If your swamp cooler springs a water leak and saturates your roof, there is a possibility that you will have to replace your roof along with the malfunctioning swamp cooler. There are four more places that your system can leak from aside from any physical damage it has endured. Let’s go through these spots that may have sprung a leak to give you some ideas on how to mend your leaking swamp cooler system.
Drain Hole Leak
Look at the bottom of your evaporative cooler and locate
the drain hole. If you discover water is leaking from this area, don’t worry,
the solution is rather simple. First, check the reservoir’s water level and
make sure it’s not above the overflow pipe. If it is, you can adjust the float
arm by bending it to adjust the level. Another possibility is that your
overflow pipe is not correctly secured to the drain hole. If so, you might have to replace the overflow pipe and the drain fittings.
Pad sides
You should check and see if the bottom of the cooler housing is leaking from the sides of the pads. If this proves to be the case, you should check the amount of build up from the scale on the pad’s sides and on the plastic inserts. If it is an excessive amount, you should either clean or, more desirably, replace it. If the build up isn’t too bad, you should check the sidewall of the reservoir to make sure it has been placed properly. The base should be inside of the wall of the reservoir. It is also important to verify that there is no cracks or holes in the plastic side wall.
Bottom of your cooler
The space below the cooler housing should be looked at from beneath the water reservoir. If there appears to be leakage, you may try to tighten or replace the drain fitting. This is going to be the least expensive possible solution. It is important to ensure that water is not overflowing from either the front or the back of the reservoir, and if it is, you should adjust the float valve. The most likely of inconveniences would be that the plastic liner to your reservoir is cracked and likely should be replaced. This is less expensive than a pad replacement, but it is a major adjustment, however, it is not as daunting as it sounds. See the next section to get an idea on how you should replace the liner to your reservoir.
The plastic lining of your reservoir
To replace your plastic lining, you must first remove the overflow pipe and the drain assembly. The pads, the water distributor (which may be located towards the top of the swamp cooler), and the water pump (which can stay attached to the distributor), should all be removed. Next, you should sever the power and water connections to the unit. The float valve should be unscrewed from the side of your unit. You should remove both of the plastic side walls and the bottom brace that keeps the pad in place. There is a large plastic reservoir that should be removed as well, this holds all of the water for the system. It is advised that you buy a new plastic liner along with the purchase of your new side walls.
