Portable Air Cooler/Heater/Purifier Fujitronic FH778

[hausfrau60]

I ran across this at the thrift store today for $89. Bought it, but can return it if it's not the right thing to heat/cool my trailer. What do you think, especially for Oregon (except in Central Oregon where I'm sure it would be fine)? I'm worried specifically about condensation inside the trailer. Your thoughts?

Summary:
Use year-round. Heats, cools, cleans your room air. The portable, 30 lb swamp cooler-heater, humidifier Fujitronic FH-778 Whirlwind 5-in-1 is just what you need to solve your air quality and temperature problems. It cools, it heats, it humidifies, it purifies the air and it moves the air around. The Fujitronic Whirlwind is an all-in-one air quality system that can be used year 'round.

Learn more about how swamp coolers and negative ion air purifiers work!
Product Features:

* 5 in 1 Swamp Cooler, Heater, Fan and Ionic Air Purifier
* Classified as a Green Product (Good for the Earth) air cooler
* Does Not use Freon
* 3 wind modes: Natural, Sleep and Breeze
* 3 wind speeds: High, Medium and Low
* Remote Control included
* Uses ordinary tap water
* Water sprinkling cyclic system with ice packs for extra cooling
* Oxygen bar with negative ions releases FRESH air
* Reduces room temperature by up to 15 degrees (per 200 square feet)
* Built-in generator of negative ions that attract allergy-irritating particles and pollutants, removing them from the air
* Cooler, ionizer and fan can be used separately
* 7.5 hours timer design
* Washable Strainer to ensure years of use and to remove harmful substances
* Adjustable air vents to provide efficient cooling
* Smooth rolling casters allow easy movement
* Cold Compress and ice pack must be frozen before using
* Cold Compress size: 8" X 5" X 4"
* Ice Pack size: 5" X 5" X 1"
* Cooling (Low/Mid/Hi): 45W/48W/52W
* Noise Level: 52DB
* Power Source: 120V/60Hz
* Humidifying Capacity: 0.4 Liter per hour
* Water Tank Capacity: 8.0 Liter per hour
* Trendy silver plating
* Runs on standard 110 volts
* Cheaper to operate than a portable air conditioner

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Detailed Product Description:
The Fujitronic FH-778 Whirlwind 5-in-1 Portable Swamp Cooler and Space Heater uses an evaporative air cooling system to remove heat from the air making the air stream feel cooler.

This portable air cooler cools without using noisy and inefficient compressors by using the natural heat-absorbing properties of water evaporation. Because the Whirlwind 5-in-1 has four caster wheels, you can easily roll this portable swamp cooler wherever you need a little cooling or heating boost.

The evaporative air cooler includes a magnetized remote control to operate the unit from across the room. The swamp cooler and space heater has a built-in negative ion generator air purifier that helps clean the air, making it healthier for those with allergies. Featuring seven and a half hours of cooling capacity per tankful of water and three selections of wind speed and mode, you are guaranteed to thoroughly enjoy the multi-fuctional capacity of the Fujitronic FH-778 Whirlwind 5-in-1 Portable Swamp Cooler and Space Heater!

How a swamp cooler works
A swamp cooler is a machine that uses evaporation to make an air stream that is cooler than the surrounding air. Swamp and evaporative air coolers have a few main parts: a water tank, a wick to absorb water from the tank and a fan to blow air over the wick while it evaporates water.

When the water tank is filled with water, place the bottom of the wick into the water. The wick draws water from the tank and becomes saturated. A fan located behind the wick blows air over it and out into the room. As the air blows over the wick, the water evaporates, creating a cooling effect on the temperature.

Swamp or evaporative air coolers work best in dry climates; they are not effective in climates with a high humidity since they rely on water evaporation to produce cooling. Swamp coolers do humidify the air and are not recommended for cooling servers or electrical equipment.

How Negative Ion Air Purifiers Work
Most particles in the air carry a positive charge, while fewer particles can carry a negative charge (negative ions). Negative ions and particles with positive charge are magnetically attracted to one another. When there are enough negative ions in the air, they will be attracted to these floating particles (often pollutants or irritants). This causes the particle to become too heavy to remain airborne making it fall out of the air, preventing it from being inhaled into the respiratory tract where it can trigger breathing and health problems. The ionized particle will be collected by normal cleaning activities, like vacuuming or dusting.

[edcasey]

I have no experiences with this product myself but there are 9 reviews on Amazon including someone from Portland Oregon.

http://www.amazon.com/Fujitronic-Whirlwind-Air-Cooler%252fHeater%252fHumidifier%252f-Ionizer/product-reviews/B000FBUMKM/ref=dp_db_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

[digimark]

I would imagine how effective it is at cooling depends on how humid your campsite is. On a very humid day, it's not going to cool much before the air becomes saturated and moisture condenses (the dew point). Other questions are how much water capacity (how often you have to refill it) and whether the other tasks (heating, air movement) are good on their own. Sometimes when you get an all-in-one unit, you get one device with three mediocre functions. Since you usually need either heating or cooling but not both, you might be better served separating the functions.

If it works for you a swamp cooler can provide some cooling at a lot less power used than an A/C unit. But you might need to be in a dry campsite to enjoy the most benefit.

[LShrew]

This might help.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporative_cooler

[racerrandy]

Swamp coolers are just that, they will make it like a swamp in your camper. Unless you will be camping in very dry conditions I don't think you will like it. You can find a small window unit for a C note and be much happier in my opinion.



Randy