Quick question about air conditioners

[hkhil]

Hi everyone

I've lived in "hot" and "cold" countries and the a/c systems installed in the homes are desgined to either "cool down" or "warm up" the house. So take the heater for instance. There is a 10 degree mark on the dial. Now 10 degrees is pretty cold. So what is stopping me from turning my heater into a cooler?
For that matter, what is stopping me from cranking my cooler up to 35 degrees and get a heater out of it?

There must be something wrong with my understanding of A/Cs but on the heater.. it DOES say 10 degrees... and 10 is cold!

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Averagesupernova]

Are you sure it isn't just a dial that is calibrated to a scale? Not actual degrees?

 

[ravenprp]

Hi there, great question! The reason you can't turn your heater into a cooler or vice versa is because air conditioners and heaters are two separate systems. They work in different ways to either cool or warm the air. A heater uses a heat source, such as gas or electricity, to warm up the air and then blow it into the room. An air conditioner, on the other hand, uses a refrigerant to absorb heat from the air and then release it outside, creating a cooling effect.

The 10 degree mark on your heater is simply a temperature setting, not a measure of how cold the air will be. It is just indicating the desired temperature for the room. Similarly, the 35 degree mark on your cooler is just a temperature setting, not an indication of how hot the air will be.

Trying to turn your heater into a cooler or vice versa could potentially damage the system and also be very inefficient. It's best to use the appropriate system for the desired temperature. I hope this helps clarify things for you.