can be used in both indoor and open spaces and don’t need a closed room to work.
Effect of Relative Humidity and Temperature on the Cooling Effect.
Evaporation coolers are the most effective in dry climates, as hot air accelerates evaporation to make cool, moist vapour faster. This is then distributed throughout the room using a fan or a blower. However, in places with high humidity, the water doesn’t evaporate quickly as the indoor air is saturated with water.
Both the humidity and the indoor temperature should be considered to figure out the effectiveness of an air cooler. With higher temperature and relative humidity, the effective cooling temperature will also become higher. For outside air temperature of 80 Fahrenheit (26.7°C) and relative humidity of 50%, a cooler will lower the temperature up to 21°C. When this temperature gets to 32°C, the cooler can achieve the same when the humidity is at 30%. At 43°C (110 F), even the best coolers can lower temperature to 24°C only when the relative humidity is at 2%.
What Are the Various Types of Air Coolers?
There are four main types of air coolers available in the market. A brief description of each type is given as follows:
- Personal Coolers
As the name implies, this type of coolers makes for an excellent personalised cooling solution ideal for small and closed spaces. The best coolers consume the least amount of energy due to their smaller size. Ideal for small to medium-sized rooms, it comes with a small tank and can run for a few hours. Personal coolers have a variety of shapes, sizes and designs, so you have a lot of options while choosing. - Desert Coolers
These are large coolers characterised by a high-capacity tank, big fans and powerful motor. These coolers are perfect for dry climate regions as they cool large spaces having excellent air throw and delivery. They can have a capacity of over 100 litres providing continuous cooling for many hours without needing a refill. - Tower Coolers
Tower coolers are designed to fit in the smallest of spaces with a slim, elegant and vertical design. They have a capacity similar to desert coolers and high cooling efficiency. Their uniqueness lies in their height, as they can deliver airflow above your waist when you’re in a standing position. It can be used for medium to large-sized rooms. - Window Air Coolers
These are meant to be fitted into windows but also comes with a rack to use on the floor. Placing them on the windows circulates fresh air inside the room as the coolers pull air from the outside. Their main advantage is to save floor space.
Personal/ Tower Cooler vs Desert Cooler- Which Is Right for Me?
When looking for the best air coolers in India, you might come across various types of coolers, like personal and air coolers. Both are nearly identical in their cooling process but have some unique features. Given is a brief comparison of the two types.
Desert Coolers
- It provides faster and better cooling in dry climates as it evaporates more water through three sides of the cooler.
- These are suitable for large-sized rooms as it has a large tank capacity of over 80 litres and big fans. This helps to spread the cool air uniformly across the whole room.
- They are mainly put outside the room or near windows or balconies as they bring fresh air from the outside.
- Desert coolers are heavy and usually kept in a stationary position. They are the best coolers for large bedrooms, drawing halls, hotels, restaurants and so on.
Personal Air Coolers
- Personal coolers are smaller and portable appliances and come in numerous shapes and sizes to fit in any space you want them to.
- Unlike desert coolers, they use less water, so they are meant for small and enclosed spaces. They are also a better option for places with high humidity as they use little water, resulting in better cooling.
- Due to their smaller body, tank and fan size, these consume less power and have the lowest cooler price in India.
- In hot and dry climates, these would need frequent refilling.
Therefore, the choice between these two depends on the size of your room and the local climate. Desert coolers are best for large rooms, halls or public spaces in a hot and dry climate. Personal coolers work well in a bedroom or an office cabin and are a better option for a humid climate.
How Much Water Tank Capacity Does an Air Cooler Need?
The water tank capacity determines how frequently you have to refill it to continue working the air cooler. Your room size and the local climate are the two main factors deciding the type of cooler and tank capacity. Personal air coolers have a maximum capacity of around 20-30 litres and are good enough for a small bedroom or a study. Tower coolers have 25-50 litres capacity and can provide ample cooling for a medium-large room. Desert coolers are the best coolers for home in dry and hot weather and have a capacity of over 60-90 litres.
Many personal coolers are equipped with an auto-fill function to replenish the water continuously. Another thing to look for when looking for the best air coolers in India is if the water pump is compatible with hard water and has a long shelf life.
How Much CFM/Airflow/Cooling Area Should My Air Cooler Have?
