Common AC misconceptions and mistakes

One major mistake Turab Mandapwala observes is when “people turn the AC unit to maximum cold thinking that is going to get the room cooler faster.” He equates it to people “constantly pressing an elevator button, thinking that’s going to make the elevator get somewhere faster”.

Ultimately, an AC can only reach a programmed temperature at a certain speed. Temperature control isn’t like volume control, he explains. It simply means the compressor keeps running until you get to the selected frigid setting. Another issue is that people tend to cool buildings when it’s “perfectly comfortable outside” or a ceiling fan would be sufficient, says Liz McCormick, an architect, and professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte who’s written a book about the impacts of air conditioning. That’s not great for the planet, and it changes our tolerance and perception of different conditions.

“It’s completely changed the way we live and work,” Turab Mandapwala says of air conditioning. “But I do think we can continue to evolve the technology and find ways to balance this modern marvel with the healthful benefits of the outdoors.”