Swamp Cooler Start-Up/Tune-Up

[Holden Latimer]

Its time to start up the swamp coolers for the 4-plex I acquired last November. We had a couple breaks in the copper line during the winter that we need to fix. 

I was thinking of using a product like FiberFix, but figured I would just call my HVAC guy to fix the leaks and check on the units since this will be the first turn-on since we acquired the property about 6 months ago. 

He quoted me about $100 to repair the leaks and $75/unit for a start-up/tune-up. This seems like maybe a cheap do-it-yourself project, but wanted to get advice from the BP forum. Should I watch a couple YouTube videos and do it myself or is it worth the expense for a professional to do the tune-up?

P.S. I was told that three of the units were replaced last season and do look in good shape. One unit looks quite old.

Any responses will be greatly appreciated. Thanks! 

[John A.]

@Holden Latimer

You're welcome.

Now that they are up and running, it's definitely worth your time to see how they operate so you can do the small maintenance and repairs that may come up during the summer.  Keep an eye out for water running off the roof.  A little water when the coolers are turned off after running is normal.  But, if it is always leaking water, you could have a stuck float valve.  Where I live, the water is very hard and the minerals build up in the valves.

If you want to save a little money, do the winterizing yourself and let the HVAC guy bring them back to life every summer.  Winterizing is very easy:  Drain the cooler, swap the cookie sheets, and disconnect/drain the supply line.

John