# Swamp Cooler: How to filter outdoor cigarette smoke
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 30, 2015, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315 "2015-03-30T02:02:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2015, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/1 "2015-03-30T02:02:16Z")
My friend has a swamp cooler that she relies on to keep the house temperate but neighbors on both sides go outdoors to smoke. She’s using a Living Air Purifier that should be causing the smoky air particles to drop but it’s very old and not working well. Is there a better Air Purifier or a HEPA filter she can use to filter out the smoke?
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2015, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/2 "2015-03-30T04:12:11Z")
What is a swamp cooler?
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2015, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/3 "2015-03-30T05:46:10Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> What is a swamp cooler?
From wikipedia-
“An evaporative cooler (also swamp cooler, desert cooler and wet air cooler) is a device that cools air through the evaporation of water. Evaporative cooling differs from typical air conditioning systems which use vapor-compression or absorption refrigeration cycles.”
> **[Evaporative cooler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporative_cooler)**
>
> An evaporative cooler (also known as evaporative air conditioner, swamp cooler, swamp box, desert cooler and wet air cooler) is a device that cools air through the evaporation of water. Evaporative cooling differs from other air conditioning systems, which use vapor-compression or absorption refrigeration cycles. Evaporative cooling exploits the fact that water will absorb a relatively large amount of heat in order to evaporate (that is, it has a large enthalpy of vaporization). The temperature o...
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### Author:  [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2015, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/4 "2015-03-30T12:11:32Z")
Smoke comprises both particles and vapors. The swamp cooler has a very large area for the inlet, so that’s hard to filter. The outlet into the house is smaller, so you could install aHEPA filter there, but I’m worried about pressure drop. Some sort of ionizing filter might be better.
The vapors are trickier. Maybe activated charcoal?
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### Author:  [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/5 "2015-03-30T15:59:45Z")
Yep, had a swamp cooler. They are very effective in dry climates. Deliver a huge amount (4-500CFM) of air that has passed through a water soaked fabric. You open a window and the air is exchanged. Evaporative coolers don’t drink a lot of KW. Very economical. However, you knew when the neighbors were having a BBQ.
I think your friend needs to buy into central air, move or adjust.
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/6 "2015-03-30T16:53:24Z")
> [@Ruken](#):
>
> Some sort of ionizing filter might be better.
Ionizing filters don’t work very well (at least not in this type of application). A HEPA filter will work a lot better.
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/7 "2015-03-30T16:55:10Z")
If she were to ask the neighbors to smoke somewhere else, would they?
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### Author:  [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/8 "2015-03-30T19:27:24Z")
Couldn’t she put up a conservatory stretching from fence to shining fence ?
Kinda like the famous **[Royal Conservatories of Laeken](http://portfolio.jfschmitz.com/serres-laeken)**?
Failing that, some people swear by those large sterile plastic bubbles for the over-sensitive.
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### Author:  [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)
#### Post date: [March 30, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/9 "2015-03-30T22:33:07Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#):
>
> If she were to ask the neighbors to smoke somewhere else, would they?
Maybe they could designate a time to smoke. And the OP’s friend could turn off the swamper during that time.
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### Author:  [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2015, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/10 "2015-03-31T01:14:14Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#):
>
> What is a swamp cooler?
Also, for those wondering why they’ve never seen one, they only work in climates that have extremely low humidity (i.e. so-called ‘dry heat’). Even in those climates, if the weather happens to turn humid on a particular day they won’t keep things cool.
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2015, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/11 "2015-04-13T00:02:59Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#):
>
> If she were to ask the neighbors to smoke somewhere else, would they?
No, they would not. Her mother even wrote them a letter considering she had been bedridden with some very serious health issues.
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2015, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/12 "2015-04-13T00:07:10Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#):
>
> Failing that, some people swear by those large sterile plastic bubbles for the over-sensitive.
How about you trying to live in a large plastic bubble? 🙂
(She’s very ill & facing radiation therapy. She doesn’t need sarcasm right now.)
She’s actually facing the possibile necessity of moving because her neighbors are so unreasonable & refuse to work with her. Her illness keeps her in bed much of the time, and she dreads having to re-locate so she is desperately seeking options to make the situation livable.
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### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2015, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/13 "2015-04-13T00:17:31Z")
A/C seems to be a way to solve this. Moving also. Sorry to hear about the situation with those who live near by.
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### Author:  [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2015, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/14 "2015-04-13T02:23:19Z")
Maybe seal off her bedroom and use a window A/C in it?
If you don’t want to block the window, it is simple enough to cut a hole is an exterior wall (assuming it is not a structural wall).
That would require a very small inlet into the larger area - and a small filter is easy.
If she needs access to other parts of the house, maybe add some walls and doors to create a suite of A/C rooms.
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### Author:  [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2015, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/15 "2015-04-13T04:24:41Z")
Put a really loud, screechy smoke detector outside your house, near where the inconsiderate neighbors smoke. If need be, set it to trigger your lawn sprinklers.
This worked well for a friend who lived right across the street from a public high school.
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### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2015, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/16 "2015-04-13T11:32:47Z")
Is there a side of the house that is safe to get air from? If so gathering air from that side and have it leave through the smoky windows may work. You would need to maintain positive pressure, and can not use a exhaust fan (as that would be negative pressure and allow smoky air in), just powerful fans and the swamp coolers blowing air in, letting air flow out on it’s own, and a well sealed house would be a great plus. It may not allow a swamp cooler in the bedroom, and you would have to depend on the cross flow ventilation or the cool air to reach it. If the swamp cooler is whole house the inlet may need to be relocated.
It is better to not have the smoke enter then trying to remove it once it does.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2015, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/17 "2015-04-13T13:17:29Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#):
>
> Also, for those wondering why they’ve never seen one, they only work in climates that have extremely low humidity (i.e. so-called ‘dry heat’).
Isn’t “swamp cooler” a bit of a misnomer then?
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/18 "2015-04-13T14:20:39Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> Isn’t “swamp cooler” a bit of a misnomer then?
It cools the space by making it into a swamp.
Perhaps what you need is a swamp bong instead.
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### Author:  [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/19 "2015-04-13T20:00:14Z")
She does have an air conditioner but she can’t afford the $200/mo to run it when needed.
Neighbors on both sides smoke at very irregular hours.
Thanks for the suggestions - keep them coming!
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### Author:  [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2015, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swamp-cooler-how-to-filter-outdoor-cigarette-smoke/716315/20 "2015-04-13T21:39:36Z")
At least for sleep (may be too awkward for 7/24) the CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) machines used by those with sleep apnea might work - an air-tight mask fed by a flex tube from (essentially) a box with a small fan in it. There are probably units with serious filtration built in.
Otherwise, put the box in a larger box with filters over its inlets.
$200/mo for a window A/C? You don’t need to run the compressor - the blower alone will at least filter the air.
Which gets us to another idea - instead of a window A/C, a window swamp cooler - with good filtration.
The first swamp cooler I ever saw was a box in the wall of a mobile home with a desk fan, straw, and a tube with holes in it.
(for those still wondering: the fan in behind the straw and blows air over it. The tube is above the straw and drips water (very slowly) onto the straw - yes, it worked in AZ)