Pro Handyman Blog

If you are installing a swamp cooler you will need to connect water to it. Mobile swamp coolers have a hose thread that you simply connect a garden hose to. For larger non-mobile coolers, you will have to run a water line to it.

You can buy a valve that screws onto your standard hose faucet. This valve is designed just for this purpose. It has a female threaded fitting built into the side so that you can add a needle valve to supply the water to your swamp cooler. It’s a good idea to have an anti-siphon device connected as well.

Screw on the valve to the hose bib and wrap the threads of the needle valve with Teflon tape. Screw the needle valve into the threaded port until snug. Connect either a copper line or a poly tube to the needle valve using a ¼” nut, ferrule and brass insert. Tighten that until snug. Roll out the water line to the swamp cooler. It’s probably best to keep the line as close to the base of the house as possible.

Run the line into the swamp cooler and connect it to the float valve, again using the insert, ferrule and nut. Turn on the hose faucet to supply water to the swamp cooler valve and then open the needle valve. You should have water flowing to the swamp cooler. Adjust the float in the swamp cooler so that the water is between 2 ½” to 3” deep.