DIY Descaling for a Swamp Cooler

Descaling With A Hose

• 1

  Attach an adjustable nozzle to a water hose and set it to the strongest stream setting.

• 2

  Turn the power off to the cooler and pull the plug. When descaling a cooler, you have to access the interior of the cooler and remove the frames that hold the pads.

• 3

  Remove the frames that hold the cooler pads and take the pads out. Set the pads on a clean surface, like a concrete patio or sidewalk.

• 4

  Turn on the hose and point the nozzle toward the cooler pads. Squeeze the lever and using a forceful spray. Try to knock as much scale off the cooler pads as you can. If your pads are flexible, roll them up as tightly as you can to loosen some of the hard water deposits. Turn the pads over and repeat the process.

• 5

  Look at the fins on the frames. If they have scale buildup, spray them as well. Do not use sharp metal objects on the fins to reduce the chance of paint chipping off, which can lead to rust.

• 6

  Inspect the inside of the cooler. Sometimes the scale forms around the pump and along the spiders that distribute water to the pads. Peel it off and throw it away.

• 7

  Put the pads back in the frames, reinstall in the cooler and close the access panel. Turn the cooler back on and run the pump until the pads are wet before turning on the fan.

Chemical Descaling

• 8

  Choose acidic cleaners manufactured for descaling coolers. These treatments contain mild acids that loosen the scale on cooler pads.

• 9

  Add the cooler cleaner products to the water in the pan and turn off the fan. Keep running the pump to circulate the treatment through the pads and the cooler for approximately 20 minutes or the amount of time based on the manufacturer's recommendations.

• 10

  Turn off the pump and remove the access panel. Hook up a hose to the short, threaded pipe underneath the cooler and direct the end of the hose away from concrete or landscaped areas.

• 11

  Unscrew or pull out the overflow pipe and drain the water, which may be full of hard water deposits. Use your hand to flush all the solids out of the cooler. When the pan has drained, put the overflow pipe back inside the cooler and remove the hose from the cooler.

• 12

  Turn the cooler back on.