The UK heatwave is well and truly upon us, with temperatures set to break 30°C. Fortunately, I’ve discovered a great value-for-money way to keep cool.
For years I’ve toyed with the idea of splashing out on a proper air conditioning unit. However, not only are they expensive and loud, but you’ll need to put an exhaust hose out the window and seal the resulting gap. There are kits for this – but they don’t fit all types of windows.
And let’s be honest, in 30-degree heat the last thing I want to do is deal with DIY. That’s because I’ll be doing the first thing I want to do, which is sitting perfectly still with an icy drink in my hand.
I’ve also got regular and bladless fans but they just move air. Instead, I bought a ‘fan air cooler’ for less than £50, thinking it might be okay. But after using it in the heatwave, I’m truly impressed and it’s the reason I’m sleeping well at night and conscious enough today to write this article.
There are plenty of other decent-looking models, including this Honeywell on offer for £66 , this Black and Decker for £69 , and this £105 Daewoo , which also functions as a heater, humidifier and air purifier. We’ve even tested a model from Princess , although at nearly £150, it’s not nearly as wallet-friendly.
I’ve discovered that these air coolers are actually a better alternative to proper air conditioning units in many ways, although there are some caveats.
How does an air cooler work?
While a traditional air conditioner – like the one in your car – uses refrigerant to cool the air before blowing it into the interior, while pumping hot air back outside, air coolers work in a simpler way, using evaporation.
You fill the water tank (typically around 6L in capacity) and optionally add ice packs (like the ones you’d take on a picnic) into the top section. When switched on, the air cooler pumps the water from the tank at the bottom to the reservoir at the top, where it gently cascades over the side and down through a honeycomb structure at the back.
Chris Martin / Foundry
This is where the air is drawn in, so the cold water cools the air before it blows out the front of the unit. Inevitably, this means that there’s more water in the circulated air. This helps with cooling, but it comes with a downside (more on that later).
The way the water cools the air is the big difference from a traditional circular fan or even a fancy Dyson . They simply move air. Even the best fans won’t actually lower the temperature in a room, although they will make you feel more comfortable.
What’s more, it’s cheap to run, unlike an air conditioner. The Prolectrix model above should cost you about 2p per hour to run, depending on your tariff.
My Ambiano air cooler from Aldi has a set of touch controls on the top so you can turn the water cooling mode on or off (handy if you just want to use it as a normal fan) as well as a swing mode (left to right) and various other features like a timer, fan speed and the ability to turn the lights off.
Chris Martin / Foundry
It also comes with a handy remote control.
Not only is the air that comes out of it nice and cool (granted, not as cool as an air conditioner, but I didn’t expect that), it’s quieter too, thanks to the lack of a compressor. Other advantages include the fact it’s far more compact and light, making it feasible to take on holiday in the boot of the car – although fair enough, it’s probably still the largest sleep aid you’ll be packing.
Before you buy
Although I can now approve this air cooler as a certified bargain, there are a couple things to note before you buy, one of which I only discovered after reading the manual.
The first is that these air coolers work in the opposite way to air conditioning units, which require the room to be sealed. Instead, you need to ensure airflow with open windows or doors – ideally positioning the unit near one.
This is to avoid the room getting too humid and damp from the water that’s blown out with the cool air.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Second, you might assume – as I did – that you can just use tap water. While that’s fine for the ice packs, you need to check your water hardness, as you may need to use distilled water in the appliance, as it’s free from minerals, salts and microbes.
Distilled water is expensive (it’s not the same as bottled water from the supermarket). You could certainly just carry on and use tap water to keep the cost down and accept the that it could affect the lifespan of your air cooler or its performance, but it’s something to bear in mind.
Even with those downsides, I’m really happy with my air cooler purchase and if you’ve been looking for a cheap alternative to an air conditioner, this is most certainly it.
Author: Chris Martin, Managing Editor, Tech Advisor
Tech Advisor Managing Editor Chris got his break as a reporter at infamous site The Inquirer and has been with us for more than 12 years. With a BA degree in Music Technology, audio is his specialism, but over the years he has reviewed all kinds of gadgets, from smartwatches to mesh Wi-Fi to coffee machines.
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