Cool solution for pesky visitors
Modern aircon not at risk of intruders
Crawling creatures are no longer the bugbear they once were in the Far North with technological advancements leading to an all-time low number of fried airconditioners.
While old machines are still occasionally falling victim to a curious gecko or destructive ant colony, newer models are built with a protective coating over their circuit boards.
Harvey Norman Cairns trade and hospitality manager Matthew Coburn said there used to be a rush of people buying airconditioners in the summer after realising their old system had died thanks to a pesky gecko.
CRAWLING creatures are no longer the bugbear they once were in the Far North with technological advancements leading to an all-time low number of fried airconditioners.
While old machines are still occasionally falling victim to a curious gecko or destructive ant colony, newer models are built with a protective coating over their circuit boards.
Harvey Norman Cairns trade and hospitality manager Matthew Coburn said there used to be a rush of people buying airconditioners in the summer after realising their old system had died thanks to a pesky gecko.
“They hop across looking for a cool or warm spot, especially at night, and they short circuit the unit,” he said.
“Modern airconditioners do quite a bit to protect against that. It’s becoming less prevalent, but conditions in Far North Queensland aren’t the nicest on electronics full stop, be it airconditioners, fridges, anything – as the temperature increases the pressure on those things increases as well.”
The demand for airconditioners in Cairns is still extremely high, despite newer models being hardier than older machines, with more than 100 sold each week through Mr Coburn’s department.
“We have a lot more airconditioners per house up here than people down south,” he said.
Mr Coburn said the most important thing customers needed to know before buying an airconditioner was the dimensions of the room they planned to cool.