If you live in the Albuquerque area, there's a good chance a swamp cooler kept your house comfortable all summer. Now the nights are getting colder, and it's time to give that cooler a proper goodbye until next season.
Here's why shutting it down matters, what's involved, and why we'd gently suggest keeping your feet off the roof while you're at it.
Why shutting down your cooler matters
A swamp cooler works with water. That's what makes it so good at its job in our dry climate, and it's also why it needs attention when the weather turns.
Water can freeze. Water left in the cooler's pan or sitting in the supply line can freeze when temperatures drop. Freezing water can be hard on the parts it's sitting in, and nobody wants to find that out in the spring.
An open cooler lets cold air in. If the cooler isn't closed up for the season, cold air can leak through it and down into the house, right when you're trying to keep the heat in.
It's easier to do now than later. A quiet fall visit is a lot nicer than a cold, rushed one. It's also a good time to catch anything that needs attention before next summer.
What a cooler shutdown includes
When we do a swamp cooler shutdown, we work through a simple list:
- Inspect the accessible cooler and cabinet.
- Check the belt, motor and pad condition.
- Drain the cooler and winterize the water supply line.
- Set power, damper and cover for the season, as your equipment allows.
Every home's setup is a little different, so what's possible depends on your equipment. We'll tell you what we found, and we write it on your checklist.
Please don't make this a DIY rooftop job
We love a helpful homeowner, but this is one job where we'd suggest letting someone else go up. Most swamp coolers sit on the roof, and roofs are not forgiving.
- Ladders cause real injuries. Getting on and off a roof with a ladder is the riskiest part of the job.
- Roofs can be slippery and uneven, especially on cold, damp or frosty mornings.
- Water, power and a roof are a lot to manage at once.
If you do need to do anything near a ladder, please keep someone with you, and if you're not comfortable, don't go up. A phone call is a much safer way to handle it.
What you can do from the ground
There are a few things that are perfectly fine to do from the ground:
- Notice whether the cooler is still running or hooked up, and make a plan to have it shut down.
- Take a couple of photos of your cooler from the ground, which helps us understand your setup.
- Make a note of anything that's been bothering you, such as a noise, a drip or a leak in the summer.
Pairing it with your furnace
Since you're already thinking about the change of season, it's a good time to get your furnace started and tested too, before you really need it. We often do both in one visit: the swamp cooler shutdown, plus a furnace startup with a carbon monoxide test. You can read about our current seasonal offer in our fall changeover article (available through Nov 30, 2026).
Whatever you decide, a furnace is worth checking before the first really cold night. Our guide to the signs your furnace could use a look can help.
Questions about your cooler? Ask us.
If you're not sure whether your cooler is drained, or you'd just like someone to take a look, we're glad to help. We're open 24 hours, and we reply to calls and texts within about 10 minutes. Photos of your cooler help, and so does telling us about any problems you've noticed.
Call or text Arrow Ridge Contracting: (505) 977-1880
Serving Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Bernalillo and surrounding areas. Arrow Ridge Contracting LLC · Licensed, insured and bonded.
