Beat the heat: Demand of Lahori air coolers increases in city

Locals prefer it over air conditioners as it is easier on the pocket

PESHAWAR: The sale of air coolers, known as the Lahori room coolers, has increased in the city as the temperature can hit a sizzling 40 degrees centigrade on certain days.

The Lahori air coolers have plastic husk inside that reduces heat when transferring air. They are preferred by those who cannot pay hefty electricity bills that result from the use of air conditioners. An air cooler only consumes the same amount of power as two
fans combined.

Ibad Khan, a salesperson at a garments outlet, has bought two room coolers for his five-marla rented house in an area of Abdara Road.

He told The Express Tribune the Lahori air coolers can be used as an alternative to air conditioners and he has found them useful. “They cannot be compared to air conditioners when it comes to cooling, but it’s the best alternative for middle class families.”

Less load

Excessive power outages in the city and its outskirts have compelled commuters to switch to Lahori air coolers instead of air conditioner as they can easily be run on gas generators that do not bear much load.

Danish Babar, a resident of Spena Warai, said he has an air conditioner at his house, but he uses a Lahori room cooler. Babar prefers the latter despite belonging to a well-to-do family. However, he said it does not properly cool a room when the air outside is humid.

“The AC doesn’t work as we have over 10 hours of load-shedding in our area,” Babar told The Express Tribune, adding, coolers cost less when it comes to electricity bills and can also be run through gas generators.

As the name suggests, the idea of Lahori air coolers comes from Punjab and was introduced in Peshawar around 15 years ago.

Light on the pocket

Mohammad Aslam, who hails from Punjab, has been dealing in these products for the last 10 years in Peshawar. He told The Express Tribune that he sells over 15 coolers a day in May, June and July.

“We deliver coolers to other districts of the province and also prepare them on order for traders in other regions.”

When asked about the price of the coolers, he said the small size costs between Rs5,000 and Rs6,000, the medium one is for around Rs8,000 and the large size is for Rs12,000.

He added the large size works better when it comes to cooling as compared to the small and medium ones. However, he said, small and medium sizes can be used for small rooms or shops.

While talking about the mechanism and functions, he said an electric motor is fixed on the lower portion of a square box to provide power to the structure. It should be fixed a few inches above the water box to eliminate any risk of a short circuit.

The motor is also attached to a pipe to pump water from the water tub at the bottom and to push water into the fan connected to the motor. “The water keeps the husk wet, making it cool the air.”

Another dealer, 40-year-old Naeem Alam, said the workers in the business mostly belong to Lahore, while only a few of them were Pukhtuns.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2016.