Cooling pads are the main component in a cooler as they enable the transfer of heat in order to cool the room. They absorb heat because of their high water retention quality. The material used to make this will have a major effect on how efficient your cooler is in its cooling ability. Today we will discuss the two major padding materials that are used most in coolers in India.
Let’s look at each of them in detail;
Aspen/Wood Wool Cooling Pads:
Aspen or wood wool pads are the traditional cooling pads used in coolers. This is the padding that is made up of aspen tree husks. This is a 100% natural material that has been used for generations. You must have seen them as thick, brown padding in a cooler that looks very similar to coconut husk.
They have very high water retention quality. They are very affordable and are easily available in the market. This is the reason that many older coolers have this kind of padding. However, they have some major drawbacks with this kind of padding. They get dirty very quickly and require high maintenance. Because they are natural fibre, they are also not very durable and you will need to replace them often.
To combat all these drawbacks, a new kind of material was introduced in the market, this is called honeycomb cooling pads.
Pros:
- Organic and natural material that is eco-friendly and sustainable
- Cost effective and easily available
Cons:
- NOt durable and needs to replaced often
- Requires high maintenance
- Does not provide efficient cooling like honeycomb pads
HoneyComb Cooling Pads:
The honeycomb cooling pads look like thick paper material. This is because they are made up of cellulose material that is derived from wood pulp and cotton. This thick material can hold more water than the aspen padding.
The high water retention ability is because the padding is designed in the shape of a honeycomb which allows it to retain more water. That is why most newer cooler models have honeycomb cooling pads. This is because the honeycomb pads last a lot longer than aspen pads. They also require less maintenance and can last for a long time without replacing them.
The only major drawback of these pads are that they are more expensive than aspen pads. But the total cost will not differ largely because you don’t need to replace them as frequently as the aspen pads.
Pros:
- Durable and can last you longer than wood wool pads
- Very efficient in cooling in all atmospheric conditions
- Require significantly less maintenance
- Organic and natural material
Cons:
- Very expensive
- You need to replace it once every year
Here is a table about the major differences between the two;
| ASPEN | HONEYCOMB | |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | Can hold water | Retains water better than aspen padding |
| Price | It is cheaper | Relatively expensive than aspen padding |
| Design | It has thick coconut husk design | It is thicker than aspen padding and comes in a honeycomb design to maximise water retention. |
| Durability | It needs to be replaced often | Is long lasting and can last years without replacing |
| Suitability | Suitable for moderately humid areas. | Great for highly dry areas such as desert |
Even though aspen padding has been used for a long time, you should consider honeycomb padding for its obvious benefits. They are durable and perform better at retaining water.
However, if you don’t plan on using your cooler regularly, then aspen padding might be best for you as you don’t need to spend a lot of money on them. But before deciding which padding you want, make sure the padding is available locally when you need to replace them in future.
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