Dry Mode VS Cool Mode in Aircon

There was a time when air conditioners were simple and came with just a few options – on and off switch with low, medium, and high options. Air conditioners then started improving and evolving with the advancements of technology. When you live in a country like Singapore, you know that the climate is mostly tropical or as experts say a tropical rainforest climate. It means it has no distinct season, it has a uniform temperature, abundant rainfall, and high humidity. In simple terms, it either warm or wet all the time.

Air conditioners are gaining popularity in Singapore. Singapore’s temperature is usually hot and that is the main reason behind more and more people opting for advanced air conditioners. Getting the right kind of air conditioner is essential to get the ideal temperature for your residence. Before you purchase a new air conditioner for your home, you should know the two basic features of an air conditioner – dry mode and cool mode, so that you can choose the best air conditioner for your home. Let’s have a look at what they are.

Dry Mode

The main function of the dry mode is to reduce humidity and as mentioned earlier Singapore being a humid place, the dry mode actually qualifies as an essential feature for the air conditioners.

When the air conditioner senses humidity in the room, it increases the temperature. On the other hand, they can also reduce the temperature by reducing the humidity level. The function, dry mode, is very effective when the season is humid. The actual test comes when it’s raining, which is again common weather in Singapore. In rainy days, the temperature is not always hot and that makes the necessity of cold air negligible. However, on rainy days the humidity is high and the dry mode can remove all the moisture from the room.

In Singapore, many set the temperature between 20 to 22 degrees. Remember that will only end up wasting energy and you will be able to save 15 percent or more and restrict carbon dioxide production if you set your air conditioner’s temperature to the room’s natural temperature.

Cool mode

The cool mode can be considered as the most regular and default mode in every air conditioner. This mode’s electricity saving potential depends on the air conditioner’s temperature that you set. The latest models of air conditioners come with an advanced version too, which is called quick cool mode and if you are thinking that it’s one of the electricity saving modes, then let us tell you it actually consumes comparatively more electricity than the simple cool mode. In Singapore, you may feel like using the super cool mode as soon as you come home exhausted and tired, but if you want to keep the electric bill on a check, then this is not a good idea.

Dry Mode & Cool Mode

Many people do not understand the differences between the dry mode and cool mode clearly and this is because people buy aircon for one purpose and that is to keep the room temperature pleasant or cool. Let’s note down the differences and similarities between dry mode and cool mode:

Temperature: You can set the temperature at 25 degrees if you are careful about the electric consumption. However, with the dry mode, you can make sure that the room is free from any moisture and the cool mode will just maintain the temperature. Therefore, since Singapore is a country where it rains commonly the dry mode can be very useful as it does both – maintain the room temperature and keep the room humid free.


Cooling: When it comes to cooling, the cool mode is certainly superior to the dry mode. Further, as we said earlier many new and advanced air conditioners come with the feature called quick cool mode, which will lower the temperature quickly and can be the best option if you want the room temperature to be 16 degrees or 18 degrees.

Longevity: The cool mode can exhaust the air conditioner and shorten the life span. However, with proper maintenance and servicing the air conditioner can stay in good shape for long. The dry mode, on the other hand, puts less pressure on the air conditioner and doesn’t affect the air conditioner’s life span much.

Final words

The two common options that you will see in almost every air conditioner is the cool mode and dry mode. Interestingly, many do not understand the differences between them. While the cool mode is more common compared to the dry mode in air conditioners, it’s now getting included in all the new models of air conditioners.