Air conditioning
Air conditioner remote symbols explained
Most split system remotes use the same handful of symbols: a snowflake for cool, a sun for heat, a water drop for dry and a fan for fan only. The rest set fan speed, louvres, timers and the energy-saving functions.
4 min read
Before you start
The mode symbols
These set what the system is doing. Press the mode button to step through them.
| Symbol | Mode | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Snowflake | Cool | Cools the room to the temperature you set and takes moisture out on the way |
| Sun | Heat | Warms the room. Only reverse cycle systems have it |
| Water drop | Dry | Removes moisture while cooling only slightly. Made for muggy days |
| Fan blades | Fan | Moves air without cooling or heating it |
| A or circular arrows | Auto | Chooses cool or heat by itself to hold the set temperature |
The other buttons
| Symbol | Name | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Bars or a fan with levels | Fan speed | Sets how hard the indoor fan blows. Auto lets the system decide |
| Up and down arrows or a swinging louvre | Swing | Moves the louvres to spread air around the room |
| Clock | Timer | Turns the system on or off after a set time |
| Moon or a sleeping face | Sleep | Eases the temperature up or down overnight so the room does not get too cold or hot |
| Leaf or ECO | Economy | Limits power use at the cost of slower cooling |
| Arrow, jet or "Powerful" | Turbo | Runs flat out for a short time to cool or heat the room fast |
| Person or a hand with a signal | Sensor mode | Uses a sensor in the remote or a motion sensor to adjust to where people are |
Names vary by brand. The functions are much the same across Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, Fujitsu and most others.
Which settings to use
For most summer days, cool mode with the fan on auto does the job. On humid days that are warm rather than hot, try dry mode instead.
Dry mode confuses people more than any other button, so it has its own guide: what dry mode does on an air conditioner. If your remote has a sun symbol you can heat with the same system in winter, which is explained in what reverse cycle air conditioning is.
Economy and sleep modes both save power without much effort from you. Turbo is handy for the first ten minutes on a hot afternoon, then switch back so the system is not working flat out longer than it needs to.
When the remote is not the problem
If the remote shows the right mode and the system still does nothing, run through the checks in air conditioner not turning on. A filter light on the indoor unit is a reminder rather than a fault: clean the filters, then hold the filter reset button or follow the manual to clear it. Our guide to cleaning an air conditioner filter shows how.
Common questions
- What does the "A" or the circular arrows symbol mean on an aircon remote?
- That is auto mode. The system picks cooling or heating on its own to reach the temperature you set. It suits spring and autumn, when a room can need both in the same day.
- What is the snowflake and the sun on an air conditioner remote?
- The snowflake is cool mode and the sun is heat mode. If a sun symbol shows on the remote, your system is reverse cycle and can heat the house in winter.
- Why is there a light flashing on my air conditioner?
- A steady light usually just means the system or a timer is on. A light flashing in a pattern usually means a filter reminder or a fault code. Check the manual for your model. If it is a fault code, note the pattern before you call a technician.