Negligible cooling nets Cool Surge portable air cooler a Consumer Reports Don't Buy judgment

You can buy a decent small window air conditioner for as little as $140, as we found in our July 2009 report on air conditioning (available to subscribers). Or you can spend more than twice that amount—$298—for the Cool Surge portable air cooler (shown), which promises to cool an average-sized room "up to ten degrees" using the same energy as a 60-watt lightbulb. (Watch our exclusive video, below.)

The Cool Surge might sound appealing when you consider the roughly 500 watts needed to run even a small air conditioner. Ohio-based Fridge Electric LLC, which markets the Cool Surge, has even offered a two-for-one deal in full-page ads in The New York Times and other newspapers. But our tests show that when it comes to cooling a room, the Cool Surge is likely to disappoint you at any price.

The Cool Surge is essentially an evaporative cooler (also known as a swamp cooler) that bases its cooling claims on a concept thousands of years old. The unit's reservoir holds about a gallon of water and two reusable ice packs like the kind that go into lunch boxes and picnic baskets. The chilled water wets a curtain inside, and a fan moves air through it much the way a breeze would blow air through moistened fabric centuries ago. No compressor, no condenser, no refrigerant gas.

Could that ancient principle cut it in today's "average" room? Consumer Reports tested two samples of the Cool Surge in the same lab we use to test air conditioners. At just over 200 square feet, our test room is actually a tad smaller than the roughly 227-square-foot living room in a typical new home, and, therefore, should be easier to cool. We controlled conditions around the room to simulate an 85°F dry summer day with a relative humidity of just 57 percent.

As we found, the phrase "up to" in Cool Surge's cooling claims does some heavy lifting: Our string of sensors showed the device failed to appreciably lower the room's overall temperature during a four-hour test.

We also tested the Cool Surge at an even drier, desertlike setting of 25 percent relative humidity, again, at 85°F. Even in these conditions, which are suitable for an evaporative cooler, we measured a mere 2 degrees of cooling during the four-hour test.

Because of its negligible cooling in our tests, we've given the Cool Surge portable air cooler our Don't Buy: Performance Problem judgment. (The Cool Surge has a built-in heater with a faux fireplace; we didn't test its heater nor did we test this product for safety.)

Confusing pricing policies and complaints about companies associated with Cool Surge also left us cold. The Cool Surge debuted in 2008 and was originally promoted by Universal TechTronics. The same company is a division of Heat Surge, which markets the Heat Surge Roll-n-Glow Electric Fireplace—also known as the Amish heater—and pushed a "free" DTV converter box that ultimately cost nearly $100 when you added in the mandatory warranty and shipping and handling fees.

We ordered the two Cool Surge units that we evaluated online and paid $298 for each, with no shipping charge. But when we later called the Web site's order line anonymously, we were told we'd have to pay $49 per unit for shipping, or nearly $100 if we had opted for the company's two-for-one offer. Another call using a different number listed in a Cool Surge newspaper ad yielded yet another price of $148 per unit—plus $49 shipping—for versions with "slight cosmetic damages." The two-for-one offer had apparently ended.

The Better Business Bureau warned consumers about Universal TechTronics' "misleading advertising campaign" for the DTV converter and gave the company an unsatisfactory rating based on its pattern of complaints. While the BBB says it has no complaints against Fridge Electric LLC, that company shares the same Canton, Ohio, address as Heat Surge.

A label on the Cool Surge units we evaluated referred to both Universal TechTronics and Heat Surge (shown). And when we checked the box, it listed all three names: Universal TechTronics, Heat Surge—and Fridge Electric.

We found no problems with the Amish heater in our evaluations earlier this year. But our research found that the Ohio Attorney General's Office had 55 complaints against Heat Surge that included the product and its marketer.

Bottom line: Buy an effective air conditioner if you want to cool a room; click here for the latest Ratings (available to subscribers). Or consider a fan if you want to save energy and feel cool from the blowing breeze; 20-inch models cost as little as $20 and use roughly 80 watts on their low setting—barely more than the 73 watts we measured for the Cool Surge on high.—Bob Markovich and Tod Marks | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Comments

[Patricia]

I live in the desert where rooftop swamp coolers are practically standard equipment on many older homes and use only about 25% of the electricity of a whole-house air conditioning system, but even those very large cumbersome units have their drawbacks.

A humidity rate as low as 15% in the desert is very humid for us when the weather is hot causing swamp coolers to become ineffective. So they're testing it using a relative humidity rating of "just 57%"?

Swamp coolers require extremely dry air and an air source such as a cracked window or door in order to work properly.

I don't feel the little portable unit tested was given a fair chance. It's in the dry, desert heat is where a swamp cooler is most effective. They're not designed for humid conditions whatsoever.

Based on the conditions described in the article, the unit was destined to fail the test before the test even started.

[Dean]

The unit may have been "destined to fail" given the conditions used in the lab, but the companies' advertising doesn't say that swamp coolers do absolutely nothing in 90% of the country because the humidity levels are ALWAYS too high.

