How many gallons of water for evaporative cooling?

[BrotherNomad]

This is one of the most overlooked aspects about the evaporative cooler. For those who are limited to what they can bring, how many gallons does one need for evaporative cooling purpouses for one week on the playa, 12 hours of cooler runtime a day? For a really dry year.

For me I haven't kept track, mainly because I bring all the water I can because you can never have too much stored water.

[LowePro]

Well, I don't run my cooler for 12 hours a day. (I'm not typically even at camp for 12 hours a day, and the hottest part of the day lasts maybe 9 hours anyway 8:30-5:30?). Anyways, I use it for 3-4 hours a day: a few hours after in the morning so I can sleep in, and perhaps another hour or 2 during lunchtime/siesta. It goes through *roughly* 1/3 to 1/2 gallon per hour, depending on outside temp. I've never had to refill it more than once a day, even in 2013 when it was pretty darn hot. I can tell by the sound of the pump when it's getting low on water. I use a funnel, stick just the tip into one of the bucket side-holes, and dump water into the funnel. Don't have to take the bucket lid off this way.

I have never taken "extra" water for the bucket cooler and would not consider it. There is always excess melted ice and cooler water at camp or at the neighbors' camps. Most people are happy to get rid of it. As long as it's clean cooler water, I take it gladly. Sometimes I add just a few drops of bleach to keep it fresh. No problems.

[Ratty]

asr, What a great idea.

or at the neighbors' camps. Most people are happy to get rid of it.

I try to save my 'melt' but not everyone does.

[FIGJAM]

Depending on the humidity, the bucket averages 2 gallons for 5 hours of cooling.

The unicooler, depending on fan speed, will use between 1/3 to 1/2 gallon per hour.

The more powerful the fan the more water it uses.

A typical cooler for a house is 6000 cfm and can easily use 5 gallons per hour.

[Ano]

I don't bring extra water for mine - I just use the melt from the coolers in camp. Makes things much easier

However, it doesn't seem to use very much. By my scientific estimation, it uses a "wow, really? that's it?" amount of water after running it for 6 hours in the morning to sleep in.

[Molotov]

How much playa dust/mud/gunk accumulates on the evaporative pads through the week? I use 2015's dust-outs as a worse case scenario. I guess I am asking if the pads need to be washed/changed out during the week.

[FIGJAM]

I have the original pads from 6 yrs. ago still in my coolers.

This was the first time I EVER washed them, and I did that when I got home.

[Captain Goddammit]

Same schedule as your underwear, huh...

[GreyCoyote]

Same schedule as your underwear, huh...

Pffft. This is coming from the guy trying to drive a boat in the middle of a lake that went extinct 20 million years ago?

[Captain Goddammit]

Well yeah, but with springtime fresh underbritches on

[Elderberry]

Well yeah, but with springtime fresh underbritches on

Coming from one of the few guys I've seen that wears suits and ties on the playa, I don't doubt that for a minute!

[FIGJAM]

I didn't know the capt. was an expert on me undies!!!!!!!!

[Admiral Fukkit]

He's really Captain Underpants. That Capt GD thing is just his playa alter ego.

[unjonharley]

He's really Captain Underpants. That Capt GD thing is just his playa alter ego.

And, If ugly could fly, he would be a 747... Good morning Cap

[sharpstick]

. . . As long as it's clean cooler water, I take it gladly. Sometimes I add just a few drops of bleach to keep it fresh. No problems.

Key phrase, "as long as it's clean". I would surprised to find much clean melt water. We religiously put our ice into large industrial 12mil zip baggies to keep it clean. When it melts we use that for drinking, etc. We never bring more than a gallon or two of water any more.