Are Domestic Air Conditioners Useless Above 45 Degrees? Tailored by Climate

As extreme heatwaves continue, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in some regions recently, claims have been spreading online that "a situation where turning on air conditioning is practically useless is not far off."

The claim suggests that because domestic air conditioners are manufactured to suit temperate climates, their performance will drop significantly if temperatures continue to rise.

Recent heatwaves have fueled these claims, accompanied by shared experiences that "turning on the air conditioner does not make it cool."

Posts circulating on social media state that even for air conditioners manufactured by domestic companies, their cooling capacity varies depending on the temperature range of the country where they are sold.

Some claims assert that models for the domestic market are designed for temperate climates, causing cooling efficiency to plummet and making the air conditioner practically ineffective when outside temperatures exceed 45 degrees Celsius.

The core of this argument is that as temperatures rise every year, a situation will eventually arise where existing air conditioners become practically useless.

Depending on the post, the efficiency threshold is sometimes cited as 43 degrees Celsius.

Posts have also appeared on social media claiming that air conditioners are categorized into T1 (temperate climate), T2 (cold climate), and T3 (tropical and desert climate) according to international standard climate ratings, and that domestic air conditioners corresponding to T1 only operate normally up to temperatures of about 43 degrees Celsius.

Another claim suggests that because high outside temperatures strain air conditioner operation, a safety mechanism triggers to shut down the unit once it reaches 43 degrees Celsius.

Regarding these claims, major air conditioner manufacturers including Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics stated that it is true that domestic air conditioners are manufactured to fit temperate climates.

Air conditioner performance is based on the Korean Industrial Standards (KS) standard KS C9306, which is further divided into T1, T2, and T3 according to climate conditions.

Among these, T1 applies to temperate climate countries including South Korea. According to Industrial Standards Council data, T1 air conditioners are tested for rated cooling capacity based on an outdoor temperature range of 24 to 35 degrees Celsius.

Some may interpret this as meaning that outdoor temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius or higher were not subject to testing, and therefore lack performance certification.

However, manufacturers explain that "tested at 24 to 35 degrees" does not mean they "only function properly at 24 to 35 degrees."

Both Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics stated that they conduct internal testing assuming temperatures much higher than the T1 standard, and that there are no major problems with cooling capacity up to nearly 50 degrees Celsius.

A Samsung Electronics official shared, "Our products also undergo reliability tests for cases where external temperatures rise up to 49 degrees Celsius."

An LG Electronics official also stated, "We conduct rated performance tests even under conditions where the outdoor temperature reaches 48 degrees Celsius, which significantly exceeds standard thresholds, and we consider there to be no loss in operating efficiency up to this temperature."

Cooling efficiency can drop somewhat when outside temperatures rise.

Because air conditioners function by releasing indoor heat outdoors, the hotter the outside air becomes, the harder it is to release heat, thereby reducing cooling efficiency.

An industry official said, "It is technically unavoidable for efficiency to drop as external temperatures rise. However, because performance tests are conducted taking even these situations (of rising external temperatures) into consideration, there is no problem."

Some posts on social media question why manufacturers do not produce domestic models to T3 conditions, pointing out that air conditioners exported to the Middle East or Southeast Asia are designed to meet high-temperature T3 test conditions and maintain cooling performance even at higher temperatures.

In fact, for T3, the outdoor temperature criterion for rated performance testing is 24 to 46 degrees Celsius, which is higher than T1.

Some raise questions whether manufacturers intend to induce product replacements by launching new models tailored to T3 later if summer temperatures rise further.

Manufacturer officials explained that producing T1 products domestically is a decision based on cost.

T3 products, which must withstand higher temperatures, have larger or higher-performance capacities for core components such as compressors and outdoor unit printed circuit boards (PCBs), ultimately leading to higher product prices.

Both Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics explained, "Cooling performance would improve, but sales prices would inevitably rise due to the increase in component costs," adding, "Rather than installing parts with excessive performance and selling them at high prices, we aimed to pursue optimal efficiency tailored to the characteristics of each region."

These companies emphasized that current T1-standard air conditioners have no major problems with cooling up to nearly 50 degrees Celsius.

To increase air conditioner efficiency during extreme heatwaves, methods of sprinkling water on outdoor units are widely shared on social media.

Some share photos of sprinkler-type spray devices installed on outdoor units, claiming that such methods perceptibly improved air conditioner effectiveness.

Online shopping malls even sell water spray nozzles for air conditioner outdoor units.

Regarding this, manufacturers stated that theoretically, spraying water lowers the temperature around the outdoor unit, which has the effect of increasing cooling efficiency.

They added that since outdoor units are manufactured under the premise of outdoor installation, spraying water does not cause major mechanical defects.

However, because long-term water spraying carries a risk of corrosion, they recommended installing units away from direct sunlight rather than spraying water directly, clearing objects around the outdoor unit, or opening ventilation windows.

As a way to increase air conditioner efficiency, manufacturers recommended installing sunshades over outdoor units.

At this time, the rear or sides of the product must not be blocked.

Manufacturers also explained that when installing outdoor units, it is best to avoid locations where surrounding temperatures are likely to rise, such as areas where multiple outdoor units are clustered.

If there is a separate outdoor unit installation space, they also recommended adjusting the louvers (blades) of the ventilation window as close to horizontal as possible.

If dust accumulates on the air conditioner filter, it cannot properly intake or exhaust air, which can degrade performance and increase electricity consumption, so filters must be cleaned regularly.

Lowering humidity through indoor dehumidification is also important.

A Samsung Electronics official said, "Just as the same temperature feels much cooler when humidity is low, cooling efficiency increases further when indoor dehumidification is well-managed and humidity is controlled."

Noting that weak cooling often occurs due to incorrectly configured operation modes, they advised checking whether the cooling mode is properly set.

Additionally, if no coolness is felt at all even after prolonged operation, there is a possibility of refrigerant leakage.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.