Honeywell CO301PC 969 CFM 590 sq. ft. Powerful Outdoor Evaporative Air Cooler with Beverage & Storage Compartment, Gray

I am using this unit to cool my living/dining room and it works very well we have had temperatures around 100 and it kept the area cool.

I live in Arizona, and have been using this through the 2020 heat wave. I am new to using Evap - have never used it seriously before and always had A/C growing up. However, I have no regrets here even though I was dubious about throwing down $400+ for the unit.

For one: the amount of air this thing blows is legit. I was honestly surprised, though there are only 2 settings (low & high). The piddly amount of air that most other units in the past (fans or otherwise) are able to move has been unimpressive to me. However the low setting on this is enough for me sitting 6ft away, but the high setting is good for a normal sized garage, especially with oscillation. However I find that I tend to use this out on the back porch more.

The unit is nearly 100% plastic, though it says it's supposed to be made of UV-resistant plastic... meaning here in AZ it should last about a year in consistent direct sun... but I suspect the panel on the front won't like that one bit. Being in a place like this (Arizona) you know that most plastic left in the sun starts literally turning to dust or at the very least brittle within 7 months... so even though it's supposed to be resistant, I at least keep it in the shade when I'm not using it OR put a separately purchased barbecue cover over it. It's just what you got to do with things left outside... but having UV-resistant plastic definitely shows me that people at Honeywell were using their brains.

The internal oscillation it uses by turning the vertical grills left and right is neat and works well. There's a solid 40-degree angle-range. The horizontal grills (up/down air movement) have to be manually positioned though. Using moderate pressure with your fingers to do that is normal and I've only ever adjusted those twice in the time I've owned the unit.

The remote itself is cheap and basic, requiring 2 AAA batteries. It controls the power, speed, if the evap is on or off, and the oscillation. There might be a timer in there somewhere (a feature nobody uses on any device). I tend to use the remote to turn on the oscillation and then turn it off when it is in the position I need it to be. However the front panel is where I most often turn the unit on and engage the evap.

Speaking of the front panel, turning the unit on/off on the unit itself is not normal. It is a touch-sensitive panel, not a button... so don't go poking at it because that just causes it to be fussy. Also, you have to touch-and-hold the power to get it to turn off (as opposed to just a single touch to turn it on). This is another reason I don't feel like leaving it out in the sun for days-on-end without a cover is a good idea. However it IS water resistant. Rain won't hurt the thing one bit. Even the mini-brick at the end of the electrical cord has rubber around the GFCI buttons.

The portability is what sold me though. A large manually filled reservoir (my original criteria) that when filled to the top lasts 2 solid hours on high... and the evap part automatically turns off when the water level gets too low so as not to burn out the pump (confirmed working). 2 small caster-like wheels in the front to easily move it left or right when needed (the most common type of movement) but 2 larger (plastic) static wheels in the back with a rubber coating are quite helpful, and there are hand-holds on the side for when you lean it back to transport. The only thing about that is when you go to move it and there's water still in it. There's an overflow hole in the back that it will pour out of (because you tilt it backwards to move it any significant distance like a dolly) and it only has to be filled up 1/4 of the way for a 30-degree lean to cause water to escape. Kind of messy when in the garage, so I encourage you to push it out of the garage first before tilting it back.

However what I didn't expect was the side attachment for a hose and how useful that is for extended use. The inside has a toilet-tank-like-device that floats on top of the water and opens the valve on the side to let water from the hose keeps the reservoir full when it gets below 5/8ths full (loosely calibrated, may differ for you). I didn't expect to use this feature at all, but now I do it whenever possible. However since I have hard water, I purchased an inline filter to help with that.

I also purchased the recommended Bacteriostatic water treatment - which I have to say was a wise choice. There have been days and at time a week between uses. A stagnant, shaded water reservoir in a back yard is and has in the past been a great breeding place for mosquitoes and other unwanted pests. Pouring in several cap-fulls into the side-fill compartment every 10hrs of use has resulted in keeping the reservoir clear of everything but dust/debris. It also smells clean if you accidentally pour in a little too much.

When taking off/out the front filter, you have full, open and easy access to the pump, reservoir, and refill mechanism. Cleaning out the reservoir is n...

This has worked so much bettet than our old unit. Does a much better job and we are happy with it.

Just what I needed for our covered patio.

This works really, really well. Living in Texas, we are always on the lookout for something to cool down our patio on hot summer days, and this is the winner so far. It's easy too move around, not to heavy to store inside and move out, and easy to hook up. If you hook a hose into it then it will automatically refill as needed. The breeze is very strong, and it genuinely feels like an ocean breeze. It has a 'swing function' and two different speeds, and is relatively quiet for its size and strength. If you are looking for a good solution that will cool you down outside without getting you wet or interrupting your conversations, get this one. Highly Recommended.