4.01-10: Admiral 1955 Hermetic Condensing Unit

HHCC Accession No. 2003.039	HHCC Classification Code: 4.01-10

Description:

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

Group:

4.01 Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Condensing Units - Household

Make:

Admiral

Manufacturer:

Kelvinator of Canada

Model:

712407

Serial No.:

PASL-24143

Size:

26x 18x 42’h, original shipping crate

Weight:

50 lbs

Circa:

1955

Rating:

Exhibit, education, and research quality demonstrating the advances made by the early 1950’s, working towards a fully hermetic refrigeration systems for the Canadian household, providing a level of performance, reliabliity and life expectancy prevously unheard of.

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Provenance:

From York County (York Region) Ontario, once a rich agricultural hinterlands, attracting early settlement in the last years of the 18th century. Located on the north slopes of the Oak Ridges Moraine, within 20 miles of Toronto, the County would also attract early ex-urban development, to be come a wealthy market place for the emerging household and consumer technologies of the early and mid 20th century.

This artifact was discovered in the 1950’s in the used stock of T. H. Oliver, Refrigeration and Electric Sales and Service, Aurora, Ontario, an early worker in the field of agricultural, industrial and consumer technology.

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Technological 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.