Customer Reviews

SPT SF-611 Portable Evaporative Air Cooler with Cooling Pad

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Think of it as a personal cooler. Even in low humidity New Mexico this unit cannot cool any room, but right in front of the unit you'll get 3-4 degrees of relief (verified with a good thermometer) plus the benefit of blowing air, moving side to side. The bells and whistles ("natural" and "sleep" modes) are crap, and the unit is moderately loud on the lowest speed (unbearably so at higher speeds). Still it performs its basic function, and I wonder if any portable swamp cooler really works that well. Limited relief at an acceptable cost.

This is NOT an air conditioner and WILL NOT WORK if the humidity is above 38%!!! The DRIER THE BETTER. Read the instructions and do some research on Personal Air Coolers/Portable Swamp Coolers or whatever you want to call them. The low ratings aren't because the thing doesn't work. The low ratings are because people bought this thing and it didn't work FOR THEM in THEIR LOCATION and they aren't satisfied because they made a poor decision and want to blame it on someone or something.

I am generally happy with my air cooler, but only under the conditions I use it. Let me clarify; This is a great SUPPLEMENT to an air conditioner. My bedroom will not cool down, no matter what temperature you set the air conditioner. The air cooler does a nice job of cooling it down up to 5 degrees (with cold tap water). Not to mention the added benefit of the humidity. I could add ice, which would greatly help, but that would be more work and would cause my fridge to output more hot air. (Simple physics - heat exchange. Too bad I don't have a fridge outside.) If you added ice, and your fridge was outside, it could MAYBE be a substitute for an air conditioner for one room, but I have not tried it.

You should buy this product for your room if:
*You already have an air conditioner
*Your house is very dry
*You like/miss humidity (good for sinuses)
*You don't want to put an air conditioner in your window, or another air conditioner in your window. (Big advantage if you rent)
*You want to save electricity (Uses less than air conditioner)
*It does have a remote and a timer which is nice. It also has different speeds which is nice, and includes some other useless buttons.

Keep in mind:
*It will stop working once the humidity gets high. It helps to own a humidistat. For this reason, I use it only at night. Of course, if you own an air conditioner, it will eventually take the humidity out of the air and you can use the air cooler again.
*The water must be changed daily, preferably right before use. (Colder water = better)
*Even if you change the water every day, the pan will have to be cleaned well at least once a month.
*Mine started making an annoying rattling sound for the first few minutes. I can't figure out what the sound is, how it's make, or how to stop it. So, if I am going to sleep, I have to turn it on at least a half hour before.

We just bought this yesterday, and it was 98 degree in san jose,ca. Our room was very small, so I thought maybe a swamp cooler will help, but NO, it made the room even hotter. ( I know it's not a AC, but a normal fan is better than this piece of ****..) I can't tell any difference between the "cool" mode and the "fan" mode. We bought it from Fry's, and they don't let us return it and they price it at $189.

This unit is certainly an overpriced awkward shaped air blower. It does blow air and circulates it from side to side, but it is only cool during the first 30 minutes after putting cold water in the tray. We have found it to be a great noise maker to mask the night sounds (traffic, loud neighbors, etc.), but but outside of that, it doesn't have a special filter like the original ad claimed, and it doesn't really change the temperature of the room all that much. It is nice around children, though, when you don't want little hands to get into a standard room fan...

I used this in our bedroom in our small apartment on the water in Los Angeles. The company does make it very clear that it won't work well in high humidity environments but I would not characterize LA as being that way. With that said, the unit would pump humidified air into our apartment which only added to the heat we were trying to get rid of. People seem to have good luck in VERY low humidity locations, I figured around 50-60% was low enough...apparently not.

The unit arrived scratched and damaged but the situation was remedied after a long series of e-mails and phone calls.

Final words: if you live in the desert or very very dry conditions it probably works well. They don't call them swamp coolers for nothin'.

I bought this model a year ago. After almost exactly one year (give or take a few days) the fan stopped turning, so I bought a new one. It arrived with a broken motor. I returned that model and got a replacement. This model leaked all over my carpet (which I'm still trying to dry as I write this). Needless to say I will be returning this one as well for my money back. NO MORE REPLACEMENTS! I'm now searching for a new brand that will hopefully actually function. VERY UNHAPPY!!!

We bought the fan and placed it upstairs where the rooms are very hot, if its not placed on Cooler it will heat up a room. It felt like an oven and it only made the room more Humid. Once on the Cooler function, it cooled only if you sat in front of it, but not enough for what it claims to do. It works just like a fan would.

This thing is not any better than a fan, cooling effect is a dissapointment. It also give out a burning smell when using it. I got it yesterday from Frys and will return it today.

Sorry to say this unit I bought from Fry's is not good. The water pump has a rubber piece inside that will only last about 3 months of use before it gets a hole in it and spews water all over the floor. I am on my third rubber piece. Easy to replace be if you have hardwood floors as I do put the unit in a plastic tray or you will be sorry. I will not buy another. The company needs to improve the water pump.