Is it more energy-efficient to use the dehumidification mode of the air conditioner? How should I choose from so many modes? Read this article today to find out!

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Some people say that the air conditioner can also cool when it is in dehumidification mode, and it is more energy-saving. So, can the dehumidification mode really cool? Will it really save more electricity? How does the air conditioner cool? What is the difference between the dehumidification mode and the cooling mode? What are the uses of the ventilation mode and the sleep mode? How should we use the air conditioner correctly?

analyze

The dehumidification mode can cool the room, but whether it saves electricity depends on the temperature and humidity of the indoor and outdoor air. Whether to choose the cooling mode or the dehumidification mode when using the air conditioner in summer should also be determined according to the local temperature and humidity conditions, as well as the user's subjective feelings.

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The choice of the two modes can also be roughly determined based on the indoor temperature. Generally speaking, when the temperature is between 20℃ and 30℃, the dehumidification mode saves more electricity than the cooling mode; when the temperature is greater than 30℃, the power consumption of the dehumidification and cooling modes is similar. However, due to the different setting conditions of the working modes of equipment from different manufacturers and the different changes in indoor temperature and humidity, some dehumidification modes have slightly higher temperature settings, which makes people feel uncomfortable.

That is to say, if the indoor temperature is high, the cooling is turned on; if the indoor temperature is not too high, but the humidity is high, the dehumidification is turned on. For example, in some areas during the return of the south wind, the plum rain weather, or in some coastal areas where the indoor humidity is high, the dehumidification mode may reduce the indoor air humidity to make people feel more comfortable.

How does air conditioning cool things?

When it comes to refrigeration, the thing that people come into contact with most is the household refrigeration device such as the air conditioner. How does the air conditioner cool down?

Let’s start by thinking about this sentence: In a sense, humans are still unable to “create cold”; we are just the “porters” of heat, and heat will not disappear out of thin air.

Just like a water pump transfers water from one place to another, an air conditioner can be understood as a "heat pump" - it transfers heat from one space to another through a slightly complex refrigeration cycle, achieving "cooling" for the space where the heat is reduced.

The working principle of air conditioning cooling or heating is to transport heat using refrigerant as a carrier. When cooling, the refrigerant absorbs heat from indoors and transports it to outdoors, lowering the indoor temperature; when heating, the refrigerant absorbs heat from outdoors and transports it to indoors, raising the indoor temperature. Heat is not created or destroyed out of thin air.

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That is to say, we now have various technologies that can remove heat from certain objects or spaces.

When the air conditioner is cooling, the liquid refrigerant flows in the indoor pipes (evaporator) to absorb the heat of the room, is heated to become gas, and then is compressed into high-pressure gas by the compressor and circulated to the outdoor pipes (condenser); the outdoor fan blows the surface of the condenser to dissipate the heat into the air, so that the heat of the high-pressure gas is dissipated into the atmosphere, and then it becomes a high-pressure liquid due to the reduction of its own heat; the high-pressure liquid is throttled and cooled by equipment such as throttle valves to become a low-pressure liquid, and then enters the room to absorb the heat of the room.

The whole process is to use electricity to drive the compressor (the principle is similar to that of a car engine) to form a closed reciprocating cycle to transport heat.

What is the difference between dehumidification mode and cooling mode?

The dehumidification mode can be simply understood as being mainly for removing humidity from the air, and the temperature reduction is a side effect of the dehumidification process.

Refrigeration is the main function of air conditioning. In this mode, the indoor temperature can be quickly lowered by adjusting the temperature and wind speed. In the process of lowering the temperature, the compressor, fan and major components of the air conditioner will be started to cool the room, transferring the indoor heat to the outdoor unit for discharge, thereby lowering the indoor temperature.

When using the cooling mode, people will feel the cold wind blowing out obviously, but from a health perspective, avoiding direct cold wind and avoiding large temperature differences between indoor and outdoor are issues that need to be paid attention to when using air conditioners in summer. The country advocates that the air conditioner be set to 26 degrees Celsius, which can not only avoid the discomfort caused by too low a temperature, but also save energy and contribute to the dual carbon emission reduction.

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The dehumidification mode can be simply understood as the lowest gear of the air conditioner's cooling mode. Some air conditioners' dehumidification modes do not allow you to select the temperature and wind speed. Compared to the cooling mode, the main function of the dehumidification mode is to reduce indoor humidity. The wind speed is relatively gentle, and the compressor generally runs at the lowest gear. This mode can be used in the humid areas of the south all year round to reduce indoor humidity.

