A Guide to Air Conditioning Modes and Settings

Air conditioners have so many modes and settings, it’s hard to completely understand exactly what each of these does. Unless the person installing your AC sat you down and carefully explained what each mode is, or you took the time to sit down and carefully read the manual (which most people don’t), then all those modes and settings might as well be a long-lost ancient language. 

Consider us your one and only ancient language translation service, because we are about to unlock the key to your knowledge of these settings.

But First – A Disclaimer

It’s important to remember that there are hundreds of different air conditioning companies working in a number of different countries, with each company manufacturing no less than 3-5 different air conditioning models. 

As you might understand from this, it’s completely impossible to list each and every mode and setting that exists out there. We’ve chosen the most common of these to concentrate on. If there is a setting that wasn’t discussed here, then it might be a good idea to find your air conditioner manual and take a quick look in there.

Let’s begin.

How Does Your AC Know the Temperature?

Every air conditioner comes with built-in sensors, which help it determine the temperature in the room. When your AC sucks air into the unit, it reads the temperature and whether this is colder or warmer than your desired settings. Once it has determined the conditions of the room, it will work to either cool or heat the room – depending on how you set up the AC. 

The Settings

Cool Mode

This is the default setting of most air conditioners. It essentially means that the compressor in your AC is switched on, allowing the AC to blast cool air and make the room as cold as you choose it. Once the AC has achieved the desired temperature, the compressor will switch off, leaving the fan to continue running. This mode can be quite power draining, with electricity saving potential usually dependent on the temperature you set it to. The typically recommended energy-saving temperature is 24 degrees Celsius. 

Fan Mode

In this mode, the compressor is switched off, meaning the AC is circulating the air in the room exactly like a normal fan would. This is obviously fantastic for energy saving (therefore money-saving) as the compressor is the most electricity consuming part of the air conditioner. But it means that no cool air is coming out. If you’re choosing to use fan mode only, you may be better off simply using a regular fan or a ceiling fan. 

Dry Mode

This one is for those who live in humid areas of the world, namely those cities that are closer to the sea. On those days where the humidity is causing issues, and not the temperature itself, then removing the humidity is the solution. How to do it? Turn on dry mode. Dry mode removes the extra humidity in the room by turning on the compressor of the air conditioner for short periods of time, with the fan constantly running on a low speed. The compressor is turned on for long enough to remove the extra humidity, making it comfortable for you. 

Heat Mode

In this mode, the flow of air in the unit itself is flipped, meaning that the air being pumped through the AC is going through a process of heating, rather than a process of cooling. The compressor works to heat the air instead of cooling it, with the fan circulating the warm air through the room to bring up the temperature and make the room toasty for winter. 

Auto Mode

This mode functions very similarly to Cool Mode. It will work to bring down the temperature in the room to one that you have set. However in Cool Mode, once the desired air temperature is achieved, the compressor switches off leaving only the fan running. In Energy Saving Mode, even the fan switches off when the temperature has reached its desired level. This means no more electricity is used, saving you money. 

Eco Mode

Eco Mode works by increasing the speed at which the fan is working, but choosing a temperature 2 degrees Celsius higher than what you set the unit to. You won’t really feel the difference between this mode and cool mode, but your electricity bill certainly will! This mode means your compressor doesn’t have to work as hard to achieve the desired results, meaning less energy used.

How Does a Sensibo Help?

Because the built-in sensors within the AC can only determine the temperature and not other factors such as humidity, the AC may be working harder to make you comfortable. Even then, it may not be working to its full potential and you always find yourself making the temperature either hotter or colder. The Sensibo Sky will help your AC determine not only temperature but the humidity, your ideal temperature range, and whether or not you even want the AC to be working right now. You preset the device with your desired room conditions and the times you want it working, and then you sit back and relax as the Sensibo takes care of the rest.