By Zane Wylie, Sales Representative, Raylinc Lighting
For most projects, no. Zane Wylie looks after engineers in Townsville and Cairns, and the climate rarely changes what he specifies. Distance matters more. The further a site is from anyone who can fix it, the stronger the case for a quality fitting.
Indoor fittings in the north sit in air-conditioned space. Outdoor fittings mostly run at night, after the heat of the day has passed.
“It’s hotter for us between 25 degrees and 35 degrees. That’s a 10 degree difference, but that doesn’t make much difference to an aluminium fitting,” Zane says.
If anything, buildings up north are more reliably air-conditioned than in Brisbane. “Down here, it’s not that hot. We can get away without air conditioning,” he says. “And then you get a 40 degree day.”
Unconditioned sheds are the case worth checking. Heat builds up under the roof, which is exactly where the fittings sit. Zane has worked on sheds where this was part of the design discussion.
Moisture and insects are an outdoor problem everywhere, Zane says. A fitting suited to an outdoor position in Brisbane faces the same issues in Cairns. “If you’re outside down here, you’re going to have the same problems.”
The fitting needs to suit its environment. That holds in Brisbane as much as it does in Townsville.
Remote sites are where the specification changes. When a fitting fails a long way from the nearest electrician, every replacement costs a trip.
“If something’s a long way away and it’s going to be hard to repair, it’s more of an incentive to use something quality,” Zane says. He looks for fittings built to last, backed by a 10 year warranty, because “you don’t just want to be going back to it regularly.”
Rarely, in Zane’s experience. Indoor fittings sit in air conditioning and outdoor fittings run at night. Unconditioned sheds, where heat builds under the roof, are worth checking.
Moisture and insects affect outdoor fittings in every climate. Specify for the position the fitting is in, the same way you would in Brisbane.
Long life and a strong warranty. Zane looks for a 10 year warranty on remote work, because every failure means a costly return trip.
Zane Wylie is a sales representative at Raylinc Lighting, working with engineers in Townsville, Cairns and Brisbane. He holds a Graduate Certificate in Lighting and is a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society.
Contact the Raylinc team to discuss fittings for a North Queensland or remote project.