How to Install a Swamp Cooler in a House

Locate a suitable window for installing the swamp cooler. Choose a ground floor window with partial shade to keep the moist fiber pads cool during the heat of the day. Make sure there is a water spigot within 15 feet of the window. Avoid installing standard swamp coolers on the roof since the excess water can damage your roofing.

Measure the front of the swamp cooler from the bottom of the blower output to the base of the unit with a measuring tape. Measure the width of the front of the unit. Mark out the measurements on the wall with chalk beneath the window where the swamp cooler will be installed.

Locate the wall studs with a battery-powered joist or stud finder. Mark the location of the studs with chalk. Mount the hanging brackets for the swamp cooler at the window only if there is sufficient stud support to hold its weight. Install the swamp cooler at a different window if the joist finder indicates a high concentration of electric wiring in the wall at the site.

Align the support hangers along the chalk guidelines noted in Step 2. Use a carpenter's level to ensure the support hangers are plumb with the chalk lines. Use chalk to mark each of the pilot holes where the anchoring screws will be installed. Set the support hangers aside.

Drill a pilot hole where each anchoring screw will be installed with a power drill. Make the pilot holes at least 1/2-inch in depth. Use a drill bit that is slightly smaller than the size of the anchoring screws so the holes will have a tight fit.

Mount the support hangers to the wall. Ask a helper to hold the level along the support hangers to ensure they're plumb and level. Run the anchoring screws through the holes until the head of each screw is flush with the flat portion of the support hangers.

Install the support brackets onto the support hangers, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Check the brackets with the level to ensure they're even before placing the swamp cooler on them.

Ask a friend or two to help lift the swamp cooler onto the brackets. Align the bottom of the swamp cooler so the screw tabs are perfectly aligned with the screw holes on the brackets. Defer to the manufacturer's directions, when mounting the swamp cooler to the brackets, to keep from voiding the warranty.

Install a cut-off valve onto the head of a nearby spigot. Attach a water line to the output on the cut-off valve. Run the line to the swamp cooler. Attach the end to the input coupling on the side of the swamp cooler with a wrench.

Attach a garden hose to the overflow drain on the rear side of the swamp cooler. Run the end of the garden hose to the ground so the excess water will drain into the soil and away from the foundation of your home.

Go inside and open the window. Attach the air vent to the output so that it rests on the windowsill. Have a friend pass the power cord to you through the window. Plug the cord into a grounded outlet with a 120-volt capacity.