Coastal aircon corrosion — Mission Beach outdoor condensers
Salt-laden onshore winds carry a fine chloride mist several kilometres inland. It settles on the aluminium fins and copper-to-aluminium joints of the outdoor unit, then feeds galvanic corrosion every time the fins get damp. On beachfront homes at Wongaling and South Mission we routinely see fin-pack rot inside 3–4 years on uncoated units.
- Fin pitting and powdery white oxidation on aluminium
- Copper joints weeping refrigerant at the flare
- Cabinet screws rusting through and letting water in
- Cooling capacity dropping as the fin pack collapses
