Abstract: A drain pump assembly is provided for use with an evaporative cooler having a water reservoir and a circulating pump. The drain pump assembly includes a drain pump operative to pump accumulated water from the reservoir when the drain pump is turned on and a controller. The controller is operative to turn on the drain pump automatically after the circulating pump has operated for a predetermined circulate time period and also is operative to turn on the drain pump in response to actuation of a manual drain actuator. The controller turns on the drain pump for a drain time that is equal to or greater than a predetermined drain period. The controller can terminate operation of the drain pump and reset the drain time is power to the circulating pump is interrupted during operation of the circulating pump. The controller includes a processor and a data storage device operative to store data representing the accumulated circulate time when power to the circulating pump is interrupted.

Abstract: A cooler pad frame for an evaporative cooler includes an outer panel and an inner panel defining a pad space for holding a pad element. The outer panel has a plurality of louvered openings for allowing a stream of air to flow through the outer panel and into the pad element, and the inner panel has a plurality of louvered opening for allowing the stream of air to flow out of the pad element and through the inner panel. The inner panel and outer panel louvered openings have louvers projecting at an angle toward the bottom of the pad frame and inward toward the pad space. In an evaporative cooler, the pad frame is mounted to the cooler frame for holding the pad element between an air inlet and an air outlet such that the stream of air flowing through the inlet passes through the pad. A method for reducing entrainment in an evaporative cooler includes disposing a pad element in an air stream, disposing a louvered inner panel at a position downstream of the pad element and distributing water over the pad element.