Should I remove EWC or just close up?

Hi everyone,

I would really appreciate some advice. I have an old roof-mounted EWC that I've never used before because the house also has central air. The previous owner said it was broken but could possibly be fixed. The previous owner had closed up the single interior vent (the register) by covering it with some clear plastic. I know that air comes down because I hear it everytime there is some strong wind. I think I may be losing heat and possibly getting a cold draft in the wintertime. I'm pretty sure I won't get this cooler fixed to use (b/c EWCs use a lot of water - I live in a dry area - and require frequent maintenance). The question is: Should I just remove the register/vent and close it up on the inside or should I have the entire EWC removed and have it closed up on the inside AND on the roof? It seems to me that having it closed up on the roof as well as the inside would be more effective in keeping cold air out... on the other hand, if I have to have the EWC removed, I'd need to call a plumber to do the job on the roof and to take it out. What do you think? Any thoughts would be very much appreciated!

Thanks,
yucca

 

If you don't intend to use the EWC and it's no longer working, I suggest removing it since you already have refrigerated AC. The ducting coming from this unit appears to be a big source of air leakage in the house; which will cause your refrigerated AC to use more energy.

You have a couple of options here. 1) You can just remove the EWC and tighly seal off the roof jack. 2) You can the EWC, remove the roof jack, patch the roof and tighly seal off the duct below roof level to make the roof nicer looking. 3) leave the EWC in place, and tightly seal off the duct coming into the house. These are just some suggestions and others may have better alternatives.

 

Little off topic, but if you live in a dry climate you would save a lot of money using a swamp cooler to cool your home. It's about 1/6th the price of energy compared to a/c. I love my EVC, it keep my desert home in the low 70's all summer. I've never noticed my water bill going up any significant value in the summer either. We put a cooler cover over it and drain the water in the winter. Just my 2 cents.