The airflow/cooling area of an air cooler is measured in cubic feet per minute or CFM and tells how much air will circulate in your room. The larger the room size, the more airflow your cooler needs to effectively cool it. You can calculate the CFM required by an air cooler to cool your room by measuring the volume of your room in cubic feet and dividing it by two. Therefore, if your room is 400 sq feet with a 10 ft ceiling, the required CFM would be 2000 (400 sq ftx10 ft/2).
The airflow of an air cooler determines how long it will take to empty the tank. If you want your cooler to last overnight, i.e. over 8 hours, your cooler needs a large enough tank to maintain a high airflow. The recommended tank capacity for various airflow is given as follows.
- For <600 CFM: Below 15 litres
- 600 to 1200 CFM: 15 to 30 litres
- 1200 to 1800 CFM: 31-50 litres
- 1800 to 2400 CFM: 51 to 70 litres
- Above 2400: Over 60 litres
The airflow also depends on whether a fan or blower unit is used in it. Blowers create high-pressure airflow, which is why it’s often used in personal air coolers. On the other hand, fans create airflow with low pressure at large volumes; therefore, it’s used in large air coolers. The best air coolers in India have automatic louvre movement for uniform airflow. This is especially important for cooling large rooms.
What Type of Cooling Pad Is Best For an Air Cooler?
Cooling pads absorb water from the cooler’s tank and allow air to pass through, evaporate and turn to cold air. Thicker cooling pads help in better cooling as more water is absorbed. There are two types of cooling pads you can find in air coolers and these are:
A. Aspen Pads:
Also known as wood wool pads, these are made of wood shavings and synthetic fibres and cheaper. But they have a short lifespan and need replacement every year.
B. Honeycomb Pads:
Cellulose cooling pads are called honeycomb because of their unique shape. These are thicker, providing more efficient cooling and long-lasting, therefore, requiring less maintenance. They cost a bit more compared to aspen pads but can be found in most new air cooler models on the market.
What are Inverter Air Coolers?
It refers to air coolers that can work on inverters to keep working during a power cut. These have high energy efficiency as they can work at 50% less power than regular air coolers. Such low consumption is meant to ensure less load on your backup power. Air coolers built with inverter technology are often able to test the air temperature to adjust the speed of the motor. This protects the cooler’s components from voltage fluctuations. The automatic function also results in quieter operation than regular ones. Its long-term energy conservation makes it one of the best cooler for home.
Power Consumption of Air Coolers
Unlike air conditioners which significantly increase the energy bills, air coolers only consume a fraction of it while reducing the indoor heat to a tolerable level. At the same time, it delivers excellent cooling in dry and hot climates, which is why it has been used in North India for years. A lot of expenses are saved when air coolers are used in place of air conditioners under the right conditions. The cheapest air cooler costs about 80% of air conditioners and consumes 1/10th of its electricity. For a 200 sq foot room, an air cooler 0.2 to 0.3 units per hour compared to 1.2 to 1.5 units/hr by an air conditioner.
For those living in hot and dry climates, air coolers can be considered a better alternative to both ceiling fans and air conditioners. Its cooling is way better than fans, and it circulates fresh air at a fraction of the running costs of an A/C.
Mosquito Removal and Anti-Dust Features
An open and large store of water in an air cooler can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, posing a health hazard and increasing risk of malaria and Dengue. Many air-coolers have anti-mosquito features like closed vents and mosquito-repellent materials. Compounds like Cymbopogon extract has insecticidal properties and is put in the mosquito-repellent chamber to prevent breeding.
With air quality depleting every day, having appliances that purify the air is a sensible option. Some of the best air coolers in India come with dust filter nets covering all its sides to filter the dust and impurities from the air. Some even come with carbon dust filters with activated carbon to remove air contaminants.
Design Features of Air Coolers
Today, there are more options than traditional bulky air coolers on the market. Many come with different looks, size and designs so you can find the right one for your needs. Personal coolers come in a variety of shapes to fit any corner of your room. Tower coolers are specially built to fit narrow spaces of small rooms and office space. Many feature sleek and stylish designs to match different interior decorations.
Air coolers come in fibre or all-metal bodies, with the fibre bodies being more colourful and elegant. The best coolers have a galvanised steel body and a larger cooling pad area as it has more space. This makes them have better cooling efficiency while offering higher durability and protection against corrosion.
Another design features common in modern air coolers is its portability. These have integrated castors or multi-functional wheels, which are sometimes attachable to make them much easier to move from one room to another. It also makes it easy to clean under the air cooler.
