Compare daily use, not just the purchase price
Ask an evaporative-cooling specialist to explain expected room conditions during both dry heat and more humid weather, the required air exit path, water use, winter shutdown, and maintenance. Ask how the design serves closed bedrooms.
For central AC, request a home cooling-load calculation and an assessment of the existing indoor equipment and air distribution. Identify what must be added or corrected before accepting an installed price.
We recommend making a short list of needs: cool bedrooms at night, closed windows, predictable temperature control, tolerance for added indoor moisture, and willingness to do seasonal care. Put those needs beside each proposal. A lower operating-cost claim is not helpful if the system cannot deliver the comfort you are buying it for.
Think through outside-air conditions
If a proposal depends on windows or outside air, ask what happens when smoke, dust, noise, or security concerns keep you from using the required openings. Do not assume an evaporative unit's normal operation provides smoke protection or that a central AC provides outdoor-air ventilation.
Ask each provider to describe its normal use, its limits, and the alternative on days when that use is unsuitable. Those details can change the recommendation more than a broad claim about which technology is best in Colorado.
Keep each provider's scope clear
For an evaporative-cooler proposal, choose a provider who installs and services that equipment. For the central AC or air-source heat-pump option, we recommend an assessment of the home's cooling needs and the complete installation scope.
Compare full project cost, assigned work, care requirements, and realistic comfort expectations. Avoid applying a neighbor's bill or home experience to a different layout and household.
Your next step is a comfort brief and two clearly scoped assessments if both technologies remain candidates. We recommend the option that meets your actual needs with operating limits you are willing to accept.