That one week when my swamp cooler flooded the utility room twice

Last July during the monsoon I had to pull the drain pan three times in five days because the float valve kept sticking from hard water buildup, and now I always keep a spare valve and a wire brush on the shelf has anyone else had this issue with ABQ's water?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_lee27d ago

flooded the utility room twice" sounds like you need a dehumidifier more than a new float valve.

hugo_bennett15d ago

Those Monsoon seasons in Albuquerque usually dump 6 to 8 inches of rain in a few weeks, so hard water scale plus sudden heavy flow is a nasty combo. Clean valves twice a year and check the water pressure after a storm, a spike can blow past a clean valve if your house has a bad pressure regulator. That's the hidden variable nobody checked before their second flood.

alex_nguyen27d ago

Disagree completely. A dehumidifier just masks the symptom. The real fix is cleaning your float valve regularly or swapping in a stainless steel one that handles hard water better. I've been through this exact thing here in Albuquerque for years, and that hard water scale from the city supply is brutal. If you slap a dehumidifier in there you're still gonna have the same stuck valve issue next monsoon season, just with less moisture in the air. Plus dehumidifiers are noisy and run up your electric bill.