Can water air-condition your house?

What exactly is a swamp cooler, and why can it beat the heat in Arizona but leave you sweaty and betrayed in Houston? How can an air conditioner run on water, what does humidity have to do with its effectiveness, and could an icy new invention help prevent overloaded power grids? In the final installment of our air-conditioning series, Melissa and Jam explore evaporative cooling, ancient climate-control tricks, and some promising innovations for a hotter world. It turns out “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” is more scientifically accurate, and more annoying, than we’d like. **[Support this podcast on Patreon](http://patreon.com/chemforyourlife " Support this podcast on Patreon ") [Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel](http://chemforyourlife.com/store " Support this podcast on Patreon ")** Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife **Timestamps** 00:00 — The happier finale to our air-conditioning trilogy 00:37 — What exactly is a swamp cooler? 02:34 — How water can be used as a refrigerant 04:16 — The benefits and drawbacks of evaporative cooling 06:26 — Why air can only hold so much water 08:08 — How much can a swamp cooler lower the temperature? 08:56 — Why swamp coolers only work in certain climates 09:47 — Are refrigerants basically reusable sweat? 12:55 — Jam explains the complete swamp-cooler process 15:45 — Ancient evaporative cooling technology 17:19 — Could swamp coolers affect indoor air quality? 18:40 — An ice-slurry air conditioner designed to relieve the power grid 25:06 — Could underground temperatures heat and cool our homes? **References from the Episode:** **Thanks to our monthly supporters** Sara Hull Dog Day Dan Bri . Summer Alden Amanda Raymond Kyle McCray Justine Ash Vince W Julie S. Heather Ragusa Autoclave Dorien VD Scott Beyer Jessie Reder J0HNTR0Y Cullyn R Erica Bee Elizabeth P Rachel Reina Letila Katrina Barnum-Huckins Suzanne Phillips Venus Rebholz Jacob Taber Brian Kimball Kristina Gotfredsen Timothy Parker Steven Boyles Chris Skupien Chelsea B Avishai Barnoy Hunter Reardon **[Support this podcast on Patreon](http://patreon.com/chemforyourlife " Support this podcast on Patreon ") [Buy Podcast Merch and Apparel](http://chemforyourlife.com/store " Support this podcast on Patreon ")** Check out our website at chemforyourlife.com Watch our episodes on YouTube Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @ChemForYourLife Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.