Air Coolers vs air conditioners: Which is best for you?

With summer upon us, most of us will be looking to beat the heat by buying new air conditioners, replacing faulty, old ACs, or upgrading to more powerful air conditioning units that are better suited to our needs. On the other hand, several of us may even consider an air cooler which promises to be a more economical and flexible solution to home cooling needs

Both of these options work towards the same purpose – offering you cooling and comfort in the harsh summer weather. However, which one you pick largely depends on your cooling requirements and budget, along with other factors such as ease of use, and climate and weather conditions where you live. So should you buy an air cooler or an air conditioner? Read on to find out.

Air coolers

The biggest advantage of an air cooler is its affordability, with entry-level air coolers priced at around Rs. 4,000 onwards in India. This makes the air cooler a much more attractive option for first-time buyers or customers on a budget. Additionally, air coolers are very affordable to operate, as they consume considerably less power than air conditioners, and regular use will therefore have a much smaller impact on your monthly electricity bills.

Air coolers: Climate control

An air cooler works by cooling fresh air and therefore offers much better air quality in the room it’s being used in. The air is also humidified, which helps in improving the quality of air and lowering the temperature in the room. It is thus a much more suitable option for those who are concerned about allergies and breathing issues since an air cooler does not recirculate the same air in a closed room, as is the case with an AC.

Air conditioners: Climate control

Air coolers have considerably less control over the level of cooling, and while you’re assured a lower room temperature than before, it’s hard to say just how cold you can make it. On the other hand, air conditioners offer much more control over the temperature and climate in the room, by offering varying temperature levels, different cooling modes and fan speeds, and vent direction adjustment to ensure more effective and faster cooling in the room.

Air coolers: Air quality 

They use water for cooling, which also humidifies the air as it passes through the cooling system. This makes air coolers suitable for dry places, where the natural air is usually low on humidity and therefore easier to work on when it comes to cooling. Additionally, air coolers are more environmentally friendly, as they have no harmful emissions and only output humidified air, and also consume much less electricity than air conditioners.

ALSO READ: AC installation: What to expect and what is included in the cost?

Air conditioners: Air quality 

Air conditioners work well regardless of the climate and humidity conditions since the cooling takes place in a closed space by recirculating the same air and ensuring it cools to the desired temperature by passing it through the cooling system continuously. Unlike air coolers which work best in dry areas, an AC will work just as well in a humid environment as a dry one, making it better suited to coastal parts of India and generally humid conditions such as during the monsoon season.

Additionally, you don’t need to constantly add water to an AC to allow it to function like with an air cooler, as the cooling mechanism uses coolants which directly cool the air as it passes through the system. This can come in handy in areas where there are water shortages, since running an air cooler consumes a lot of water.