There are lots of misconceptions, so I just want to clear it up. When is one permitted to ask a Gentile to turn on/turn off/adjust the air conditioning on Shabbos?
Answer
My understanding (I don't have sources handy) is as follows:
The Gemara says that if people are cold, we treat them as "seriously sick" and therefore allow asking a non-Jew to heat up the room for them.
If people were hot, back in the day there wasn't much that asking a non-Jew would help. But today, R' Moshe Feinstein allowed asking a non-Jew to turn on the air conditioning if people are too hot.
(If people are seriously too cold, you could even ask a non-Jew to turn on the furnace, so I don't see why he couldn't turn off the A/C instead. Or adjust it, if it's too high or low.)
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