An air conditioner is integral to every home, especially in warm and tropical regions. Although the purpose of the equipment is to bring coolness, you might still be baffled by the dry setting. What does this AC mode provide?
A dry mode on an air conditioner is used if the environment is humid and the temperatures are not too hot. Thus, the setting provides balanced airflow to suit current conditions.
For example, there might be days during summer when it would suddenly rain. As a result, the rainfall increases humidity, but the temperature is still considerably warm.
Therefore, putting your AC in dry mode should balance the conditions and make the environment comfortable.
If you’re looking for more information on dry mode and how to benefit from it, let’s continue with today’s article and learn more about the particular setting.
What’s Dry Mode On an Air Conditioner?
In general, an air conditioning unit has two primary modes: a dry setting and a cool setting. Although it is a standard setup, many homeowners are still confused about the two modes.
You may not feel any difference, but the two serve unique purposes, as the remote control indicates. A snowflake represents the cool mode, while the dry mode is depicted with a water drop.
I will talk about the differences between the two modes, but for now, let’s discuss the dry mode extensively in this section.
The dry mode is common in almost any modern air conditioning brand. The very purpose of this setting is to balance the humidity in the room.
One example of an event that increases humidity level is the sudden occurrence of rain in the middle of a hot or warm day. Moistures are formed from the ground when the cold rain water interacts with the warm air.
As a result, it produces a warm temperature that sometimes makes damp air. However, you have to note that temperatures under these conditions are still warm, which would require the continuous operation of the AC unit.
How Does Dry Mode Work on AC?
The dry mode is a large dehumidifier. If you have owned a dehumidifier before, then the dry mode of an air conditioning unit works the same way.
Once you have switched to dry mode, the AC’s main fans and internal parts will still be running. But the only difference is that it won’t blow any cold air.
However, this doesn’t mean it won’t use any vapors. It will still use evaporated water to cool the airflow, but it will not draw vapor from the Freon compressor.
As a result, the process removes the moisture from the air. The water vapors are directed to the rear panels of the AC unit, producing water droplets.
What are the Benefits of Dry Mode?
Aside from decreasing humidity in the air, dry mode serves several benefits to the homeowner. The most apparent advantage of dry mode is that it boosts the AC’s energy consumption, making it more efficient and saving money.
This is entirely contrary to cool mode. Although it provides excellent comfort during the summer, it could be impractical to keep your air conditioner running in cool mode nonstop.
In addition to its high inefficiency, it may also damage the internal units of the AC due to the constant exposure to moisture.
Turning the equipment to dry mode also provides environmental benefits. By setting it up to dry mode, you also decrease the carbon fingerprint emitted into the atmosphere.
What Is The Difference Between Dry Mode and Cool Mode?
As you might have surmised by now, cool and dry modes are two distinct settings that provide unique purposes.
Putting your AC under cool mode optimizes the whole mechanics of the unit. First, it emits cold air from evaporated water and Freon.
The primary benefit of cool mode is it provides maximum comfort during hot weather.
On the other hand, dry mode uses condensed water to reduce the room’s humidity level. It balances the airflow in the enclosed area, keeping the vicinity cool and comfortable during hot days.
When Should I Use the AC Dry Mode?
In addition to the benefits already discussed in the previous sections, the following are reasons why you should use the AC’s dry mode over the cool mode setting.
- The environment is cool, but the humidity is still high
- You don’t want the temperature to be too cold
- The cold season is approaching, but the weather is still warm
- It would help if you conserved electricity
Although the intentions may already be obvious, you may also be interested in knowing the advantages of the cool mode setting over the dry mode.
- First and foremost, you need the room to be comfortable, especially during the peak of the warm seasons.
- The room temperature is cool, but the humidity is still considerably low.
- You are looking to maintain the cool temperature of the enclosed space
In Summary
Most of today’s high-end air conditioning brands have two primary settings: dry and cool. As I have explained throughout the article, the two serve distinct functions, although you may not notice any difference initially.
Cool mode is the most frequent setting people turn to, especially during the heat of the peak warm seasons. Although it improves comfort level, its constant use may not be advisable if you’re aiming to save electricity.
Switching to dry mode gives you the advantage of decreasing humidity while maintaining the room’s coolness. Also, the setting is energy-efficient and cost-effective because it uses only water vapors instead of the typical Freon gas.
The use of the cool mode is not all bad. As mentioned, it gives maximum comfort if you are hot. However, turning the AC to dry occasionally can also deliver many environmental and economic benefits. So be sure to consider this.
