Contractor ditches “expensive” foreign ac

AUSTRALIA: A Perth-based air conditioning contractor is refusing to install foreign brands, accusing them of being unsuitable for the Australian climate and expensive to run.

Mike King, general manager of Ducted Air Perth now restricts sales to products designed and manufactured by Australian manufacturer Actron Air.

“After 21 years in the Perth air conditioning industry we got sick to death of people telling us how expensive their foreign built air conditioners were to run,” he said. “We found even the “top” brands would consume huge energy because they are designed overseas and can’t cope with the unique Australian heatwave conditions. They just aren’t made for the harsh Australian climate and as a result are very expensive to run.”

Formed in 1984, with head office and factory in Bella Vista, NSW, Actron produces a range of air conditioners for split, ducted and packaged systems for domestic and commercial applications. Its air conditioning systems are said to be built to withstand Australian heatwave conditions of up to 50ºC, something which Mike King claims no other system can do.

According to Mike King, restricting his product range has not had a negative effect on business, in fact he claims his company has experienced huge growth on the back of positive customer experience and growing awareness of the Actron Air brand.

“I no longer get complaints after installing air conditioners,” he said. “Customers now tell me how cool their home is in summer and how much their power bills have gone down since getting an Actron air conditioner installed.”