What Does Dry Mean On My Air Conditioner?

Air conditioners are so much more effective than the common fan at cooling rooms for a number of reasons. They usually have many different features that work together to actively keep a space cool, whereas fans simply recirculate the same air around a room. One feature on an air conditioner that can be highly useful is the dry function. But what does dry dry mean on an air conditioner unit? The short answer is that it acts as a dehumidifier at the same time as cooling the room. In this article, we’ll investigate further what the dry setting on an air con unit is and what the benefits to it are.

What is the dry setting on my air conditioner? 

The dry setting on an air conditioner removes the moisture from the air in a room. For that reason, it can be very helpful to use in muggy climates or on days when it’s very warm and/o there’s been a lot of rain. Removing moisture from the atmosphere is beneficial as it can clear the air, making it feel a lot fresher. As a consequence, the air can feel cooler without actually being artificially cooled by your air conditioner unit. 

Having this dehumidifier option on your air conditioner can be a big advantage to your unit on days where it’s feeling very “close”. However, on days where it’s simply very hot with very little moisture in the air, you will need to set your air conditioner unit to cool to feel the air cool to a temperature that is comfortable for you.

Is it cheaper to run aircon on dry mode? 

It’s widely seen that the dry setting on an air conditioner unit is cheaper to use than the usual cool setting. The reason being is that the compressor does not have to work as hard as it does when cooling the air. It simply removes moisture from the air and so it can run at a lower speed. 

It can be a good way to keep air conditioner unit costs down, especially on days that are hot and humid due to rain keeping the air around you muggy. Taking the moisture out of the air can often be useful in these instances in cooling the atmosphere of a room. In some instances, users of the dry setting on their air conditioner units have seen their energy bills cut in half. The added benefit here is that units may have a longer shelf life as they have not worked as hard due to the lower speed required by the compressor part. 

Benefits of dry setting on air conditioners 

There are a couple of other benefits to the dry setting on air conditioners other than simply being cheaper to run than the cool function, including:

Useful in all seasons

Having a dry setting or a dehumidifier function on your air conditioner unit makes your air conditioner suitable for use throughout the year. If you live in a country or location where you have a rainy season as well as a hot dry season, you may find this incredibly advantageous. Being able to take the moisture out of a space in your home can make your house a far more comfortable place to be when it is clammy outside. 

Greener

In a day and age where we are all looking for more environmentally friendly ways to live, finding a method to decrease our energy usage is key. If the dry setting on your air conditioner unit uses less energy to cool your home effectively, it’s a win-win situation. Not only do you spend less money achieving the same aim, you’re helping to reduce your carbon footprint too. 

Conclusion

Knowing what all the functions are on your air conditioner can mean you leverage it to its optimum advantage. In this instance, of the dry setting, you’re also saving yourself money in the form of energy costs due to the dry setting requiring less electricity to run. Taking the moisture out of your room can be just as efficient in cooling your home, so on hot and wet days, it can be one of the best functions you can use.