Cool-n-Save System

2/5/2012: product review updated and rating cut to 1 star today... see end of review.

this product DOES work to increase AC efficiency... there was a Tulane study of it that measured it's heat transfer increase at the condenser at 40% and 70% humidity ... the short story being that there was at least a 70% increase of heat transfer on the coils.

Another reviewer stated that if you have a humidity over 40% this is not effective.... per the Tulane study that is false... this is a water pre mister for standard residential Freon type AC units... it works by wetting the fins on the gas condenser so that the water evaporation increases the condenser transfer to the air... it is not using water as the primary evap mechanism... his statement was correct for water coolant vs gas... just about every house in the USA has gas / Freon so this is a good product for them regardless of location.

So it does increase heat transfer to the air at the condenser by >70%.... this means that if the rest of your AC system is in good shape... air handler temperature should go down (at the exit, not the vents necessarily), the cycle time should go down creating more off time, and the amp draw at the compressor should go down reducing the electric bill in addition to the increase in off time.

This product has two significant flaws....

1 cheap construction.... if you are a capable do it yourself-er... shouldn't be a big deal to maintain

2 susceptible to hard water... not easy to tell how hard is too hard... only way is to try it and monitor for clogs and calcium build up on the fins... if lime away or the like doesn't get the fins clean, take it off... not worth a condenser replacement.

so for a guy who knows what he's doing... it can make a big difference even in a swamp....

AFTER SUMMER FOLLOWUP:

I used this product through Jul, Aug, Sep, and Oct to the 21st with the following result:

1in FPL's South Florida district, over the 3.75 month period, I saved about 28% of my electric bill compared to the pro rata 2 month period of May Jun.... total 3.75 month savings about $410.....

2the jets clogged from hard water and required a cleaning about every 6 weeks

3there was no appreciable build up of hard water deposits on the condenser fins, but it will be an eventual issue

4the base kit was far too small with 3 jets to treat the whole condenser, it will require at least 1 expander kit, but it did a good job anyway

5the flapper valve had 2 defects: it made a loud squeaking sound when running at temperatures below 85..... and it leaked all the time..... this is a major product defect

overall.. .the product works as advertised, but considering the price, the manufacturer should provide a quality flapper valve and make it clear that the misters that come with the kit are only for the smallest installations....... if someone else comes out with a quality product, these guys are going to lose their entire business....

FINAL UPDATE:

Today, the leaking flapper valve KILLED my condenser fan, repair cost will be about $200 doing it myself with no AC on superbowl sunday in south florida with 82F and 90% humidity expected.... The product saved well over $200 in electricity, however the hassle of water penetrating the fan housing (which it mounts directly on top of) is HUGE. Accordingly I'm lowering the product rating to 1 star.... It is a GREAT product theory... but until someone comes out with a quality product and doesn't market cheap garbage like this... save your money and hassle....

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