Does it really matter just how much water is passed over the mesh? As long as you have enough water flowing into the mesh to provide the needed amount of humidity/cooling effect. Maybe the link below will give some info?
Also lots of info on evaporative coolers on google.

Here is a link that might be useful: K & S

I'm sorry our cooler wall was built by professionals but when the water is running, it is a steady stream coming down the paper. The water storage container holds 75 gallons and when in use there is probably 60 gallons running through the pipe, down the mesh and back into the container.

I don't understand your description of fans in a shroud because ours has two huge vent fans in the front of the g/h which draws air through the cooler. The wall is approximately 3' off the ground, is 20' long x 3'tall. It works great to cool IF the dew point is under 60 - when it is humid it struggles.

Brooke

Brooke, your system is what I'd like to build. I have seen the fans on either side of the mesh. How much of a blast do your fans deliver? Can you have plants close to them or is there a no-man's land because of excessive air ovement. Is your system low enough so you can deliver the blast below the bench which is what's usually done with swam coolers. Is there some way you could find out the capacity of your pump, either HP or gpm. How often do you change out the water? One of my swampers does it automatically, the other does not.

On the supplies, I have a swamp cooler place close to here. Their idea is to extrapolate the water flow for a typical swamper to the area I wish to use. Their relatively small pump takes care of 3 panels, If I end up with 8 or 9 panels, use 3 of their pumps or the appropriate sized sump pump. If anything, I may enlarge it to 20' the wall is 24' long. Brooke, how many square feet do you cool?

HD sells some box fans for either $12 or $14. I use about 8 of them in different areas, most are going on 2 years, not one has faltered yet despite getting watered to various degrees along with the orchids. I'd have to blow out several of these before equaling the cost of a professional indoor/outdoor fan.

Thanks for the input, Nick

Here's a recommendation from Munters, who make CELdek pads:

CELdek PDF "Water flow rates vary based on the depth of the media. CELdek requires 1.5 gallons per minute of water per square foot of horizontal (top) pad surface area. For installations that have intense evaporation or pad walls taller than 72âÂÂ, an additional 10-20% of water may be necessary"

Also, don't forget to factor in a bit of head loss for the height and piping.

That's the info I was looking for, thanks.

Nick

Nick the vent fans are 36' away from the cooler wall. They draw the air through the cell and then through the entire g/h so I can put a table right next to the wall. The only problem is my plants in that area get a slight water deposit spray which I eventually wash off.

The water is changed at the beginning of my warm season but constantly refreshed because of the water loss from spray/leaking as the water is returned to the tank.

I can't tell you how many square feet it will cool because it is one large area. When it is operating you can *feel* the cool air starting about half way back to the wall.

I think you would be happier with your cooler if you would actually invest in a large, built for a g/h exhaust van. It is the air being drawn through the wall with some force that actually cools the area. If you need pics I can supply them.

Brooke

Thanks for all the input, the wheels are turning.

Nick