RFD said:

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Just had one delivered yesterday. Did not break a sweat while cooking ribs yesterday.

This thing made a pretty big difference.

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Which brand/model did you go with?

we use portacools in our shop. If you dont mind more mist, these are great options that are more reasonably priced. But they put out a lot more mist.

https://www.lasko.com/products/misto-outdoor-misting-fan-7050/

On Amazon Hessaire MC61M Evaporative Coo...

Check out Power Breezer. They move a lot of air and are more compact and easier to store, but more pricey.

I use a Hessaire I got for $299 and works great on our patio. Has a reservoir you can fill with water or has hose connection for continuous use.

I get a 20 deg drop in these conditions with mine.

DeWrecking Crew said:

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Quote:

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I get a 20 deg drop in these conditions with mine.

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Quote:

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No you don't

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I'm in!

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It's true... I check the temps everyday... it's also the biggest one they make.

Well, it definitely makes a difference...but 20 degrees is a lot. I'm enjoying mine now while smoking some beef ribs

RCR06 said:

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I always heard people say they don't work well in humid climates. As several people have said they are most affective in drier climates, but they still provide benefits in a humid climate. I was working at the shell refinery in deer park a few years ago. They had one set up for the security guards at the contractor gate. You would have to walk in front of it to badge in and out. It was much cooler in front of the porta cool than anywhere else. Quite nice to be honest.. They do work in humid climates, but you don't see as dramatic of an affect as in drier climates.

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They work if you can position yourself 1 foot away or less and stay there. I have them in my warehouse and on my porch. Mostly useless. Humidity kills.

I'd say more like 10 feet, but I get your point

RCR06 said:

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I'd say more like 10 feet, but I get your point

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I have 3 models and it is closer to 1 foot than 10.

TAMU77CLAY said:

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RCR06 said:

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I'd say more like 10 feet, but I get your point

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I have 3 models and it is closer to 1 foot than 10.

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I guess everyone's experience is a little different. The ones I've been around are the one like dewreckingcrew posted a couple posts up. The ones you see on the sidelines at football games.

It was 92 when I took this picture.

What was the humidity?

With mine it is definitely closer to 10 ft than 1 ft, in fact it is closer to 15 ft, but I preface this with I have no infrared thermometer, I just know it cools my balls better at 10 foot than 20 foot

A regular thermometer is all you need to check effectiveness across the pad. Inlet minus outlet is what your're looking for. You can't accurately assess pad function by using a phone app, thermometer on the side of your house, or infrared thermometer. Humidity is simpler to measure than folks think. A good rule of thumb is that the dewpoint is generally constant for the day and equal to the overnight low, unless a precipitation event happens. Using that information and a psychrometric calculator, you can easily determine humidty metrics of all kinds.

The infrared thermometer is the most abused measurement tool on the planet. Very few people understand how to use it correctly. The picture above illustrates my point exactly. The measurement area is proportional to the square of distance (it's a cone, not a point) so the further away you are the bigger your error. Surfaces with lots of air movement are not measured accurately because convection changes the emissivity. Lastly, any surface with reflective material (like spinning fan blades, or water droplets, etc.) will also read incorrectly. Hardly anybody pays attention to that or knows how to adjust emissivity correctly. I always get a kick out of the Window World commercials where they show an infrared gun reading the temperature of the glass and the emissivity is set for a perfect black-body (0.95).

Somewhere I have a table of expected outlet temperatures for given temp/humidity combinations. I will see if I can find it and post it.

Own a Hess, and live in Pearland which is extremely humid. Best thing I've bought in years, even the wife and kiddos approve. Have multiple buddies and neighbors who have bought one now.

AgEng98 said:

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Where do you live? In reference to the conditions (upper 90's and high 70's dewpoint, it would literally break the laws of physics to have a 20F drop in dry-bulb temperature. The only evaporative-bases system that would get close is a two stage system and that's really stretching it. If this is happening, I suggest you check your thermometer.

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I took physics class too. I've also lived long enough to put equal weight on empirical evidence as you do on theory and calculations.

I used to have a Portacool Cyclone 2000 for my garage. It recently kicked the bucket and I replaced it with a Hessaire M61V. I'm WAYYY happier with the Hessaire!

CyanideJenkins said:

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I used to have a Portacool Cyclone 2000 for my garage. It recently kicked the bucket and I replaced it with a Hessaire M61V. I'm WAYYY happier with the Hessaire!

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Would you like to sell me the one that kicked the bucket?

AgEng98 said:

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Cold water doesn't help enough to be worth the trouble. I'd have to back and read the paper, but it might be half a degree or so. Latent heat of vaporization doesn't change that much with temperature, at least over the range we're talking about.

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This. Also, the cooling of the air due to the ice is proportional to the warming of the water/ice so you would need to constantly add ice or you would only get the affect of the ice for a few minutes.

https://www.poultryventilation.com/node/4760

bumping this thread for any new recs....I need something for our patio in the backyard. Something that will last and even a warranty preferably considering these things are $.

My father in law has a Hessaire. I thought it was "okay". For the size of it I expected it to push more air.

For the price and the fact that our humidity is nuts would a 42in or 36in commercial fan work better?

Roger That said:

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It was 92 when I took this picture.

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Good information

AustinCountyAg said:

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bumping this thread for any new recs....I need something for our patio in the backyard. Something that will last and even a warranty preferably considering these things are $.

My father in law has a Hessaire. I thought it was "okay". For the size of it I expected it to push more air.

For the price and the fact that our humidity is nuts would a 42in or 36in commercial fan work better?

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I bought the small Hessaire from Home Despot for use in my garage/covered deck. This weekend I did a little test to see how effective it was. Ambient temperature was about 104. Five feet in front of the fan, it was 98. Still plenty warm. This was in San Antonio.

ditched my porta cools for Cajun Koolers out of Baton Rouge. 4500 model for my pool cabana and been very happy.

Found this from Hessaire

Portacool plant burned down a few months ago so if you see any inventory anywhere it's likely the last of their stock. Cardboard filter area caught and pretty much the whole place went down.

lawless89 said:

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Portacool plant burned down a few months ago so if you see any inventory anywhere it's likely the last of their stock. Cardboard filter area caught and pretty much the whole place went down.

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Must have forgotten to turn the pump on.