Summer time is just around the corner and it’s time to look into ways to remain cool if you are located where it gets hot. In regions like Phoenix, Arizona, where it gets very hot, people have figured out how to deal with the heat, and many of the smarter locals have got “stayin’ cool” down to a science.

One of the best ways to keep cool is to “just add water!” In the American Southwest, there are lots of pools! If you don’t have a swimming pool, then head for the lakes – Phoenix is known for having more boats per capita than just about almost any other location in the nation! Or go tubing down the river.

They say it’s a “dry heat,” but Phoenicians figured out a long time ago how to cool things off with water. Back in the days before air conditioning, many people used “swamp coolers” to cool off their homes. A swamp cooler blows wet, cool air through a building, which cools things off as the moisture evaporates. It’s called evaporative cooling, and it’s much less pricey to operate than A/C. This works incredibly well through the dry months, but not really so well during the wet monsoon season in late summer. Smart folks make use of the evaporative cooler to save cash right up until the monsoon, then they switch on the A/C.

Outdoors, evaporative cooling works well, even in the monsoon season. That’s why so many folks in Phoenix set up mister systems. These systems squirt water into the air and can cool off a deck or enclosed area rather nicely, especially if the air is moving. Fan water misters can cool the air down around 30 degrees (fahrenheit). You are likely to notice mist systems at all places to eat that have outside patios, and almost every other service that calls for people to be outdoors in the heat. Many people who have a backyard deck set up a misting system to enjoy their backyard more in the summertime.

Although they don’t call for a lot of attention, you have to conduct some seasonal maintenance to make certain your misting system will operate properly when you need it. In the Fall, this basically means draining the water from the lines and also disconnecting the system for the cold months.

In Springtime, before the Summertime heat happens, you will need to reconnect the lines, examine the pump (or water source) to see that it’s working, and check your misting lines for leaks. If your mister system uses stainless steel misting line, this shouldn’t be a issue. Simply inspect the joints and connectors for leaks. If you’re working with plastic lines, you’ll want to examine the entire system for splits and breaks.

The next thing to do is to be certain that the mister system nozzles aren’t blocked. If you live in a region that has hard water, the mister nozzle could be clogged by mineral deposits. It may be feasible to just scrape the debris from the surface of the mister nozzle, but if the deposits are within the nozzle hole, you will have to find a pin or something small enough to stick through it to clear out the blockage. Be careful not to increase the size of the orifice! What many expert misting system vendors do is just change out all the mister nozzles since it’s simpler and requires a lot less time than to try to clear out each nozzle, and the price of misting nozzles is fairly minimal when you buy them in bulk.

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