*This guide is designed for businesses and facility managers seeking industrial evaporative air cooler solutions in Malaysia — from cost, performance, installation to maintenance.
Evaporative air coolers Malaysia have become one of the most practical cooling solutions for factories, warehouses, and commercial buildings across nation. Unlike air conditioners that rely on enclosed spaces and high energy consumption, evaporative air cooling focuses on fresh air circulation, heat removal, and energy efficiency — making it ideal for large, open or semi-open environments.
Throughout this page you will understand how evaporative air coolers work, where they perform best, when they should not be used, and how businesses in Malaysia can decide whether this cooling approach is suitable for their operations.
Most people do not understand what an evaporative cooling system is. An evaporative air cooler is a cooling system that reduces air temperature through the natural process of water evaporation. Hot outdoor air is drawn into the unit, passed through water-saturated cooling pads, and then delivered as cooler, fresh air into the building.
From an HVAC engineering perspective, evaporative cooling is a well-established method, and ASHRAE defines evaporative cooling as a process that reduces air temperature through the evaporation of water, without the use of refrigerants or compressors.
Unlike conventional air conditioning systems:
There is no refrigerant
There is no recirculation of stale indoor air
Cooling is achieved using water and airflow
This makes evaporative air coolers fundamentally different from air conditioners — they are designed to cool people and processes, not sealed rooms.
In Malaysia, evaporative air cooling system is mainly used for industrial instead of residential and we must understand how evaporative air cooling systems work in industrial applications. In real-world industrial applications, evaporative air coolers are almost always installed outside the building. The system draws in hot ambient air, cools it through evaporation, and supplies the cooled air indoors using square or rectangular ducting.
Key characteristics of industrial evaporative cooling systems include:
Outdoor installation on wall brackets or platforms
Continuous supply of fresh air
Heat removal through air replacement, not trapping cold air
Compatibility with large floor areas and high ceilings
This approach works particularly well in factories and warehouses where heat is constantly generated by machinery, lighting, and human activity.
Malaysia’s hot climate makes evaporative air cooling especially effective for the right type of environment. While humidity is often misunderstood, evaporative coolers are designed to replace hot air, not accumulate moisture. This is fundamental to avoid any heat stress for workers as mentioned by NIOSH. Here is the detail on actual room temperature impact of evaporative air coolers for your understanding.
Evaporative air cooling is suitable in Malaysia when:
The space is large or semi-open
There is adequate air movement and exhaust
Heat load is high due to machinery or occupancy
It is less about achieving a fixed temperature and more about thermal comfort, airflow, and heat reduction — which is exactly what many industrial and commercial spaces require.
Evaporative air coolers are widely used across Malaysia in environments such as:
Factories and production floors. (Related reading : industrial air coolers for better productivity)
Warehouses and logistics centres
Commercial kitchens and food processing areas
Restaurants and dining spaces
Assembly areas and workshops
Loading bays and semi-open structures
Find out how air coolers improve productivity in factories and warehouses here.
In these spaces, air conditioners are often impractical due to:
Large open doors
High ceilings
Continuous heat generation
Evaporative cooling provides a more sustainable and cost-effective solution for these conditions. From a building services standpoint, professional bodies such as CIBSE highlight that ventilation-based cooling strategies are particularly effective in large spaces with high heat loads and frequent air exchange.
For your information, evaporative air cooling system is a widely welcomed by kopitiam style restaurants and foodcourt in Malaysia, here is the reason why restaurants in Malaysia prefer air coolers over air conditioners.
Evaporative air coolers are not suitable for every application. They are generally not recommended for:
Small enclosed offices
Server rooms or data centres
Sealed environments with no exhaust
Areas requiring precise temperature and humidity control
Understanding these limitations is important. Choosing the correct cooling system ensures performance, comfort, and long-term cost efficiency.
Evaporative air coolers vs air conditioners serve different purposes.
Air conditioners:
Recirculate indoor air
Work best in sealed rooms
Consume higher electrical power
Provide precise temperature control
Evaporative air coolers:
Supply continuous fresh air
Work best in open or ventilated spaces
Consume significantly less electricity
Focus on heat reduction and airflow
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, evaporative coolers typically consume significantly less electricity than conventional air conditioning systems, particularly when used in large, well-ventilated spaces.
For many factories and warehouses in Malaysia, evaporative air cooling offers a more practical solution where air conditioning would be inefficient or cost-prohibitive.
Selecting the right system involves more than choosing a unit size. Important considerations include:
Airflow requirement (CFM or m³/h)
Floor area and ceiling height
Heat sources within the space
Ducting layout and air distribution
Number of units required for even cooling
A properly designed system ensures that cooled air reaches occupied zones effectively without creating hotspots. Proper ventilation is also linked to indoor environmental quality, and World Health Organization indoor air quality guidelines emphasise the importance of adequate airflow in occupied workplaces.
It is recommended to go through air cooler buying guide for commercial and industrial use before making decisions.
In industrial applications, this is how to install commercial air coolers in warehouses and in short evaporative air coolers are typically:
Mounted externally on steel brackets
Connected via square or rectangular ducting
Positioned to deliver air evenly across work areas
External installation simplifies maintenance, preserves indoor space, and ensures optimal intake of fresh air. Proper planning of duct routing and discharge points is essential for effective cooling performance.
Like all mechanical systems, evaporative cooling system maintenance requirements must be observed for optimal performance.Here are the reasons why warehouse air coolers need regular maintenance. Typical maintenance includes:
Cleaning or replacing cooling pads
Checking water distribution systems
Inspecting fans and motors
Ensuring proper drainage
With proper maintenance, industrial evaporative air coolers can provide reliable service for many years. Performance decline, excessive water usage, or repeated repairs may indicate that replacement is more economical than continued servicing. Here is the signs that an air cooler should be replaced.
One of the biggest advantages of evaporative air cooling is low operating cost. Compared to air conditioning:
Power consumption is significantly lower
Systems scale more economically for large spaces
Productivity improves due to better airflow and comfort
By real-world experience, industrial air cooler solutions in Malaysia are proven the return on investment is achieved not only through energy savings, but also through improved working conditions and operational efficiency. i
Evaporative air coolers are also suitable for temporary applications such as:
Peak production periods
Temporary facilities
Renovation projects
Emergency cooling needs
Rental solutions allow businesses to address short-term cooling requirements without long-term capital investment. Know more about air cooler rental solutions in Malaysia here.
Yes, when used in ventilated spaces with adequate airflow.
Yes, if the space is fully concealed. For ventilated place, the system replaces hot air with cooled fresh air rather than trapping moisture.
This depends on floor area, ceiling height, heat load, and airflow requirements.
For medium to large industrial spaces, installation and operating costs are typically much lower.
Every building is different. The effectiveness of an evaporative air cooling system depends on proper assessment, design, and installation.
If you are considering evaporative air cooling for your factory, warehouse, or commercial space in Malaysia, a professional site assessment will help determine the most suitable solution for your requirements.