How long do evaporative cooler pads last?
Seeley gives two rough lifespans: 7 or 8 years for its Chillcel pads, and 3 or 4 years for aspen or woodwool pads (made from shredded wood fibre). It also says to replace pads on the manufacturer's schedule, so your cooler's manual has the final word.
Age isn't the only test. Pads that are crusted white, sagging, breaking up or staying dry in patches won't cool properly, however recently they went in.
Why do pads wear out?
Water evaporates and leaves its minerals behind on the pads. That's why coolers drain some water away as they run: Seeley says the drain water is high in mineral salts, and that the installer sets the constant bleed rate.
If the bleed is blocked, or someone has turned it down to save water, scale builds up faster and the pads clog. That's one reason to leave the setting alone and let a technician adjust it.
What a pad change involves
Safe access
The technician gets onto the roof with the right ladder and fall protection for your roof.
Old pads out, tank cleaned
The side panels come off, the old pads are removed, and the water tank is drained and cleaned while it's open.
New pads in
Each pad is fitted to its panel so water spreads evenly through it.
A test run
The cooler runs until every pad is fully wet, and the bleed is checked.
A short-lived smell
Seeley says new Chillcel pads are slightly smelly when the cooler first runs, that the smell fades quickly, and that the Pad Flush function can reduce it.
Other parts that wear
Pads get the attention, but several other parts age too. The water pump lifts water to the top of the pads, the float valve tops up the tank, and the drain or bleed valve flushes it. The fan motor and the wall control can also fail over the years.
A technician who works on evaporative coolers all summer can usually find parts for the common brands, and should tell you plainly when a cooler is old enough that a new one makes more sense than another round of repairs.
Check the warranty before you pay for a part. Seeley says Breezair coolers have 10 year cover on structural components and 25 year cover against corrosion on Permatuf cabinets, and a 7 year warranty if the cooler was first bought through a Seeley participating dealer.
What you can do, and what needs the technician
You can
- Notice when the air feels warmer than it used to on dry days.
- Find the brand and model in your manual so the right pads can be ordered.
- Leave the bleed setting where the installer put it.
- Book pad checks with the regular service.
Leave to a licensed installer
- Any work on the roof.
- Changing pads and cleaning the tank.
- Replacing the pump, float valve, drain valve or motor.
- Electrical faults in the motor or wall control.
What we'd do
What we'd do
We'd have the pads looked at every service and replaced on the manufacturer's schedule, or sooner if they're crusted or falling apart. If the cooler needed pads, a pump and a motor in the same year, we'd ask the technician to quote a new unit alongside the repair before we decided.
