Refrigerated Air Conversion: cost, process & timeline
Here's how a swamp-cooler-to-refrigerated-air conversion actually works: a free in-home assessment, a fixed written quote, then a 2–4 day install with ductwork fabricated in our own Canutillo shop. Your price depends on three things — system tonnage, duct condition, and your electrical panel — and our conversion cost guide breaks each one down. $0 down financing at 0% interest and a free smart thermostat with every new system.
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What that old swamp cooler is quietly costing you.
Keeping it limping along feels cheaper — until you add up the water, the repairs, and the comfort you never actually get.
Evaporative coolers drink hundreds of gallons a month, and the hard-water scale they leave behind clogs pads and lines — so it costs more to run and cools weaker every year.
That rooftop cooler pushes damp air through metal duct that corrodes and leaks. You keep paying to patch a system that's only getting older — money toward a unit you'll replace anyway.
Leaky duct and an aging cooler waste the cooling you're paying for — and the hottest months are exactly when an evaporative unit works the least.
El Paso buyers expect refrigerated air. A swamp-cooler-only house reads as behind the times and typically sells for less than a comparable refrigerated home.
Refrigerated air ends the water bills, the rust, and the patch-ups — and with $0 down financing, the upgrade can cost less per month than the repairs you're already paying for.
What the conversion includes
- ✓Swamp-cooler-to-refrigerated conversion
- ✓$0 down / 0% interest financing
- ✓Zoning systems for custom comfort
- ✓Free smart thermostat with new systems
Why convert with Israel Sheet Metal
Family-owned since 1992 — three generations of the López family. José and Oralia López founded the shop in Canutillo in 1992; their son Israel López runs it today — so the conversion is quoted and installed by the family whose name is on the truck.
We've done refrigerated air conversions across the borderland for 34+ years — and because we fabricate our own sheet-metal duct in-house, your transition fits right the first time, with no waiting on an outside vendor. You deal with the owner and his crew, get an honest fixed quote before work starts, and your new system is backed by our reputation and a BBB A+ rating.
Most conversions finish in 2–4 days. Ask about $0-down financing and the free smart thermostat included with new systems — plus discounts for military, first responders, teachers and seniors.
Your swamp cooler taps out when you need it most.
Once El Paso's monsoon humidity rolls in, evaporative coolers stop keeping up — the air gets sticky, dusty, and never quite cold. Refrigerated air is a different category of comfort, and because we fabricate our own sheet-metal duct in-house, your conversion fits right the first time.
- ✓Cools AND dehumidifies — comfortable even through monsoon humidity
- ✓Filters dust and allergens instead of pulling them in
- ✓Reliable cooling all summer, not just on dry days
- ✓Uses no water to run — and often raises home value
Four steps
to cool.
Four simple steps — no call centers, no run-around, just the owner and his crew.
Tell us what's going on by phone or our 60-second form.
The owner or his crew diagnoses the real problem, no upsell.
You get a clear price before any work begins. Free on installs.
Most repairs same-day; conversions in 2–4 days. Cool again.
Current offers
Free Honeywell Smart Thermostat
Get the Honeywell Home Wi-Fi Smart Color Thermostat (RTH9585WF) — 7-day programmable, color touchscreen, Wi-Fi connected — included at no extra charge when you have us install a new HVAC system.
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5.0★ on Google · BBB A+ rated
Real Google reviews from the borderland, with our system-and-ductwork installation customers first.
Refrigerated air conversion — FAQ
Refrigerated air conversion replaces your evaporative (swamp) cooler with a true refrigerated AC system. Unlike a swamp cooler, it cools AND dehumidifies — so your El Paso or Las Cruces home stays comfortable even during monsoon humidity, and it typically raises your home's value.
A typical conversion takes about 2–4 days depending on home size, existing duct condition, and electrical capacity. We perform an in-home assessment first and give you a fixed, written quote so you know the timeline before any work begins.
Yes — Israel Sheet Metal offers $0 down and 0% interest financing on refrigerated air conversions. We also include a free smart thermostat with new systems. Call (915) 877-2284 for current details.
For most El Paso and Las Cruces homes, yes. Swamp coolers struggle once monsoon humidity arrives in mid-summer, while refrigerated air cools reliably year-round, filters the air, and runs cleaner. Many homeowners also see better resale value after converting.
We install refrigerated air across El Paso, TX and Las Cruces, NM plus Canutillo, Anthony, Horizon City, Sunland Park, Santa Teresa, Socorro, Vinton, San Elizario and Chaparral.
Every conversion is quoted free and up front after an in-home assessment, because the price depends on your home's size, existing ductwork, and electrical capacity. To keep it affordable, we offer $0 down and 0% interest financing with approved credit — call (915) 877-2284 for details.
It depends on the condition and sizing of your existing ducts. Because sheet metal is our specialty, we inspect your ductwork first and fabricate any new or modified duct in-house at our Canutillo shop — so your system is sealed, sized, and balanced to deliver its rated efficiency.
Yes — Israel Sheet Metal offers discounts for military, first responders, teachers, and seniors. Ask about current offers when you call (915) 877-2284 for your free quote.
Sometimes. Refrigerated air draws more current than a swamp cooler, and older El Paso homes on 100-amp panels may need an upgrade to 200 amps to run the new system safely. We check your panel during the free in-home assessment, and if an upgrade is needed it's itemized in your written quote — no surprises mid-install.
We remove the old cooler, cap and seal the roof or wall opening it occupied, and haul the unit away as part of the conversion. Sealing the penetration properly matters in El Paso — an unsealed cooler opening leaks conditioned air in summer and heat in winter.
Fall through early spring is ideal: schedules are more flexible, you're not living without cooling during the work, and the system is ready before the first 100-degree day. Mid-summer conversions are absolutely doable — most take 2–4 days — but booking ahead of the heat gets you better scheduling options.
Your conversion includes a free up-front quote, professional installation by the owner and his crew, any in-house duct modifications needed for a proper fit, and a free Honeywell Wi-Fi smart thermostat with a new system. Family-owned since 1992, BBB A+, licensed in Texas and New Mexico.
Swamp cooler and conversion guides
Your AC trips the breaker every time it starts? What causes it in El Paso — dirty coils, a failing capacitor, a shorted motor — and when to stop resetting it.
Read guide →A clear repair-vs-replace decision guide for El Paso homeowners — the $5,000 rule, the R-22 refrigerant problem, and the signals that mean it's time to replace.
Read guide →Musty, rotten-egg, burning, or dirty-sock smell from your AC? What each odor means, which ones are emergencies, and what to do — El Paso HVAC safety guide.
Read guide →Spring and fall are the best windows to replace an AC in El Paso. Here's the month-by-month tradeoff, and how to avoid a mid-July emergency replacement.
Read guide →