In the New Mexico heat, a locally engineered fix reinvents swamp cooling

Since graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976, Nancy Nangeroni’s engineering work has encompassed a variety of projects from loudspeaker designs to lines of answering machines.

Now retired, Nangeroni wondered what her next project would be.

“How can I put my skills to work in a way that somehow helps make things better rather than just consuming another part of the planet?” she questioned.

When Nangeroni and her partner, Gordene MacKenzie, moved to Albuquerque in 2016, Nangeroni said their home had two swamp coolers controlled by rotary switches. Wanting to use a thermostat, she said not many were compatible with the house’s technology, as it required an electrician to install a low-voltage wire.

That’s when Nangeroni began designing Roadrunner Comfort, a swamp cooler controller that uses a wireless sensor to measure airflow temperature — bypassing extra costs and maintenance.

Swamp coolers, or evaporative coolers, are predominantly used in drier climates and are designed to use evaporating water to cool the air. Units include a fan, water supply and a pump that distributes water to filter pads. The water evaporates as warm, dry air is pulled into the unit and the resulting cool air is pushed into the living space.

Nangeroni said swamp coolers typically turn off once temperature readings get too low, and will turn back on once they get too high. Making real-time measurements of air blowing into a person’s home, Roadrunner Comfort can hold the desired temperature more than 95% of the time by controlling how much water is pumped onto the pads, she said.

“With my controller, you can blow air in at whatever temperature you want, 72 degrees, 75 degrees, 78 degrees — whatever you want — constantly,” she said.

Nangeroni designs and assembles the controllers right from her home in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, which hit the direct market in 2024. Having sold around 120 controllers so far, Nangeroni uses eco-friendly, 3D-printed enclosures made from compostable polylactic acid plastic and makes sure to quality test each unit.

Compared to central air conditioning units, swamp coolers cost about half as much to install and use one-quarter as much energy, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Nangeroni said her controller further improves a swamp cooler’s efficiency by reducing water usage and humidity levels.

“Being someone who’s concerned about global warming and having these engineering skills, I thought, ‘What can I do here to help?’” Nangeroni said. “That’s why I designed the controller, and that’s why I’m trying to get it out there to people.”

Roadrunner Comfort is compatible with most swamp cooler models, a goal Nangeroni said she had since the product’s conception. When people get rid of these coolers to install A/C units, she said they create trash, consume more energy and add to toxins produced by their manufacturing.

“If I can convince someone to keep their swamp cooler, they’ve saved a tremendous amount of pollution and energy,” Nangeroni said. “Not only that, but they will continue to save because they’re using a much more efficient system, rather than going to a more modern but much less efficient way of cooling their home.”