Cronulla's coast and homes
Two kinds of water
Cronulla sits at the mouth of the Hacking River. Its surf beaches run from Wanda, Elouera and North Cronulla down to Cronulla, Shelly and Oak Park, while Gunnamatta Bay on the estuary side is sheltered.
Corrosion bands
The Galvanizers Association of Australia's guide rates the first 200 m from rough seas and surf beaches as C5, its harshest coastal band, and 200 m to 1 km as C4. Around sheltered bays, the shoreline to 50 m is C4 and 50 m to 1 km is C3.
From beach houses to apartments
Cronulla started as a holiday spot where families rented beach houses each school holidays. Apartments now stand on old hotel sites near North and South Cronulla.
Mostly units
At the 2021 Census, 72.5% of occupied homes were flats or apartments and 20.5% separate houses. 41.1% were rented and 33.4% owned outright.
Where the outdoor unit should go
Mitsubishi Electric's manual lists salty places such as the seaside among spots to avoid installing an air conditioner. You can't avoid the sea in Cronulla, but you can choose the most sheltered wall, out of the onshore wind and spray, rather than an ocean-facing balcony edge.
Read the warranty before you buy. LG excludes damage to external surfaces and coils from corrosive atmospheric conditions, Hitachi excludes damage from use in a corrosive atmosphere, and Daikin makes extra corrosion protection in sea air the owner's job. Ask each installer what coating or protection they'd fit, and what the brand expects from you. Our coastal homes guide has more.
Looking after a seaside unit
You can
- Keep the outdoor unit clear of sand, leaves and stored gear.
- Clean the indoor filters as the manual says.
- Book the yearly service, and keep every invoice with the warranty card.
Leave to a licensed installer
- Washing down the outdoor unit, panels and coils, which ActronAir describes as the protection it expects in sea air.
- Checking brackets, bolts and electrical connections for corrosion.
- Any refrigerant work, which needs an ARC licence.
What we'd do
What we'd do in Cronulla
We'd pick the outdoor unit's spot for shelter first and convenience second, get the brand's sea-air conditions in writing, and book a service with a wash-down every year. In a unit, we'd get the strata answer before the quotes. Send us the job and licence-checked installers who service coastal Shire homes can see it. Only the one who takes it gets your contact details. Where nobody near Cronulla takes it within 48 hours, the job may also be shown to installers in other parts of NSW.
