Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Condensing Units – Household
By the late 1930’s the North American refrigeration industry was moving rapidly to the adoption of fully “hermetic” systems, in which the motor and compressor where sealed in a single steel dome, which was connected to the evaporator in a seamless, integrated design not requiring the services of a skilled, field, refrigeration mechanic. The fully hermetic design for the household cabinet refrigerator was the next evolutionary step towards improving performance, reliability and life expectancy, all of which would increase dramatically. Kelvinator made significant contribution to the development of hermetic system design, Kelvinator of Canada, Circa 1955.
Technical Significance:
The change in performance, reliability and life expectancy which accompanied the wing to hermetic design could scarcely be over estimated. The period of regular motor oiling, drive belt replacement and leaking compressors and tubing connectors was gone. The operating life expectancy of such systems was all of a sudden 20 years or more.
Industrial Significance:
This refrigeration system produced by Kelvinator for Admiral, marked the period of multiple entries into the Canadian appliance market by secondary manufactures who established partnership arrangements for the production of the machines. Kelvinator were prominent in this work as suppliers to other Canadian corporations such as General Steel Wares of London Ontario.