As you already know from your home refrigerator and many other appliances, the majority of consumer goods use a simplified, low-power compressor. The exception, of course, comes in air conditioning units. Anything smaller is kept as streamlined as possible to reduce manufacturing costs.
One thing that unites all the different small appliances that use some degree of refrigeration is that they use a hermetic-style compressor. It’s very rare to see a semi-hermetic compressor used in this kind of an application, and an open compressor is nearly unheard of.
In a hermetic compressor, the compressor unit is completely sealed off – hence “hermetic,” which has the same meaning. In any hermetic compartment, the interior is completely cut off from the exterior operating environment. This prevents the intrusion of outside contaminants and other issues.
But what happens when you need to maintain the system?
Simply stated, the hermetic compressor is the least serviceable version of the technology.
This should come as no surprise. After all, the hermetic compressor is synonymous with the earliest compressor designs. What was impressive 100 years ago is rarely as worthwhile today. And consumer devices with built-in hermetic compressors are intended to be replaced rather than maintained.
In the world of high-end commercial compressors, there’s a superior alternative.
Only in very specialized cases will you see hermetic compressors – usually in small-scale systems.
Instead, it’s always best to see if you can find a semi-hermetic compressor to meet your needs.
Why a Semi-Hermetic Compressor Is Superior for Commercial and Industrial Cooling Systems
No matter what kind of cooling or refrigeration needs you may have, a new commercial compressor is a significant investment. You want to get as many years from it as you realistically can. These days, you can expect 7-10 years, or more of service no matter if you choose a remanufactured compressor or an OEM unit.
Getting those last years of service out of a unit can create a savings of thousands of dollars.
Typically, that means you need a high degree of serviceability – the ability to diagnose and resolve issues that arise over time. A prompt, complete fix that doesn’t require much outside technical support is the ideal. And for that, you should always prefer semi-hermetic compressors to the rest.
With a semi-hermetic compressor, the compressor and motor are in a secure, enclosed environment, but it is possible to open the exterior casing to service them. That means you never have to worry about mailing the unit to a specialty shop or, even worse, replacing it at the first sign of trouble.
In practice, that makes everything much easier.
Here’s how:
Enhanced Repairability
Since the exterior casing is bolted instead of welded together, it often only takes a few minutes to inspect a semi-hermetic compressor. Plus, a wide variety of common maintenance tasks and fixes are easy to implement. While it’s important to be careful whenever the compressor casing is open, the minor risk of contamination pales in comparison to the utility that a semi-hermetic model gives you.
Greater Affordability
Affordability is the name of the game when it comes to a compressor. Of course, you can strengthen the value of any replacement by going with a remanufactured commercial compressor. Once that’s done, however, it’s all about taking steps to reduce the total cost of ownership. With a semi-hermetic unit, you have the ability to optimize performance using the best maintenance standards available.
Adaptable Engineering
A hermetic compressor usually has a limited footprint and you will rarely find one that performs at the highest levels available to today’s technology. On the other hand, a semi-hermetic compressor can be fine-tuned for virtually any level of demand and any operating environment. A number of loading and unloading methods, along with the growing use of partial-load operation, make it highly versatile.
Reduced Downtime
What’s the bottom line for all these potential advantages? Aside from the longevity, there’s also lower downtime to be considered. Keeping your temperature stable and your equipment working can be the difference between success and failure in a range of industries. The most demanding “mission critical” equipment is intended to run with 99.95% uptime. Why shouldn’t your system do the same?
A Remanufactured Commercial Compressor Combines Quality and Savings
With the right semi-hermetic compressor on your premises, you can keep things running with little more than a stock of crucial replacement parts. But to get to that point, you need to start with a compressor unit that meets all applicable performance and safety standards.
A remanufactured commercial compressor delivers. It receives thorough work, inspection, and testing to demonstrate that it meets all the original OEM outputs and tolerances. With the 10%, 20%, or even 30% discount over OEM wholesaler prices, your semi-hermetic compressor is even more attractive and has potential to serve for many years to come.
