With so many recent advancements in AC technologies, you can easily get confused by the symbols and names on its remote controller. Unless you take your time to read the manual, chances are you only know about the cooling and heating modes of your air conditioner.
Today, air conditioners come with numerous features that ensure utmost convenience for you. In addition to the standard modes, vane control, fan speeds etc., there are so many other symbols that are extremely confusing. In this article, we will explain all of the AC modes on most of the AC remote, along with various other features that modern units have. Also, we will also provide you with tips and tricks to make you AC-smart.
There are hundreds of companies in the world that manufacture air conditioners and each one of them has a remote control of different design and different features. Remote controllers of different air conditioners have different terms and symbols for the same features and functions. Moreover, it is possible that your AC has some unique features that the normal AC’s usually have. Anyway, let’s get down to it.
Different Modes of AC and Their Function
Here we have listed down the standard modes that are featured in almost all air conditioners. Modes of AC and how well they work depend on the brand of air conditioner. The information provided is by no means the final word as there can be exceptions. Following are the common modes that everyone should know and use them for your benefits.
Cool Mode
Cool mode is the one that we mostly associate with air conditioners. In this mode, the compressor the AC comes into working and pushes cold air into the room. When the temperature sensor in the air conditioner senses that the room temperature has been cooled down to the desired temperature, the compressor turns off and only the fan keeps running.
This mode uses up the most energy. The lower the temperature you desire, the longer the compressor will run building up the electricity bill.
Dry Mode
Dry mode is most useful in the humid areas, when you have sweat rolling down on your body but it’s not too hot. This mode removes the extra humidity in the room by turning the compressor on and off systematically while the fan keeps running at a low speed. You can adjust the run-time of the compressor so that it turns off when the humidity sensor detects a low humidity level.
Fan Mode
In the fan mode, the internal fan of the AC circulates air within the room. Much like a normal fan, it doesn’t bring down the temperature in the room.
Fan mode saves the most energy as the compressor doesn’t function at all in this mode. Unfortunately, this mode doesn’t give off any cold air, it merely blows or circulates the air.
Auto Mode
It is quite similar to the cool mode. Auto mode serves to achieve the temperature that you adjust and then it maintains that temperature. In this mode, the air conditioner automatically adjusts the fan speed and compressor run-time according to the current room temperature.
Once the temperature is reached to the desired level, the compressor turns off and the fan is adjusted to maintain that temperature. When the temperature increases from the level you set, the compressor automatically comes into function again and the fan is adjusted in order to achieve the desired temperature immediately. Sometimes, the fan turns off as well to save more energy.
Heat Mode
In heat mode, the airflow is reversed by the air conditioner. Heat mode lets the hot air into the room raising the temperature of the room. The cold air in the room is ejected outside.
This is achieved by the reverse functioning of the compressor. Instead of compressing the air to cool it down, it gives warm air which helps you make a cozy environment in the colder months.
Turbo Mode
Turbo mode helps you achieve the desired temperature as quickly as possible. It goes all out to get you the desired temperature, therefore, it uses maximum power as the compressor and the fan works in their full capacity. This mode is also known as powerful, jet, fast, or high power.
Energy usage is maximum in this mode so you might want to use it for a short time if power saving is one of your concerns. This mode is useful only when it is extremely hot and you turn it off once the desired temperature is settled.
Eco Mode
Most air conditioners today have this mode and it is loved by everyone. It is the most economical and efficient mode. In this mode, the compressor and fan are adjusted to complement each other so that minimal energy is used to reach the desired temperature level.
Different brands utilize different techniques in this mode. Some air conditioners set the desired temperature a couple of degrees higher than the temperature you select. So, when it achieves that temperature, the compressor automatically turns off but the fan keeps on running, maintaining its speed. This helps in achieving and maintaining the desired temperature without extra energy usage.
Other Functions on Your Air Conditioner Remote Controller
In addition to the various modes of the AC, there are several other functions and settings you can control in your air conditioner. These functions help in achieving the desired temperature with more convenience.
AC Timer Setting
Most of the AC today have a built in timer that allows you to set the run-time of the air conditioner. It can help you save energy by turning off after some time. AC timer is particularly useful when you go to sleep as you can set it for a few hours and it will automatically turn off without you having to wake up and do it manually.
AC Fan Speed
The fan of the air conditioner blows hot or cool air into the room. This allows you to control the speed of cooling or heating of the room.
Fans of the air conditioners usually have four settings; auto, low, medium, and high. The auto setting of the fan automatically adjusts its speed according to the current temperature and the temperature you desire to achieve. You don’t necessarily have to turn on the fan mode for this function, AC adjusts it automatically.
Ionizer Function
This function cleans out the air in the room. The remote controllers of the air conditioners do not always have this function. It is a fairly useful function. When you turn on this function, a high voltage electronic mesh in the indoor unit of the AC is activated which ionize the air with negative ions or oxygen ions. Negative ions purify the air as the particles of dust and other particles get attached to these ions and then get removed from the air.
Quiet Mode
When you activate this mode, the unit functions while making least noise possible. This mode is also called silent mode. The most noisy component in the AC is its fan. In silent mode, the speed of the fan is reduced to the bare minimum so that it makes less noise.
Swing Control
This mode allows you to control the swing louver of the air conditioner. You can choose the angle of the swing to direct the blow of air exactly where you like. Previously, AC’s only had vertical swing controls, however, now you can control the both of the swings.
You can also choose the auto-swing function which keeps on changing the angle of the AC’s vanes. It allows the blow of air in every direction.
Hamza Subhan is a digital content director at Price In Pakistan. He lives in Lahore. He keeps an eye on every new item in the markets of Pakistan and his hand on the pulse of Pakistani people to provide them with the information that they need about the product. He has a bachelor’s degree in Electrical engineering from UET Lahore. His keen passion for the latest technology, gadgets, and knowledge about electrical appliances led him to launch Price In Pakistan. He is the main hand behind the articles related to electrical home appliances and gadgets. When he is not looking out for the new technology and writing about it, he is playing guitar and singing for his friends.
