Air-conditioners serve two main functions: to remove humidity and cool the air in a room or area. Some air-conditioning units also have a fan mode that simply blows air from the outside indoors, and vice versa.
The term air-conditioner can refer to a window unit that cools a specific room, or it can refer to a complete air cooling system found in a car, home or building. Many large commercial buildings have an HVAC system, which stands for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning.
Air-conditioning allows people and animals to comfortably stay inside a home, building or car during hot weather. According to the website Slate, heat waves kill more Americans than all other natural disasters combined. They also report that more than 400 people die in the United States in a typical year from heat-related illnesses.