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How does an evaporative air conditioner work?
Does an evaporative air conditioner use very much water?
How much electricity does the Braemar use?
Will Braemar® keep me cool during the long hot Australian summer?
Can we increase the amount of cooling in one area by reducing other areas?
How should I use my evaporative air conditioner to get the best results?
Why must the room be left open?
Is it possible to pre-cool the house by starting the air conditioner before we come home?
Will I need to cover my Braemar® during the winter, like other evaporative air conditioners require?
How often does my Braemar® air conditioner need to be cleaned and what should I use?
Does the filter media clean the air?
Can I use my Braemar® to rid my home of cooking smells or smoke?
Is the discharge water suitable for my garden?
How does an evaporative air conditioner work?
A pump circulates water from the reservoir on to a cooling pad, which in turn becomes very wet. A fan draws air from outside the unit through the moistened pad. As it passes through the pad the air is cooled by evaporation. The key to effective evaporative cooling is ensuring that each of the cooling pads are completely saturated at all times during operation and that the systems fan & motor are sized and designed to deliver the appropriate airflow for the home.
All Braemar® units feature advanced technology and a range of clever design features that combine to achieve the highest cooling performance of any comparable air conditioner. The Braemar® long life Chillcel® cooling pads are kept totally saturated at all times by the patented non-clogging water distribution system.
The Stealth® fan is super quiet in operation and ensures a constant, even flow of air through the Chillcel® pads. The advanced aerodynamic design uses only a small amount of energy to produce a constant, welcoming breeze. Braemar® units feature advanced electronics that monitor water flow, water quality and airflow through the system.
Does an evaporative air conditioner use very much water?
All evaporative air conditioners use water to give the cooling effect. The amount varies with the size of the air conditioner, the amount of cooling selected, and the ambient conditions.
Most evaporative air conditioners have a pre-programmed setting which regularly dumps the water. The air conditioner is pre-set to regularly flush all the water out of the system and replace with new water.
Braemar® units have the patented WATERmanager®, a unique feature which keeps the system clean and ensures you save precious water by minimising water loss through dumping. This is achieved by constantly measuring the salinity of the water in the tank and dumping it only when needed, to ensure a clean and efficient operation. This means that you will not waste water like other evaporative air conditioners, and you can save over 9,000 litres compared to a basic bleed system, which will save you lots of money as well as water.
The WATERmanager is a standard feature with all Braemar Evaporative units
How much electricity does the Braemar use?
It varies from model to model, but by comparison with refrigerated systems, evaporative air conditioners use about 20% of the electrical energy, - so they are very inexpensive to operate.
A Braemar® evaporative air conditioner is the most cost effective way to cool your home. Unlike refrigerated and reverse cycle systems, a Braemar evaporative won’t send your electricity bill skyrocketing every time you turn it on. In fact, a Braemar evaporative air conditioner only uses up to 1/8th the power of other systems, which can add up to hundreds of dollars each year. Click here to see the savings you can achieve with a Braemar Evaporative Air Conditioner
Will Braemar® keep me cool during the long hot Australian summer?
Yes, definitely. Braemar® performs brilliantly even in the hottest of temperatures. When the temperatures rise is when Braemar works at its best. Unlike refrigerated air conditioners, which are noisy day and night, you will sleep soundly and comfortably with the Braemar® Stealth® fan which will work for you during the night barely making a sound!
Can we increase the amount of cooling in one area by reducing other areas?
Yes one of the principles of evaporative cooling allows you to do this, by the air from the outlets always taking the path of least resistance to escape the building. So with this in mind you can close the window in a room and open the internal door so the cool air can exhaust through to another area where an external opening has been provided. We recommend you experiment so you can get the best out of your Braemar® air conditioner. Always remember the air from the outlets must be exhausted somewhere to the outside of the building in order for the unit to work effectively.
COOL TIP – Enjoy the cool fresh breeze of your Braemar® whilst you are sitting outside under your veranda. Close the doors in the house and open the back door leading to where you are sitting, and feel the coolness of Braemar® whilst you are seated outside.
How should I use my evaporative air conditioner to get the best results?
