Also known as adiabatic pre-cooling, evaporative pre-cooling is based on the laws of thermodynamics, with the process using heat from the air to evaporate water. The smaller the water droplets, the quicker they will evaporate; therefore, water droplets between 5 and 10 microns can be flash evaporated to remove heat from the air.
An air conditioner misting system or fogging system will provide the finest available mist to enable flash evaporation. As this fine fog is injected into a moving airflow, it makes the evaporation process even more efficient, dropping the air temperature down into the air conditioning system’s ideal operating range.
Evaporative cooling has been in use for hundreds of years and an air conditioner misting system is just an improved and highly efficient version of the same process. We have simply used modern high pressure technology to improve the evaporation process through high pressure pumps and atomising nozzles. Unlike irrigation systems, there will be zero to minimal wetness with an air con misting system for air conditioner pre-cooling.
Return on investment for air conditioner pre-cooling systems
When calculating ROI, the most obvious cost is from the power savings made during the late spring, summer and early autumn months. In power costs alone, owners of commercial air conditioning systems should see their investment recouped within 2 years, although in many cases this can be done in as little as one summer. If an owner is also wetting their coils to help the condenser function during the hotter days, installing an air con misting system will provide significant savings in water.
Maintenance costs will also be reduced due to the lower loads being experienced by the condenser; however, these are much harder to quantify other than on a case-by-case basis. If the coil units have been hosed to keep them cool, they may experience significant corrosion and early failure, which can be avoided through the use of an air con misting system for pre-cooling.
Should the pre-cooling system be fitted before or after the condenser coil unit is installed?
As the pre-cooling condenser misting system is fitted to the outside of the coils in the direct airflow, it is better that they’re installed – even on a new system – after the condenser has been installed onsite. Therefore, the adiabatic pre-cooling system can be installed just as easily on a new or existing condenser. Either way, the condenser misting system will dramatically improve the performance of new or existing commercial air conditioning systems.
Air conditioner misting systems and condenser misters: What is the difference?
Air conditioner misting system is just a generic name for the overall process of condenser misting to cool the air before it enters the cooling coils. It is also often called chiller misting, chiller pre-cooling, condenser misting system, air conditioner water mister, or air conditioner mist spray. They are all generic and interchangeable terms that mean the same thing – pre-cooling the air that enters the cooling coil unit of an air conditioning system.