Additional Features to Consider
Given are some essential features worth looking for in the best air cooler in India.
A. ICE Cube Tray:
One of the basic ways to enhance the cooling effect of an air cooler is to add ice. Many come with large ice trays to keep many ice cubes, which slowly melt and cool the water, resulting in a cooler airflow.
B. Remote Control:
Many air coolers have a remote so, you don’t have to get up every time you want to change the fan speed or other settings.
C. Automatic Control:
The latest air coolers come with auto mode, allowing the cooler to automatically change the cooling and fan speed after detecting the ambient temperature. Few coolers are IoT-enabled and come with smart settings, and can be controlled with voice assistants.
D. Water-Level Indicator:
High-end air coolers come with an alarm to indicate lower water levels. It’s very useful as repeatedly running the air cooler without water can damage its motor.
E. Water-Level Controller:
Some air coolers have automatic water adjustment, so you are saved the hassle of refilling the tank every day. These have automatic controllers that maintain optimum water level by taking and draining water as per needs. This also prevents flooding and leakage in your room.
Tips to Get The Most Efficient Cooling Out of My Air Cooler
Given are some of the best tips to improve cooling efficiency and reduce the power consumption of your air cooler.
- Better Ventilation:
A common misconception with air coolers is that it needs completely enclosed space to work like air conditioners. On the contrary, providing proper ventilation by keeping the windows or doors opened and allowing cross ventilation makes air coolers work better. This is because air coolers distribute fresh air from the outside unlike A/Cs and open windows keeps the humidity low.
- Keep Heat Generating Objects Out:
The less heat is generated in the home, the easier it will be for the air cooler to cool the room. This might seem obvious but, there are many items in the household like lights, microwaves, TV, computers and stoves generating a lot of heat.
- Regular Cleaning and Maintenance:
The cooler collects a lot of dirt from the indoor air of the room and therefore, you should clean the cleaning pads regularly to get the best cooling. If they are in pretty bad shape, you might consider changing them to make the cooler unit work like it used to. You should also clean the water tanks and do a quick swipe of the fan blades to improve the cooling effect.
- Placing the Cooler in Front of a Window:
Air coolers work better with more outside heat as it evaporates the water faster. So one easy way to get more cool air is by placing the appliance in front of the window.
- Check the Water Level:
Air coolers work using water so, it makes sense to check the water level regularly. Without water, the unit will not only function optimally but also get undue stress on its motors.
- Saturating the Cooling Pads Before Use:
You can let the pump run the water through the cooling pads while filling the water tanks. This gives you instant cooling when you switch on the cooler as they get soaked in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Personal air coolers are small, portable and good for spot-cooling in small-medium rooms and humid temperatures. Desert coolers are best for very hot and dry climates and well-ventilated spaces like terrace, balconies and large halls. It cools medium-large sized rooms effectively. Tower coolers are best for fitting in tight space and deliver cooling in a standing position, making it great for offices. Window coolers, as the name implies, are meant to be installed in windows to save space.
The minimum recommended tank capacities for various room sizes are given below:
- Small rooms (150 sq ft): 15 litres
- Medium rooms (300 sq ft): 25 litres
- Large rooms (600 sq ft): 40 litres
- Extra-large rooms/halls (900 sq ft): 55+ litres
You should try to a larger tank capacity than the minimum requirements to run it on low settings for energy savings and quiet operation.
An air cooler’s power consumption depends on its size as bigger coolers have larger motors and can vary from 150 watts to 300 watts. A 200-watt air cooler running for 5 hours a day will consume 1 kWh of electricity per day and 30 kWh electricity per month. This is about 8-10 times less than an A/C’s power consumption and about the same as a fan and some lights.
An air cooler works by distributing moist air to cool a room; therefore, it can’t work optimally when the air is already saturated with water. You can lower the humidity of your room by opening the doors and windows to let excess moisture escape. Personal air coolers work better in these climates, as they distribute less moisture.
Unlike air conditioners, air coolers don’t re-circulate air; thus, it requires open space to draw outside air. You need to allow proper ventilation and cross draft by opening doors and windows. You can place the air cooler near a window or other open space to make it work optimally.
Air cooler maintenance involves only cleaning the various parts of the cooler to make it work effectively. You need to clean the water reservoir regularly and the cooling pads to prevent mould and mildew buildup. You will also need to do a quick swipe of the fans and clean the air filter (if your model has one).