I was in Macro in KKC yesterday, and show a portable water cooled fan system, for about 1500 bht, Does any one have any experience with such a system? does it work?,

No. Too hot or too much humidity in Thailand. Anyway, the general consesus is that it is a waste of money.

Assuming he's talking about the fan thingy with a water spray, I agree with UG. I walked in front of the demo unit at Homepro and all it did was made me damp, very little cooling, far less than I expected (and I didn't expect much).

They do work well in hot and relatively dry environments where the air can absorb the moisture, not here though.

Thank you for your prompt replies,

I apologize for my typo, the price was 12,000 or 15,000 not hundred, It was a substantial looking unit at about 4ft high 2 ft wide and 1ft deep, it had some sort of a water tank on the bottom because I could see a low and high water indicator, and a large fan on the top. I assume it works by spraying a water mist on a heat exchange, and achieving a temperature deferential by the thermal energy needed for evaporation, or decompression. I am also skeptical about it's efficiency, hence this post. I wonder if any one had some first hand experience.

Those systems work quite well in very dry climates. The cooling mechanism comes by way of evaporation. It is next to useless in a humid country and only increases the humidity in the air. Save your money.

They're called "swamp coolers" and work well. You can get the same effect for free--without being soaked--by wetting a bed sheet, hanging it up near where you sit, and blowing a fan across it onto you. People die every year in the States from heat exhaustion because they don't know this simple survival technique.

Are you not referring to a portable air con unit instead? Is there an outlet for the hot air expelled? If so, then they work well, except that the hot air should be expelled to the outside and not back into the room of course.

Thank you for your prompt replies,

I apologize for my typo, the price was 12,000 or 15,000 not hundred, It was a substantial looking unit at about 4ft high 2 ft wide and 1ft deep, it had some sort of a water tank on the bottom because I could see a low and high water indicator, and a large fan on the top. I assume it works by spraying a water mist on a heat exchange, and achieving a temperature deferential by the thermal energy needed for evaporation, or decompression. I am also skeptical about it's efficiency, hence this post. I wonder if any one had some first hand experience.

Makes little diference to the overall heat in the room, tank need refilling quickly. Way too expensive and the same 12,000 - 15,000 is better invested into a real air conditioner. Look for good promotions, if the room is not too big, maybe add another 6,000 - 7,000 and buy the real thing, full real cooling.

Edited April 12, 201214 yr by scorecard

Outside if the air is dry enough they work well

Inside....you get fungus

Thank you for your prompt replies,

I apologize for my typo, the price was 12,000 or 15,000 not hundred, It was a substantial looking unit at about 4ft high 2 ft wide and 1ft deep, it had some sort of a water tank on the bottom because I could see a low and high water indicator, and a large fan on the top. I assume it works by spraying a water mist on a heat exchange, and achieving a temperature deferential by the thermal energy needed for evaporation, or decompression. I am also skeptical about it's efficiency, hence this post. I wonder if any one had some first hand experience.

Makes little diference to the overall heat in the room, tank need refilling quickly. Way too expensive and the same 12,000 - 15,000 is better invested into a real air conditioner. Look for good promotions, if the room is not too big, maybe add another 6,000 - 7,000 and buy the real thing, full real cooling.

Thanks guys, I did not think It would really work also, but I thought I would ask. The unit is not for me , it is for my mother in law. She has being ill for a while now, and we suggested that we buy her an A/C unit for her bedroom, but she declines saying that her electric bill will be to high, we have no problem with subsidizing or even paying her electric bill, but she refuses to take our money. I know, I know a rare situation in Thailand . So since she does not want an A/C , I thought this "swamp Cooler" might be an alternative the mother in law would be more comfortable with. I will try to sell her on the A/C idea.

Thank you for your prompt replies,

I apologize for my typo, the price was 12,000 or 15,000 not hundred, It was a substantial looking unit at about 4ft high 2 ft wide and 1ft deep, it had some sort of a water tank on the bottom because I could see a low and high water indicator, and a large fan on the top. I assume it works by spraying a water mist on a heat exchange, and achieving a temperature deferential by the thermal energy needed for evaporation, or decompression. I am also skeptical about it's efficiency, hence this post. I wonder if any one had some first hand experience.

Makes little diference to the overall heat in the room, tank need refilling quickly. Way too expensive and the same 12,000 - 15,000 is better invested into a real air conditioner. Look for good promotions, if the room is not too big, maybe add another 6,000 - 7,000 and buy the real thing, full real cooling.

Thanks guys, I did not think It would really work also, but I thought I would ask. The unit is not for me , it is for my mother in law. She has being ill for a while now, and we suggested that we buy her an A/C unit for her bedroom, but she declines saying that her electric bill will be to high, we have no problem with subsidizing or even paying her electric bill, but she refuses to take our money. I know, I know a rare situation in Thailand . So since she does not want an A/C , I thought this "swamp Cooler" might be an alternative the mother in law would be more comfortable with. I will try to sell her on the A/C idea.

Nice idea. Maybe invest in inverter technology air-con, then you can genuinly tell her that costs of operating air-con have gone way down.

Good luck.