How close to the surf are you?
The Galvanizers Association of Australia's guide to AS 4312 rates land within 200 m of surf beaches as C5, the top band. From 200 m to 1 km inland it's C4, and from 1 to 10 km it's C3. Prevailing winds can push those bands further inland.
Coolum has sold itself on the sea view for a century. In 1923 the Mt Coolum Beach Estate lots were advertised as having an uninterrupted view of the Pacific. A house that looks at the ocean usually means an outdoor unit that faces its breeze too.
We haven't found an aircon brand that gives a safe distance from the water. What changes is the protection you choose, where the unit goes and how often it's checked.
What else is local to Coolum
Houses first
Separate houses were 69.5% of occupied homes, townhouses 13.4% and units 15.9%. Houses with roof space can take ducted; most units and townhouses suit a split.
Cane town to holiday town
Sunshine Coast Council says cane farming carried the Coolum district until tourism took over in the 1960s.
Homes between visitors
15.4% of private dwellings were unoccupied on Census night, and 28.7% of occupied homes were rented.
Headlands and hills
The suburb's coastline runs from Peregian Beach past Coolum Beach to the Point Perry headland, with Toboggan Hill and Eurungunder Hill inside the suburb. On a hillside block, ask how the outdoor unit will be reached for servicing.
Storm season
Sunshine Coast Council says storms usually come from November to March. Ask how the outdoor unit will be fixed down, and check the seal where the pipes go through the wall.
What we'd do
Our take for Coolum
Work out roughly how far you are from the surf. Inside the first few hundred metres we'd choose a model with factory coil protection, read its warranty for sea air, and put the outdoor unit on the side of the house away from the beach if that side still has open air. Then we'd keep sand and leaves clear of it and book a yearly service. Tell us what you need and your 4573 postcode. If we have licence-checked installers near Coolum who do that kind of job, they'll see it, and only the one who takes it gets your contact details. If no one near Coolum takes it within 48 hours, it may also show up for installers elsewhere in Queensland.
