Mira-Cool and Cool Surge: Too good to be true?

It seems that once a company (this one being Fridge Electric) gets a "Don't Buy!" rating from Consumer Reports (for their Cool Surge evaporative cooler) they just figure they have to wait a summer and release it under a new name: Mira-Cool. The Consumer Reports article on the air cooling unit opens with:

The Cool Surge might sound appealing when you consider the roughly 500 watts needed to run even a small air conditioner. Ohio-based Fridge Electric LLC, which markets the Cool Surge, has even offered a two-for-one deal in full-page ads in The New York Times and other newspapers. But our tests show that when it comes to cooling a room, the Cool Surge is likely to disappoint you at any price.

I first started researching the Mira-Cool product when I saw their full-page ad in USA Today. I guess they decided to change the name of the unit after Consumer Reports suggested that nobody buy it. From what I can tell, there is no difference between the Cool Surge and the Mira-Cool.

Their ad in USA Today starts off incredibly misleading with the title, "Public set to get free air cooling units" and goes on to say, "A new miracle air cooler is actually being given away free to the first 11,337 readers.." Well, after further reading I discovered that it was really a buy 1 (at $298) get 1 free, but you still had to pay for shipping on both units! But why who cares if you get both of them free if they don't work as advertised?

Any company that says this in their FAQ has to be joking:

Q: Can I leave it on when I'm not home?

A: It's recommended that you don't because when you get home, the MIRA-COOL can quickly blast out ice cooled air.

Unfortunately I don't think Mira-Cool and Fridge Electric is kidding even though their claims are a joke. Whenever you read something that seems too good to be true...it probably is. There are hundreds of companies out there trying to take advantage of the public's ignorance on energy issues. Keep reading Mapawatt Blog (and keep your eyes peeled for other energy scams) and don't get taken advantage of!

P.S. : If you want to see the Mira-Cool product for yourself (and at your own risk) go to www.mira-cool.com and enter claim code MC1008.

Tags:

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Comments

Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/02/2011 - 01:21

the "cool" comes from the evaporating water sent out by the fan and cooling system of the device into the air to bring down the temperature of the air. It gets so cold after evaporating a gallon that even if I cover up I am still freezing. The air cooler is a supplement for central air, not a replacement for it. Any more stupid ignorant questions? Nick

Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/02/2011 - 12:17

What a laugh! Just hang a wet towel in front of a fan, or better yet, try an atomizer with tap water. You can walk around the house spraying water into the air. Air conditioners "dehumidify." That means that air conditioners take moisture "out" of the air, so if you are using the Mira-cool as a supplement for central air conditioning, your air conditioner is taking the moisture out of the air as fast as your Mira-cool is putting it in. Any more stupid, ignorant answers?

Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/02/2011 - 15:13

putting evaporated water in the air is what dehumidifying is and what the Mira-Cool does so therefore it is just like an air conditioner as far as that goes for cooling the air. Nick

Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/02/2011 - 15:32

WRONG - "Humidifying" is putting water into the air. "Dehumidifying" is taking water out of the air. Air conditioners "dehumidify." That is one of the important things that sets air conditioners apart from evaporative coolers which "humidify" the air. From Mieriam-Webster's Dictionary: HUMID - containing or characterized by perceptible moisture especially to the point of being oppressive HUMIDIFY - to make humid DEHUMIDIFY - to remove moisture from (as air)

Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/02/2011 - 18:57

The Mira-Cool dehimidifys in cooler mode and humidifys in heater mode if there is water in the tank. Nick

Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 08/02/2011 - 19:16

WRONG! If the tap water you put in it isn't sprayed into the air, then the water has to circulate through a heat exchanger and has to be cold (many degrees below the air temperature) for the moisture in the air to condense on the heat exchanger thereby "dehumidifying" the air. The condensate then has to be collected in some kind of reservoir and removed or it drips on the floor. Does the water in your kitchen or bathroom water faucets cause condensation on the fixtures?.....NO, it doesn't. That's because tap water isn't cold enough to cause condensation. If it did, all the water pipes in your house would have droplets of water forming on them and dripping into your attic and down your walls. It's really hard to defend a piece of crap like Mira-Cool, or Cool-Surge, or ArcticPro - all the same crap made by the same crappy, scammer company, Fridge Electric. Some very good, financially strapped, elderly people have lost money to these legal, scamming thieves. Do you really want to be a party to that?

Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/03/2011 - 18:07

Bonnie, like I stated it is your issue if you believe I work or care about this company, I just dislike the manner you are applying your hatred. As for the experience with this cooler, it's been awesome the only thing a can add is I wish it made my place colder, I understand that if I wanted a "REAL" air conditioner I would have gotten one from say Sears. BUT I WANTED THIS ONE AND IT WORKS FOR ME! BTW the water comes out the back of the unit, you can attach the hose and cup this is supplied, but if you have owned one you would have known this. Go get a life!'ENUFF SAID.

Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/03/2011 - 18:37

Julio, apparently you own one and Nick owns one and the two of you disagree on how it works. Nick says you add tap water to it and you say condensate (water) comes out of it. Using tap water, THAT is IMPOSSIBLE!. Two years ago we called and were told the Cool-Surge (same thing-same company) would air condition a large room on one (1) tray of ice from your freezer. What a crock! Have you read their adds this year for the ArcticPro. They are the most intentionally misleading adds I have ever read. They are designed to scam good people out of their money and that is all they are meant to do. If Fridge Electric's products are so good, why do they not sell them more than one year. Oh...I forgot, they do! They just change the name and the appearance slightly and peddle the same crappy product. I have seen the elderly scammed by this company - and their related companies under Arthur Middleton Capital Holdings. The real Arthur Middleton would come out of his grave and squash these people if he could. I do hate what they are doing and I'm not going to fight back for those who can't.

Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/04/2011 - 01:48

Why does every retard who posts bad things about a product somewhere online automatically assume that the ones who have positive things to say have some involvement with the company making that product? It isn't even as if they let the person get their 2 cents in and look into whether or not the person actually is associated with the company, they just start shooting their fat ignorant ass retard mouth off about it. Nick

ckmapawatt Thu, 08/04/2011 - 01:20

Chris, So are you defending the product as it is advertised?

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