Contents of this guide
What salt does to the equipment
Lennox explains that in coastal areas with salt air, galvanic corrosion of the aluminum fins on the outdoor coil can gradually reduce cooling capacity. Daikin attributes outdoor coil rust near the coast to salt and atmospheric corrosion caused by sea spray and rain. Carrier adds that exposure depends on distance from the ocean, wind direction, humidity and local contaminants.
Trade press gives figures for uncoated coils. Contracting Business states that ocean salt spray can corrode an unprotected outdoor coil in as little as a year, and that pitting corrosion ends up causing leaks. ACHR News says that by the sea, the performance of an uncoated condenser can drop more than 50% in a year. These are industry figures for unprotected equipment, not a measurement for Panama. Daikin Applied warns that corrosion in condensers and heat exchangers can cause rapid failures.
Panama’s climate
Panama’s Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology reports, for the districts of Panama and San Miguelito, an annual average relative humidity of 75.7% and a mean temperature of 27.3 °C, using data from the Tocumen station between 1977 and 2010. Daily average humidity exceeds 78% from May to November and reaches 82.4% in October; its low, 64.9%, falls in March. INEC notes that the Atlantic and Pacific oceans are the country’s main source of humidity.
Data from the characterization of the climate of the Panama district (IMHPA) and from INEC. Tocumen is not a coastal station: it is the closest official data that could be verified.
How far it reaches
| Source | What it says about distance from the sea |
|---|---|
| Trane | At one mile (about 1.6 km) or less from salt water, models without factory protection need a seacoast kit. |
| Carrier | Salt water can be carried up to two miles (about 3.2 km) inland. |
| Daikin UK | Mentions about 5 km inland in coastal areas of the United Kingdom; it is a figure for that country. |
| Contracting Business | Salt spray can travel up to 10 miles (about 16 km) inland. |
Sources: Trane, installation guide, section 2.4, Carrier, Daikin UK and Contracting Business. None of the sources consulted gives a distance specific to Panama.
How equipment is protected
- Factory protection or a seacoast kit. Carrier offers a specific five-year parts warranty for seacoast corrosion in residential applications, and describes zinc cladding and heat shrink on the copper-aluminum joints.
- Coatings. According to Contracting Business, the coil is first cleaned with a foaming, non-acid, non-caustic cleaner and rinsed well before coating; the coating may need reapplication every five to ten years depending on how corrosive the environment is.
- Copper-copper coils. Daikin Applied mentions them as a particularly effective option against coastal corrosion, alongside e-coating and the Blygold treatment.
- Professional inspection and service. Carrier recommends that a qualified technician inspect the system according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
What the standard says
ASHRAE 180, in its 2012 edition, provides for checking the condenser surfaces annually and allows adjusting the inspection frequency for climate-related or operational reasons, as long as the change and its reason are documented. If an inspection finds unacceptable conditions twice in a row, the frequency or the task must be modified. The standard does not mention salt air expressly, so the decision to inspect more often on the coast belongs to the owner and the contractor.
What to ask the contractor for a building by the sea
- Do the outdoor units have factory seacoast protection or a coating?
- How and when is the outdoor coil cleaned?
- Was the inspection frequency adjusted for the climate and documented?
- Does the report of each visit include the condition of the condenser?
Climatiza on the waterfront
Climatiza Panamá concentrates its operation in the city and the metropolitan area, and its website points to salt-air corrosion in coastal zones as a factor that affects equipment life. It has pages by zone for its air conditioning maintenance and its duct cleaning in waterfront areas (pages in Spanish), for example Costa del Este, Punta Pacífica and Casco Antiguo. Each service is delivered with a written report.
Is your building or store by the sea?
Climatiza Panamá offers air conditioning maintenance by zone in Costa del Este, Punta Pacífica, Casco Antiguo and other areas of the city.
Frequently asked questions
What is salt air and why does it damage air conditioning?
It is the salt carried by marine air. It settles on the outdoor coil and, with humidity, corrodes the aluminum fins and the joints, which reduces cooling capacity and can cause leaks.
How far does salt air reach?
It depends on distance from the sea, wind and humidity. Trane asks for a seacoast kit at one mile or less and Carrier warns it can reach two miles. No source consulted gives a distance for Panama.
How often should I inspect equipment by the sea?
No manufacturer or standard consulted sets a number. ASHRAE 180 provides for checking the condenser once a year and allows increasing the frequency for climate reasons, documenting it.
Is an anti-corrosion coating worth it?
According to trade press, a well-coated coil resists the marine environment better than an unprotected one, and the coating may need reapplication every five to ten years. It is worth asking the manufacturer or the contractor which option suits each unit.
Related articles
- Air conditioning maintenance contract for businesses in Panama: what it should include
- Air duct cleaning in Panama: when it is due and how to check it was done right
- The office air conditioning stopped cooling: what to check in the first hours
Sources
- Lennox, Quantum coil technology, galvanic corrosion in coastal areas.
- Carrier, heating and air in coastal areas.
- Trane, condensing unit installation guide, section 2.4.
- Daikin Australia, rusty outdoor coil near the coast, Daikin Applied Europe, solutions for corrosive environments and Daikin UK, coating data sheet.
- Contracting Business, the when, why and how of protective coil coatings and ACHR News, coatings for condensers.
- ASHRAE 180, 2012 edition, inspection frequency.
- IMHPA, characterization of the climate of the Panama district and INEC.
- Climatiza Panamá, maintenance by zone.
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