why does the air conditioner cold feel so different from “normal” cold?
In: Chemistry
Air conditioners work both to keep sensible heat (temperature) and latent heat (humidity) in check, ideally at the same time. Thermostats are typically controlled only by temperature, so if the humidity is high, a dehumidifier can help and if the humidity is low, a humidifier can help. Generally, the comfort range is a relative humidity between 40-60%. If your AC is maintaining the space within this range, as well as maintaining temperature, you are most likely comfortable.
There is also the factor of air movement that helps give a persecution of added cooling. If you are in an area of a space where you can feel air movement, you are more likely to be cold. This is due to a couple factors. First, the air coming from your AC is generally pretty cold, most likely between 50-60 degrees. It has to be cold to get the air below the dew point temperature to get the moisture out of the air (same concept as condensation on a glass or rain). Unless the air is reheated before being delivered to the space you are in, the air you feel coming out of a diffuser/grille will be approximately the same temperature as the air leaving the AC unit. Second, the act of air moving over your skin has a cooling effect (same way fans help make a space seem cooler). The moving air helps to dissipate heat and evaporate sweat, adding to the cooling effect.
You don’t mention what you consider “normal” cold, but assuming you mean the cold outdoors in the winter, this air is typically very dry and you can have effects from wind that would make it seem colder (wind chill factor)
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