This is just another shady product, with deceptive marketing, from a company with serious customer service problems.

[Xkeeper]

That might be (and it certainly seems to be the case), but as it's basically a portable swamp cooler, it would've been good to see how it would preform in favorable conditions (e.g. 5-10% relative humidity, about average for the southwest desert)

[chris]

the fact that this product was not called the SCAM makes me wonder the lack of power CR has on issues...

[Johnny Sevier]

Patricia, please read more carefully: they tested the unit in conditions with 25% humidity, and found it lowered the room temp only two degrees. And as Dean pointed out, the marketers don't tell the customers that their unit works only in arid settings.

[Cylon12]

Listen folks... any... repeat ANY TIME you see on a label: "MADE IN CHINA" Do not expect it to be worthwhile. (The only thing worse is "MADE IN FRANCE"). The company - Universal TechTronics, has been shown over and over as making worthless and lisleading claims.

As for Patricia's claim that the unit would only work in a desert condition, that would be like marking a heater to everyone in the US, but it only works in Antarctica!

[Jeff]

I agree the unit is misadvertized and cost too much for what it does. Correct me if I am wrong, but I thouht swamp coolers, in addition to being useful only in a dry climate, did not really cool the air as much as they make an individual "feel" cooler by water vapor evaporating from the skin. If this is the case, it should be mentioned in the CR report. The frozem ice packs I assume would be the one feature that would actually cool the air, but apparently very little. I am appreciative CR evaluated this device, as I have been in the market for something similar. This is not the one!

[Philip Griggs]

Living in very humid Western Kentucky I found the CR report very informative. From the newspaper ad I didn't realize this was basically a "swamp cooler." Yes, I have lived in the desert before and evaporative coolers work very well in the right environment. I'm glad I looked up the CR article before putting my money down. I won't buy it.

[Gabby]

On June 1, 2008 I purchased a 17,600 btu Samsung air conditioner from Lowe's. It "blew up" with smoke exiting inside and out on May 30, 2009, two days before the year warranty. It had worked and been looked after perfectly until that time.. The local repair shop commissioned to fix the unit ordered the parts from Samsung on June 2, 2009. They took the unit into their shop at that time, and were told by Samsung there would be a two week delay back-order for parts. I have tried contacting Samsung three times since (they have a recording...then no one replies for over 30 minutes). I have been without my air conditioner for a full month now in very hot weather. The local repair company has been as helpful as possible, but Samsung could have commissioned a custom part to be made in one month's time. I am fed up with using two fans in 90 degree weather. I wish Samsung to replace (i.e. bring in a free NEW unit of my choosing and reinstall in place). The new unit cannot be found at Lowe's. I also wish this to be a notice to Samsung that All of its products should be inspected as to honoring within reason EACH of its WARRANTIES! There should be a penalty for such practices!

[Paul]

It has nothing to do w China FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! They make what the customer orders.

[KMVandy]

This company is about as worthless as it gets. They ARE China in that they find other people's products and try to knock them off/copy them. The guy that made this is from another company that makes the air-cooler-plus, which actually does work in all of the country because it doesn't use water, but high density ice packs. CR, perhaps you should test that one and see how it rates. They say it lowers the temperature 20 degrees on their website: www.waterlessaircooler.com.

[Billyreds]

Why don't we have a rating system for heaters and central air conditioners? Prices help too. We've donated our money and time so we won't get JAZZED and you guys fell short. The reports you give are peoples hit or miss product information which isn't very reliable. Let's get on the stick Consumer Reports. Home major appliances are just as important as cars. don't you think?

[Ted]

I called the company this morning, and found the dimensions of the "glacier ice blocks" are each 3" x 5" x 1". Two of them are about the size of a tray of ice cubes. He said they would last 8 hours each. WHen was the last time you put a tray of ice cubes on the counter in a hot room and found them still cold (much less frozen) 8 hours later?

In addition, the helpful phone salesman pointed out that "lots" of people are just putting ice cubes into the evaporative water tray instead of water, to get "better performance".

What a total scam.

[Steve]

Let us not forget that the two sets of reusable glacier ice blocks don't provide ice for free. It takes btu's (i.e. kw of electricity) to run the compressor for the freezer that makes these ice blocks. Go buy a room fan and place it behind some hanging wet towels that have water dripping on them from a faucet and you'll get the equivalent of what this rinky dink device provides.

[Jeanne M.]

So, in effect does that mean that we shouldn't buy 'any' portable evaporative coolers or just this particular brand? I ask this question because a very close friend of mine had a portable cooler for 'many' years in her home, which worked "wonderful" (good enough to cool off 1 1/2 rooms ) until the day her 'ex' took off with it, because it worked so good.
In my opinion, it sure would have been nice if Consumer Reports would have given some 'extra' information on the portable coolers 'that do' work, for those persons who are interested in them as well. Good job though as usual helping us consumers.