Difference Between Air Cooler and Air Conditioner

What is Air Cooler

An Air cooler is a device for reducing the temperature of air, typically inside a building, shopping malls etc.

Air cooler and air conditioner work on different ideologies and there are may advantages and disadvantages of both air cooler and air conditioners.

What is Air Conditioner

Air conditioner works with the humidity, temperature, ventilation in a vehicle or building which typically the cool atmosphere in warm conditions.

Air conditioner system is the system which keeps on control and maintain the particular condition (required temperature and humidity of air) in the  closed space.

It is technically defined as a system which controls temperature, humidity, purity and motion of air to produce desired effects upon the occupants of the space.

In case of air cooler, which has the capability to cool the air inside the space does not maintain particular temperature and humidity of that air. In response to atmospheric seasons we can have winter, or summer air-conditioning system, but any air cooler will not do so.

Difference Between Air Cooler and Air Conditioner

Air cooler is basically made of humidifier and Air cooler mixes water vapour by means of a rolling pad of moist cloths of fibre, and makes the air seem cool, but actually more humid (high moisture content).

An Air conditioner / refrigerator basically a dehumidifier works as follows

A fluorocarbon refrigerant gas such as  Freon is compressed. On compression it is pressurized and heated. The extra heat is removed by air (from a fan) or by cooling water as in the case of large (central A/C) units.

The high pressure refrigerant is expanded and in contrast to heating on compression the refrigerant on expansion by sudden reduction in pressure becomes very very cold due to Joule Thomson effect.

By heat exchange with the very cold refrigerant which has now become liquid passing through tubes (tat have fins for good heat exchange) the air panning ore becomes cold and is circulated in the space (rooms, office etc) to be cooled. Because the air is cooled considerably extra moisture content on humid days may be seen dripping from the air conditioner.

For efficient operation the room in which an air conditioner is used will have to have its doors and windows closed. On the other hand when direct cooler are in use at least one  window should be kept open as otherwise the humidity will become very uncomfortable.

Note: When humidity in the atmosphere is more curating will be more as the sweat will not dry fast enough. In contrast, when humidity is very less an in very cold days when all the moisture in the air would have condensed leaving the atmospheric air “dry”, lips and body skin may be seen getting cracks.