Kevin, thanks for going to the trouble. I did find that information on line and had already printed up the owner's manual, which really doesn't provide much guidance on care and maintenance. I was hoping members here who are familiar with these Essick Air units could provide testimonials or share anecdotal experiences.
I took the grilles off in order to get a better idea of how the cooler operates and to make sure the pump was working. It's a very simple system, and the control knob does in fact activate the pump on the "Cool" setting but not on the "Fan Only" setting. The fan itself, by the way, is extremely well balanced. I'm impressed. The pump operates quietly and circulates an impressive volume of water. I disconnected the tubing from the distributor on the pad and routed the water back into the reservoir for testing. I presume the cooler will make a similar trickling sound to large outdoor units but on a much smaller scale. I haven't tried the cooling option with everything reassembled yet, as the rear grille has to be removed in order to empty the reservoir, which is a hassle.
I don't know how quickly the water will evaporate when the unit is in use (obviously % of humidity is a factor), and I don't know what the cut-off point in % humidity would be for this type of system to be effective. That will require some on-line research unless the scientifically inclined among the membership can advise.
I found one site that listed the successor model, the BFC 2200, at $129. That one supposedly offers remote control. I think I did OK with this one for $15. Even when used just as a fan it moves a lot of air, but because of the additional cooling mechanism, it's nearly twice as deep as the average box/window fan.