Of course, the dehumidification mode cannot reduce the temperature as quickly as the cooling mode. In this mode, the compressor and other components also run at a low speed. If it is a variable frequency air conditioner, it will save more electricity than the cooling mode. For some families with elderly people and children, you can also try to enable the dehumidification mode at night, which is relatively comfortable.

However, in hot and humid weather, the cooling effect of the dehumidification mode (usually set by the manufacturer) is not obvious, and some young people may feel uncomfortable.

The operating temperature of most household air conditioners is within the range of -5℃-42℃. If the outdoor temperature is below -5℃, the air conditioner cannot heat normally. If the outdoor temperature is higher than 42℃, the outdoor unit compressor cannot dissipate heat normally, the thermal protector will trip, and the air conditioner cannot cool normally. In this case, the air conditioner will stop working in both dehumidification and cooling modes.

Ventilation mode on air conditioner

What are the uses of sleep mode?

Ventilation - In ventilation mode, the compressor of the air conditioner is generally not working, and the fan in the air conditioner is mainly started, which is similar to turning on an electric fan. If the air conditioner has a fresh air function, the ventilation function can transport outdoor air into the room without opening the windows to replenish oxygen in the room.

Sleep - Some air conditioners have a sleep mode. Generally speaking, the sleep mode presets the temperature curve of the air conditioner according to the human body's sleep conditions. If it is set at 25 degrees Celsius, the temperature will generally rise to 1 degree Celsius every two hours, run for 8 hours, and gradually cool down to 25 degrees Celsius in the last two hours. So some people will be awakened by the heat in the middle of the night when they turn on the sleep mode. This may be caused by the temperature set in the sleep mode being too high.

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How should air conditioning be used?

When using air conditioning in the summer, in order to cool down quickly when we get home, we can turn on the cooling mode, lower the temperature and turn on high winds to lower the indoor temperature as quickly as possible.

After more than ten minutes, when the indoor temperature drops, it is recommended to increase the air conditioner setting temperature and reduce the air volume according to personal needs. In this way, the indoor temperature drop is relatively gentle, and it is not easy to cause physical discomfort caused by excessive temperature changes.

At night or on rainy days, we can adjust to dehumidification mode to reduce indoor humidity and maintain indoor temperature and humidity by running the air conditioner in low power mode. At night, we can also turn on the sleep mode to make the sleeping environment more in line with our own habits.

Air Conditioner User Manual

1. Do not turn the machine on and off frequently: This can easily cause damage to the air conditioner compressor. Generally, it is best to wait half an hour before starting it again after shutting it down.

2. Do not place a baffle on the air outlet of the air conditioner: Generally speaking, the baffle blocks the cold air, which can easily cause misjudgment of the air conditioner sensor and affect the cooling effect. In addition, condensation will occur on the baffle due to the low temperature, which will not only drip but also cause local moisture and mold.

3. If the room in your home is large, you can use an air circulation fan to distribute the cool air more evenly to every corner and improve the problem of uneven cooling and heating.

4. The air conditioner needs to be cleaned regularly. You can remove the filter and clean it and dry it before putting it back when the power is off. It is recommended to ask professional after-sales service to perform deep cleaning on the rest of the parts. It is generally recommended to perform deep cleaning before using the air conditioner and after the air conditioner is shut down in summer.

5. Don’t “dress” the outdoor unit: Some people like to be clean and will put outer clothes or raincoats on the outdoor unit of the air conditioner to prevent it from being “exposed to the wind and sun”. This practice is not advisable. The outdoor unit is generally not afraid of the sun and wind, but is afraid of heat dissipation difficulties, so keeping the outdoor unit better ventilated and heat dissipated is better than anything else.

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in conclusion

The air conditioner transfers indoor heat to the outside through the gasification and liquefaction of the refrigerant. The dehumidification mode is similar to the lowest gear of the air conditioner cooling mode. It can dehumidify and cool, but the efficiency is low. If the temperature is too high, it will not be worth it.

When using the air conditioner, be careful not to turn it on and off frequently, not to place baffles on the air outlet, not to "dress" the air conditioner outdoor unit, and remember to clean the air conditioner regularly.

Author: Li Jinhao Director of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Society of Refrigeration Senior Engineer

Reviewer: Chang Lin Secretary General, Science Popularization Committee, Chinese Society of Refrigeration, Senior Engineer

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