Should I run an evaporative cooler during bushfire smoke?

No. The unit is designed to pull outdoor air through wet pads and into the house. Smoke comes with it. Close the system and follow local air-quality advice.

Is evaporative cooling better for asthma?

Fresh, filtered air helps some people. Damp pads, scale and mould help no one. Maintenance is a health decision, not a cosmetic one.

The air

Health

Fresh air is the point — until the sky turns brown. Asthma, allergies, indoor air quality and bushfire smoke.

Distant bushfire smoke over an Australian landscape

Health · 27 October 2025

Bushfire smoke and evaporative coolers: when to shut down

Public guidance is blunt: do not draw smoke indoors. Shut the cooler down, close the vents, and treat the pads as contaminated until you have cleaned or replaced them.

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Health · 13 October 2025

Asthma, allergies and living with an evaporative cooler

Fresh washed air helps some households. Damp pads, mould and mineral dust help no one. This is a maintenance and shutdown guide, not medical advice.

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Health · 29 September 2025

Fresh air, indoor air quality and evaporative cooling

A working cooler is a whole-house outdoor-air machine. Pads filter some grit and pollen; they do not make a sealed house, and they must not run in smoke.

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Questions this desk keeps hearing

Should I run an evaporative cooler during bushfire smoke?: No. The unit is designed to pull outdoor air through wet pads and into the house. Smoke comes with it. Close the system and follow local air-quality advice.
Is evaporative cooling better for asthma?: Fresh, filtered air helps some people. Damp pads, scale and mould help no one. Maintenance is a health decision, not a cosmetic one.

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