What the bay does to a Frankston system
Salt within a few streets
The Galvanizers Association of Australia rates the shoreline to 50 m inland around a sheltered bay as C4 for corrosion, and 50 m to 1 km as C3. On the Long Island dune between Kananook Creek and the beach, holiday homes went up between the wars.
Milder nights than inland
Bureau of Meteorology figures for Frankston AWS give a July mean minimum of 8.0 degrees and a July mean maximum of 12.8. Melbourne Airport averages 5.8 on a July night.
Gentle summers, mostly
The same Frankston figures give a January mean maximum of 24.8 degrees, milder than inland Melbourne.
Post-war houses and estates
After World War II, cheap land led to a burst of cheap housing. The Housing Commission began an estate in the 1950s, now Frankston North, and built Karingal with A.V. Jennings in the 1960s.
Many renters
At the 2021 Census, 73.4% of occupied homes were separate houses, 20.3% townhouses or similar and 6.1% flats. 39.1% were rented.
Protecting an outdoor unit near the beach
Manufacturers take salt seriously. Mitsubishi Electric's operating instructions list 'salty places such as the seaside' among places to avoid installing an air conditioner. Daikin says all its outdoor coils carry an anti-corrosion treatment, and still says positioning and maintenance are essential.
Warranties matter too. Daikin's warranty card makes the owner responsible for additional corrosion protection in a corrosive environment, with sea air as its example. So ask every installer which coastal protection their quote includes, and read the brand's terms before you sign. Our coastal homes guide goes further.
Heating in Frankston's milder winters
Frankston's July nights are a couple of degrees warmer than the airport's. The ACT Government guide says reverse cycle efficiency varies with the outdoor temperature, so milder nights work in a heat pump's favour. A well-sized reverse cycle system can heat a Frankston home through winter.
Licence-checked installers around Frankston who do this kind of work see your job, and your details go only to the one who takes it. If none near Frankston takes it within 48 hours, installers elsewhere in Victoria may see it as well.
What we'd do
What we'd ask for in Frankston
Within a kilometre of the beach, we'd want the quote to name the coastal protection on the outdoor unit, and since Daikin says positioning matters, we'd put the unit on the side of the house away from the water where there's a choice. Then service it every year, and check the warranty's coastal conditions before you buy.