To provide effective cooling, evaporative air conditioners need to be able to create airflow through the home, exhausting hot air outside. To assist the cool fresh airflow through the home, open windows and outside doors that are furthest from the outlet vent. In the rooms that have vents you should provide an opening to outside that is approximately twice the opening area of the vent.
Also on occasions of hot winds you may need to reduce the openings on the windward side of the house and increase the openings on the other side to compensate. Once you have your Braemar® installed you will be able to experiment with this and create the best situation for you and your lifestyle. Remember, evaporative air conditioners are great for families with kids, as you don’t need to worry about the kids opening and closing doors and leaving them open, as this helps with the cooling process.
Why must the room be left open?
For best results, always allow the air from the conditioner to flow through the room. This ensures that you get a constant supply of fresh, clean cool air and that the warm and stale air is pushed out. Unlike refrigerated air conditioners which continually circulate stale air.
I prefer not to have windows open at night or when I’m not at home, can I still use a Braemar® evaporative air conditioner?
Yes! If you prefer to have the windows and doors shut, you can install optional security vents. These unobtrusive ceiling vents allow fresh cool air to flow throughout your home as if your doors and windows were wide open. Airflow simply passes up through the security vents to the outside world via the roof space. The bonus, of course if that your roof space also cools down, making the rooms below even cooler. Contact your Installer or Local Dealer for information on installing Security Vents to your home.
Is it possible to pre-cool the house by starting the air conditioner before we come home?
Yes provided your wall controller has a time delay feature that allows you to have it turn on before you get home. Remember it is important that there is somewhere for the air to be exhausted from the home in order to get the maximum effective from your Braemar. An alternative to opening your windows whilst you’re not at home is to have Security Vents (up ducts) installed to exhaust the air. Contact your Installer or Local Dealer for information on installing Security Vents to your home.
Will I need to cover my Braemar® during the winter, like other evaporative air conditioners require?
No, Braemar has the AUTOWinterseal™ which is a clever sealing system which assists in preventing draughts and dust entering the home. Whenever the system is not in use, the AUTOWinterseal™ closes off the air conditioning ducts. This also means that you don’t need to get up on the roof to cover the cabinet, as you do with other evaporative air conditioners.
How often does my Braemar® air conditioner need to be cleaned and what should I use?
We recommend that this be carried out at the end of the summer season and at least once per year. The recommended work is set out in the Owners Manual. However, only clean water should be used for cleaning, as it does not leave a residue or odour.
For Braemar units with the “No Seasonal Maintenance” feature the above does not apply. But they do still require routine maintenance checks every other year unless operating under harsh conditions and then it will need to be undertaken more often. If you are unsure about the procedure contact your local Service company or Seeley International on 1300 650 644 to be directed to your closest Service Agent for a maintenance service.
Does the filter media clean the air?
It most certainly does. The moistened Chillcel® pad catches dust and many smaller particles such as pollens, both of which can cause discomfort. Evaporative cooling is the ideal choice for families, asthma suffers and the elderly because natural clean fresh air is delivered into the home. Reverse cycle systems recycle the same air from inside the home in much the same way as a fridge. Over time this can lead to the air in the home appearing to become stale.
Can I use my Braemar® to rid my home of cooking smells or smoke?
Yes you can! The best method to achieve this is to open the windows up a little more than usual and then start your Braemar on ventilation mode on one of the higher fan speeds. This will exhaust the smells out of the building, and replace the air with fresh, clean air.
Is the discharge water suitable for my garden?
The discharge water from all evaporative coolers contains minerals & salts, so you should check with a garden centre before you put this water on your plants.
I am worried about Legionnaire’s Disease and the connection with air conditioners – is there any link with evaporative air conditioners?
No, Legionnaire’s disease is NOT a hazard with wet-pad, dry sump evaporative air conditioners like Braemar®. The following data will dispel any concerns:
The Legionnella bacteria exist throughout nature – in water and soil but usually at levels that are harmless.
To proliferate to levels considered hazardous requires water temperature of around 37°C, together with a source of nutrients
An evaporative cooler operates with its water temperature close to the wet bulb temperature, which rarely exceeds 24°C.
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