Refrigerated air conversion in El Paso, TX
We convert El Paso homes from evaporative coolers to refrigerated air, ducts and all. If your swamp cooler cannot keep up in July, or you are tired of climbing on the roof every spring, a conversion is worth looking at.
We will come out, look at your ducts, your panel and your house, and tell you what the job actually involves before you commit to anything. No pressure to replace something that still has years in it.
Licensed in Texas: TACLA18354C · Trane Comfort Specialist · BBB accredited since 2014
Call to schedule an appointment today
(915) 751-9803
What is refrigerated air, and how is it different from a swamp cooler?
Refrigerated air is what most of the country calls central air conditioning. It uses refrigerant to pull heat out of the air inside your house, and it works the same whether it is dry outside or humid.
An evaporative cooler, which most people here call a swamp cooler, pulls outside air across wet pads. Evaporation cools the air, then a blower pushes it through the house. It works well in dry heat and uses less electricity. It struggles when the monsoon arrives and the humidity climbs, because there is less evaporation to work with.
That is the trade in El Paso. A swamp cooler is cheaper to run and does most of the year fine. Refrigerated air holds a steady temperature in August and during monsoon season, and it does not add moisture to the house.
What a conversion actually involves
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We look at what you have
The existing ductwork, the electrical panel, the size and layout of the house, and the condition of the roof where the cooler sits. Not every house needs the same job.
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We size the system for the house
Load calculation, not a price sheet. An oversized system short cycles and dehumidifies badly; an undersized one never catches up in August.
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The old cooler comes out and the roof is made good
Removing a roof-mounted swamp cooler leaves an opening. We patch or re-roof it ourselves rather than handing it to a separate contractor.
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Ducts are adapted or replaced
Swamp cooler ductwork is often the wrong size for refrigerated air. We tell you up front if yours needs work, because it is the part most quotes leave out.
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The system goes in and gets tested
Charge, airflow and temperature split measured and documented before we leave, plus a walk-through of the thermostat.
Why the roof matters more than most quotes admit
Every roof-mounted swamp cooler leaves a hole when it comes off. Most HVAC companies subcontract that patch, which means a second company, a second schedule and a gap where nobody owns the result if it leaks.
We hold the HVAC work, the roofing and the insulation in house under one licence. The conversion, the roof patch and the attic insulation happen on one job. See our roofing work.
Should you convert, or keep the swamp cooler?
Honestly, not every El Paso house should convert. If your cooler keeps the house comfortable, your ducts are sound and you do not mind the seasonal maintenance, there may be years left in it. Converting is worth looking at when the cooler cannot hold temperature in July, when monsoon humidity makes the house clammy, when you are tired of the spring and fall changeover, or when you are already replacing the roof and the timing lines up.
Some households keep the evaporative cooler as a shoulder-season backup and run refrigerated air through the worst of the summer. We can talk through whether that suits your house.
Paying for a conversion
A conversion is a bigger job than a repair and the cost depends on real things: the condition of your ductwork, whether your electrical panel has capacity, the size of the house and the size of system it needs. We quote after a site visit, never before, because a number given over the phone is a guess.
Special financing is available through Wells Fargo. See the financing options.
Conversion questions we get asked
What is the difference between refrigerated air and a swamp cooler?
Refrigerated air is central air conditioning: it uses refrigerant to remove heat from the air inside the house and works the same in dry or humid weather. A swamp cooler, or evaporative cooler, pulls outside air across wet pads and uses evaporation to cool it. Swamp coolers use less electricity and work well in dry heat, but they struggle during monsoon season when humidity rises.
Can I use my existing ductwork for refrigerated air?
Sometimes, but not always. Ductwork sized for an evaporative cooler is often the wrong size for refrigerated air, because the two systems move air differently. We inspect the ducts during the site visit and tell you before you commit, since duct work is the item most conversion quotes leave out.
What happens to the hole in the roof where the swamp cooler was?
It has to be patched or re-roofed properly, or it becomes a leak. We do our own roofing, so the removal, the patch and the HVAC work happen on one job with one company responsible rather than being split between an HVAC contractor and a roofer.
Can I keep my swamp cooler as a backup?
In many cases yes. Some El Paso households run the evaporative cooler in the milder months and refrigerated air through the worst of the summer. Whether it makes sense for your house depends on the layout and on the condition of the existing cooler, and we will tell you during the visit.
Does converting to refrigerated air use more water or less?
Less. Evaporative coolers work by evaporating water and use a significant amount through the summer. El Paso Water's own guidance notes that converting to an air-cooled refrigeration system saves water during the summer months. Refrigerated air uses more electricity instead.