Evaporative Cooler Replacement and Changeovers in the Macedon Ranges

When a cooler has reached the end

Evaporative coolers in the Ranges work hard from November to March and sit through frosts for the rest of the year. Fifteen to twenty summers is a good run, and by then the plastic cabinet has often gone brittle, the tank has started weeping, and the electronics are a generation or two behind. At that point the question is not whether the unit can be kept alive for one more season but whether the money is better spent on a new cooler that will be quieter, use less water, and be covered by a warranty.

We replace evaporative coolers across the Macedon Ranges, from Sunbury and Gisborne through Macedon and Woodend to Kyneton, Romsey and Lancefield. Most of the coolers we take down are older Brivis, Braemar, Bonaire, Coolair and Breezair units, and most go back up as a new Brivis unit sized for the home; we install other brands where they suit the home better.

Repair or replace: how we decide

We would rather repair a cooler that is worth repairing. A repair visit sorts out pumps, float valves, pads, motors and controllers on units that are otherwise sound. Replacement becomes the sensible answer when one or more of these is true:

• The cabinet or water tank is cracked, brittle or leaking, which cannot be repaired reliably.
• The control board or motor has failed on a model the manufacturer no longer supports.
• The unit needs several major components in the same visit, which adds up to a large share of a new cooler.
• The cooler was undersized for the home in the first place, or a second storey was added after it went in.
• You want lower water use, quieter operation and a modern controller.

We explain the comparison at the site visit with real numbers, not a sales pitch.

What a changeover involves

A good changeover is more than swapping the box on the roof. On the day we:

1. Isolate and remove the old cooler, water supply and controller, and take the old unit away.
2. Check the roof penetration and dropper, then fit the new unit with new flashing so the roof is weatherproof.
3. Connect the new unit to the existing ductwork where we have confirmed it is suitable, or install the replacement duct that was quoted.
4. Connect water and drain, fit the new controller, and test the electrical circuit.
5. Commission the unit, check airflow at every outlet, set the controller and show you how it works.

Where the existing duct is undersized, crushed or badly laid out, connecting a new cooler to it is a false economy. The new unit cannot move the air it was designed to move and the house never feels as cool as it should. That is why the site visit includes a look in the roof space, and why our quote says clearly what is being reused and what is new.

Sizing for Ranges homes

Evaporative coolers are sized on air volume and the number of air changes a home needs on a hot afternoon, which is why we ask about single or double storey before we quote. Weatherboard homes with high ceilings in Woodend and Kyneton, double storey homes on larger blocks in Gisborne and Riddells Creek, and newer estates in Sunbury all size differently. An undersized unit runs flat out and disappoints; an oversized one costs more than it should. We size to the house.

If you are replacing heating as well

Many homes replacing an evaporative cooler are also facing an ageing gas ducted heater. If both are near the end, it is worth reading about ducted reverse cycle under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program before you commit to like-for-like replacements. In a whole-home conversion the evaporative cooler is often removed because the new system heats and cools through its own ductwork. Some households prefer to keep evaporative cooling and replace the heater on its own; we do that too, and we will not push you either way.