The Meaning of Air Conditioner Remote Control Symbols Explained

At first glance, the symbols of air conditioners can be quite easy to look at and decipher: most of these come in the form of water and air illustrations to different variations of snow flake icons. Pretty simple? Not quite. Apart from the standard cool mode and dry mode or on and off buttons, figuring out the purpose and function of other less obvious symbols can be a lot confusing. So unless your air conditioner seller or installer took the time to explain the meaning and functions of these symbols, these symbols might as well just be a bunch of dusty hieroglyphics carved into your air conditioning remote or control panel.

In this article, we will discuss the different meanings and functions of air conditioner symbols — from the common ones down to the most obscure symbols. Now since there are a lot of air conditioner brands out there, the symbols might vary and thus it’s important for you to check which brand your unit falls under.

Common Air Conditioning Symbols

1. On and Off 

• Let’s start with the most common of all: the on and off symbol. This symbol is usually represented by a vertical bar.

2. Cool Mode

• Any snowflake symbol belongs to the aircon cool mode. This function is one of the most widely used modes in an air conditioner and remains as a popular choice for instant cooling in the unit.

3. Heat Mode

• If the symbol appears in the form of a sun, it’s for the heat mode. The heat mode operates by blowing warm air into a room until the desired temperature is reached.

4. Dry Mode

• Not to be confused with the cool mode, the dry mode is usually represented by the symbol of a water drop. Even though it uses a liquid symbol, the dry mode is a function that reduces humidity in a room’s air while still blowing cool air.

5. Fan Mode

•  If you don’t need power cooling, then the fan mode should work best for you. This feature is usually represented by a fan symbol and enables the built-in fan of the unit to provide the air, although at the expense of lower cooling capacity. This mode is known to reduce power and electricity consumption.

6. Fan Speed

• The fan speed symbol is commonly displayed in the symbol of signal bars. This helps you indicate the rate that the internal fan speed is currently having. The higher the bars, the faster the fan will operate.

7. Auto Function

• The auto function is usually represented by the letter “A” housed inside different arrows. This function is responsible for maintaining the desired temperature once it has been reached by your unit. It also works in both cooling and heating mode.

8. Quiet Mode

• The quiet or silent mode is usually represented by a human signalling silence. Using this mode will ensure that your unit will operate as quietly as possible to give you a better good night’s sleep.

9. Vertical Air Swing

• The vertical air swing is commonly represented by a symbol bearing multiple strokes of air. This allows you to direct your air swing vertically and in three common directions: static, oscillating or automatic.

10. Horizontal Air Swing

• Similar to a vertical air swing symbol, the horizontal counterpart usually displays air strokes albeit in the horizontal setting. Choosing this function allows you to select the horizontal flow of the unit’s air.

11. Turbo Cooling

• In need of immediate cooling? Try looking for a human figure in your aircon remote or a thunderbolt symbol. The turbo cooling forces your machine to run at its maximum capacity to provide you with powerful cooling between 15 and 30 minutes.

Air Conditioner Symbols Per Brand Explained

Apart from the standard and familiar symbols in your air conditioner’s remote control, you must be wondering what the other ones are capable of doing. In this section, we will list down some of the more unique and more technical symbols that are found per aircon brand:

Mitsubishi Electric Symbols

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1. Air Purification

• If you are a Mitsubishi Electric aircon owner and want the option to purify your air, be on the lookout for the air purification feature. Usually represented by sparkling symbols, this allows the unit to activate air purification through the plasma filter.

2. Natural Flow

• If you’re looking for a whiff of nature, turning on the natural flow function in your unit might help. It imitates a natural breeze by making the unit’s air swing in different directions and at varying ventilation speed. This commonly bears the symbol of an air and a tree.
  
  

3. i-See Sensor

• The i-See Sensor activates the unit’s temperature sensor to determine and control the air direction needed by a room. Try looking for an aircon and spotlight symbol to activate this feature.
  
  

Daikin Aircon Symbols

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1. Comfortable Air Flux

• If you’re a Daikin aircon owner and happen to see a symbol of an arrow going over a figure’s head, then it might be the comfortable air flux symbol. Enabling this function creates a pleasant and ascending air flux in cold mode. Alternatively, it can also give way to a descending air flux in heat mode.

2. Econo Daikin Function

• The Econo Daikin function is the power saver mode of the unit that allows for a reduced consumption in power and electricity. This is usually illustrated via a descending arrow symbol.

3. Daikin Smart Eye Function

• Once activated, the smart eye function will detect for any source of movement in a room. If no movement is detected, it will then automatically direct the unit to save energy. To use this feature, try looking for a symbol of a figure with signal rays.

Fujitsu General Aircon Symbols

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1. Weekly Programming

• Fujitsu General Aircon symbols are commonly self-referential — using text instead of visual representation to illustrate the functions. Such is the case for the weekly programming function: a text symbol that appears when a weekly programming schedule is being done on the unit.

2. Low Noise

• The low noise symbol is responsible for switching on and off the quiet mode of a unit that reduces the noise it emits while in use.

3. Energy Saving

• Once activated, the energy saving feature will reduce the unit’s power consumption if a movement isn’t detected by the system within 20 minutes. Once any form of human movement is detected, the unit will then restore back to its normal mode.

LG Aircon Symbols

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1. Air Ionizer

• If you want to get rid of dust particles inside your room, then try looking for the Air Ionizer in your aircon unit. With a symbol of a pine tree and negative ions, what this function does is to eliminate bacteria in your air using negative ions.

2. Internal Unit Automatic Cleaning Function 

• Once activated, this feature will enable the unit to keep on running in ventilation mode even after it’s been turned off. This cleaning function, which dries the unit from any solid build-up, usually lasts for 30 minutes after turning the machine off.

3. Sleep Mode or Night Mode

• By turning this on, the unit will rise by 1-2°C every 30 minutes in order to bring more comfort to your sleep. This is usually represented in the symbol of a sleeping star.
  
  

Samsung Aircon Symbols

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1. Comfort Samsung Function

• Activating the Comfort Samsung function will allow the unit to achieve its desired temperature by way of soft cooling or warming. If you’re a Samsung aircon owner and want to try this feature out, look for four strokes of air arranged in different directions.

2. Virus Doctor Function

• Similar to an air ionizer, Samsung’s virus doctor feature helps eliminate bacteria and harmful particles by discharging negative ions into the air to capture and kill them. This function’s symbol is equally similar to a loading wheel icon.

3. Samsung Night Mode

• The Samsung night mode allows the unit to run in sleep mode, reducing emitted noise and increasing temperature in gradual increments. To try this function out, just look for a symbol with an “OFF” along with the sun and moon.
  
  

Maximizing Your Aircon’s Performance

To maximize the different features of your air conditioning unit, you’ll need to be familiar with the unique symbols in the unit and know the difference between one another. Doing this will make you more knowledgeable of the mode and functions that would best suit your temperature or energy preferences at any given time. Apart from that, knowing how to use them well can result in improved aircon efficiency and lifespan, saving you from all sorts of maintenance and repair costs in the long run.

But apart from being knowledgeable of these air conditioning essentials, it’s also important to know when to get regular maintenance and check-ups for your unit. Is your AC remote not functioning well? Is your AC not blowing cool air? Is your air conditioning unit unable to provide cold air room temperature? These are just some of the problems that air conditioners' might encounter.

For quality maintenance and repairs for every major air conditioning brand, contact us at Oasis Aircon Singapore. Our team of highly skilled air con technicians are here to assist you for all your aircon needs. With our honest pricing, we ensure that your home, office, or business will receive the best service, for the best price.