Am I Cool? Or Is It Just My Imagination...

[Phaseman66]

So I live in Las Vegas, this will be my 10th summer here and I'm wondering..

I came to Vegas from Chicago, where in the summer we would turn on an air conditioner to cool off but in Las Vegas, many people use what is called a 'swamp cooler' or 'evaporative cooler' as a more inexpensive way to cool their homes.

I never knew these existed until I came to live in a desert state (they don't work well in high humidity) and was really pretty amazed at the job they can do when they are working right.

Long story short - These things cool using hot, outside air forced through a pad of wet material, and in the process warm dry air is changed to cool moist air. Heat in the air is used to evaporate water.

Now, I've already begun to notice when I'm out in the hot dry air that when I vape..I'm expelling a little cloud of air conditioning! It actually cools the air as the vapor dissipates. (or maybe it's my imagination?)

I'm kinda hoping that someone here has a temperature sensing gun at home and might want to give it a try on a warm day (preferably LOW humidity) and see if I'm right or wrong. I used to use a temp gun like that when I built spraybooths for a living, but alas, it was a toy the BOSS owned so I didn't get to have much fun with it.

I'm dying to know if it's just my imagination or there really is something to this.

[Christopher]

Hmmm this is interesting. I personally haven't noticed but then again it hasn't gotten really hot in California yet.

I'll have to pay more attention when out and about

[mcquinn]

The energy exchange took place in the atty.There will be some additional evaporation after the vapor recondenses ,this was mentioned in another string about wet moustache's.I doubt we will help with global warming ,though Al Gore might be stupid enough to fall for it if you concoct a theory he could hijack.

[Brandon]

My sister lives in New Mexico and they use a swamp cooler in the summer time. LOADS more efficient than a regular exchange system that folks like us in the more humid areas are used to. Temps out there bump over 100 on a regular basis, sometimes over 110. But, there's nearly no moisture, so it doesn't feel that hot, and the swamp coolers really do shine. First time I visited them out there I was totally amazed.

The condensation on the mustache was something I posted about awhile back Even though we're away from the winter dryness now, I still notice it from time to time.

Also notice the cooling effect of the vapor when blowing it across my arms and hands when typing.