Terry, I could be wrong, but it seems to me that the wet/dry cycling might be a contributing factor to the rapid degradation. There has certainly got to be some swelling and shrinking going on, which mechanically damages the fibers. If there's a way to stop the airflow without stopping the water flow, I'd bet they would last longer.
FWIW, I have a few customers who have replaced the aspen pads in their swamp coolers with EpiWeb recycled PET pads, and it seems to work great. Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com Plants, Supplies. Books, Artwork, and lots of Free Info! _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
