Tool Review: Portacool Jetstream 240 evaporative cooler

The Portacool Jetstream 240, 61" tall by 42" wide by 24-1/2" deep, features the smallest footprint in the series of evaporative coolers. This Jetstream can easily be moved and can cool spaces up to 1,125'. The Jetstream 240 provides 4,500 cfm of air delivery at a velocity of 29 mph. It offers a liquid level indicator with automatic pump shut-off; a drain for easy, effective cleaning; built-in handles for easy mobility; heavy-duty casters; a 50-gal reservoir; and more. This evaporative cooler comes with the Portacool Protect lifetime warranty on evaporative cooler housing against manufacturing defects and a three-year warranty on all electrical components.

The review

The dry, warm summer weather in Hemet, Calif., can make work conditions quite uncomfortable for technicians at Phil’s Auto Clinic. So when shop owner Phil Fournier decided to test the Portacool Jetstream 240 evaporative cooler as a means to address the high temperatures in and around his bays, he hoped to it would lead to a noticeable improvement in the work environment.  

“It’ll be about 65 degrees (F) out when we come in in the morning,” he says. “But as the sun comes up, the temperature goes up with it. By noon, it’s often 95 degrees (F) and up inside the shop. It’s just hot, and it can get hotter than that.” 

Fournier began using the 240 evaporative cooler around the first of June, and has used it just about every day since then. Setting it up involves filling the attached water tank every morning, which helps address the chapped lips, irritated skin and other ailments he and his technicians are forced to deal with due to the dry weather that’s often in the forecast for Hemet.

Fournier says he has noticed about a 20-degree difference in the temperature where the Jetstream 240 is located compared to other areas of the shop. One cooler, he notes, is able to keep approximately two bays cool. Fournier is impressed by that performance, as his facility is about 6,000 square feet and has 18’ ceilings. 

The technicians at Phil’s Auto Clinic have taken advantage of the Jetstream 240’s portability. Because it’s on wheels, Fournier says, it’s quite easy to move it from bay to bay and position it just right. 

“Let’s say you are right under a dashboard, which is not a particularly comfortable place when it’s hot,” he says. “You just park it at the middle of the vehicle and blow it through the door. It really makes your job a whole lot less miserable.” 

While Fournier has found the fan to be a bit on the loud side, he says he and his technicians have been able to overcome the noise it emits. 

“If somebody hollers at me across the shop, I can’t really understand them,” he says. “I hear their voice, but the noise of the fan makes it so it’s difficult to understand them. They end up coming closer or switching the fan off.” 

Overall, Fournier says those that work at his shop have come to really appreciate the Jetstream 240’s cooling power and portability, and they see it as a preferred – and more cost-effective – alternative to air conditioning in the shop. 

“I’m really happy with it, and my technicians are happy with it, too,” he adds