All this thinking about Swamp Coolers made me wonder how the regular old A/C unit on my house works.
Turns out the A/C works just like a refrigerator. So you get a two-fer on this one.
The process of cooling the air involves a refrigerant, typically Freon, that can easily turn from a liquid to gas.
The Freon is compressed by a compressor, which heats it up and turns it into a high pressure gas.
The hot gas runs through coils to cool down, and turns back into a liquid.
The liquid goes through a valve which turns it into a cool, low pressure gas.
The cold gas runs through coils which absorb heat, and in the process cools down the air, which is then blown into your house.
During the process, the hot air in your house is sucked out through the air return vents. The A/C unit blows the cold air through the air ducts.
An A/C unit also removes moisture from the air to keep the humidity low. And you stay nice and comfortable, despite the fact that it is 115 degrees outside.
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I've heard air conditioners cool the air far lower then the desired temperature, in order to remove excess moisture, and then heat it back up to room temperature.