What are the Best Swamp Cooler Pads? (Types of Pads)

Since the pads are what make a unit cool as water passes through and evaporates, they can be a big performance factor.

There are two main types of cooling pads called Fiber and Rigid, each of which can be built with different materials.

Below we look at each type, their performance, and which type may be best for you.

3 Main Types of Swamp Cooler Pads

• Aspen


Aspen pads are very common and the most widely used.

Aspen pads use wood shavings that are all-natural and make them low-cost, work great, and have a nice clean, fresh smell to them when new.

The only real downside to Aspen pads is they need to be replaced more often than most other types.

If the water has a lot of calcium in it, this can make less of a difference as all pads will become clogged quickly and need replacing.

Aspen pads have been used for many years and are good material for a swamp cooler as long as they are regularly replaced during maintenance.
 

• Synthetic Fiber


Pads also can have synthetic shavings instead of wood which makes them less prone to break down and last longer.

The local water can have an impact on how long they last since calcium buildup will block any pad which would need to be replaced.

Often synthetic can be cleaned and reused in many situations, plus they resist mold, which can be a big plus.

Synthetic works well enough for cooling and are used a lot by landlords since they usually last longer.
 

• Rigid Swamp Cooler Pads


Rigid types are less used than Fiber and are often found in units with a single intake for air.

They work very well and last a long time but they are more expensive to use.


They are also very durable and can often be cleaned and reused in some situations.

Summary
The type of swamp cooler pad used will have a direct effect on cooling and air quality.

Personally, I prefer the Aspen wood shaving type, which works the best in my opinion but does need more maintenance.

Most Aspen pads will need to be replaced every year for the best performance.

There are many who use the synthetic type with good success.

Which type of pad is used is a personal option, with most simply replacing what was in the unit previously.