Air conditioner symbols and modes: what every button on the remote does

Air conditioner symbols and what they mean

These are the symbols you will find on most Australian split system remotes and wall controllers. Names in brackets are the labels different brands print next to the icon.

What is dry mode on an air conditioner?

Dry mode is dehumidifying mode, shown as a water droplet. It runs the indoor coil cold with the fan slow, so humid air passes over the coil, the moisture condenses and runs out the drain, and the room ends up drier without being chilled much.

Daikin Australia describes DRY operation as removing humidity while maintaining the indoor temperature as much as possible, and says it controls temperature and airflow automatically, which is why you usually cannot change the set temperature or fan speed in dry mode. Mitsubishi Electric's manuals say the same about temperature: it cannot be set during DRY mode.

Daikin suggests using dry mode when indoor humidity is over 70 per cent, to remove moisture and help stop mould forming. In practice that is the muggy Brisbane morning, the wet week in Sydney, or the bathroom-adjacent bedroom that always smells a bit damp.

Dry mode vs cool mode: which should you use?

Use cool when the room is hot. Use dry when the room is sticky but not hot.

• Outside is 35°C and the room is 30°C: cool mode, set 25°C. Dry mode will not bring a hot room down fast, because it deliberately runs gently.
• Outside is 24°C, it has rained all day and the room feels clammy: dry mode. You get the comfort of drier air without making the room cold.
• Cool mode already dehumidifies, especially on a low fan speed. If you are in cool mode and the room is the right temperature but still muggy, drop the fan to low before switching modes.
• Dry mode is not a winter heater and it is not a clothes dryer. It will not warm the room, and a load of wet washing in a small room will beat it.

Does dry mode save power? It tends to use less than cool mode because it runs at low output, but it is not free. Treat it as the right tool for humidity, not a trick for a cheaper bill. For actual running costs by size, see our running costs guide.

What does the snowflake symbol mean? The AC cooling symbol

The snowflake is cool mode on almost every brand. Press MODE until the snowflake or the word COOL shows on the remote's screen, then set the temperature.

Cooling tips worth knowing. The air from the vents is roughly the same temperature whatever number you set; a lower setting just makes the unit run longer before it eases off. Set 25 to 27°C, the range energy.gov.au recommends, and use boost for the first 15 minutes if the room is hot. Our best aircon temperature guide covers settings by situation.

If the unit will not start straight after you switch it off and on, that is usually deliberate. Mitsubishi Electric's manual explains that the unit cannot be operated for about 3 minutes when restarted, to protect it. Most brands do something similar. We explain why in our air conditioner rules of thumb.

How do I set my air conditioner to heat mode?

Press MODE until the sun symbol or the word HEAT appears, then set the temperature to 18 to 20°C. On Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin, Fujitsu and most other remotes the MODE button cycles through auto, cool, dry, fan and heat in some order.

Two things are normal in heat mode and often mistaken for faults. The indoor fan may wait a few minutes before blowing, so it does not push cold air at you while the coil warms. Daikin's controllers show a hot start symbol for this. And on cold mornings the unit may stop heating for a few minutes to defrost the outdoor coil, which Daikin's controllers flag with a defrost symbol. Both clear on their own.

Point the louvres down in heat mode. Warm air rises, and the sensor sits high on the wall.

Mitsubishi Electric air conditioner symbols

Mitsubishi Electric remotes in Australia typically offer AUTO, COOL, DRY, HEAT and FAN, plus a handful of named features that confuse people:

• i-see: a sensor on the indoor unit that scans the room. In i-see control mode the manual says the room temperature is controlled based on sensible temperature, and the sensor detects people by their movement and heat signatures.
• ECONO COOL: swings the airflow and automatically adjusts the set temperature and airflow direction, because swinging air feels cooler than a steady stream. The manual says this saves energy while keeping comfort.
• POWERFUL: maximum output for a short period. On the models we checked it cancels automatically after 15 minutes.
• i-save: stores a preferred setting you can recall with one button.
• After using COOL or DRY, Mitsubishi Electric recommends running FAN mode for a while to dry the inside of the indoor unit. That is a cheap habit that helps keep the coil from getting musty.

Buttons and names differ between model series. Mitsubishi Electric publishes user manuals for its Australian models on its website. Our Mitsubishi Electric brand guide covers the range, pricing and how it compares with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which is a different company with different remotes.

Daikin aircon symbols

Daikin's own help pages list four main modes: COOL, HEAT, AUTO and DRY, with FAN as well on most remotes. On Daikin wall controllers the mode is shown in words rather than a picture, alongside symbols for fan speed, airflow direction and the set temperature.

Other Daikin indicators you might see: a defrost or hot start symbol in heat mode, a key symbol when the controls are locked, a clock when the schedule or off timer is set, and messages such as "Time to clean filter". Daikin also has a quick start function on split systems for a fast pull-down.

If your Daikin controller shows an error or warning, Daikin's advice is to contact its technical support. If the unit is old and the errors keep coming, get up to three local quotes for a replacement before paying for a big repair. Our Daikin brand guide covers the current range and pricing, and Daikin vs Mitsubishi Electric compares the two.

Where to find the manual for your air conditioner

Find the model number first. It is on a sticker on the side or underside of the indoor unit, often under the front cover near the filters, and again on the outdoor unit. The remote usually has its own model number in the battery compartment.

Then go to the manufacturer's Australian website, not a random PDF site. Daikin has an operation manuals page. Mitsubishi Electric publishes guides and manuals in its support section. Fujitsu, Panasonic, LG, Samsung and the others all publish manuals for Australian models on their own sites. Our brand pages for Fujitsu, Panasonic, LG and Samsung link the ranges.

If the remote is lost or broken, ask the manufacturer or an authorised dealer for a genuine replacement. Many indoor units also have a small manual or emergency operation button under the front panel that runs the unit in auto without the remote.

When the symbols are fine but the air conditioner is not

A blinking light on the indoor unit or an error code on the controller is the unit telling you something is wrong. That is a job for a licensed technician, and the code will help them.

If the unit is more than 10 to 15 years old, noisy, icing up, or struggling to hold 25°C on a hot day, it is worth pricing a replacement before you pay for a big repair. A modern inverter split is quieter and usually far cheaper to run than a unit from the early 2000s. A bedroom-size 2.5 kW split is usually $1,500 to $2,500 installed in 2026, and a 5 to 7 kW living-room unit $2,100 to $3,900, on a standard install. See our split system cost guide for what moves the price, and get up to three local quotes for your own house.

If you are in Victoria and replacing an old gas ducted heater, the discount can be substantial. Check the Victorian rebate page, then get your rebate and price in one step.