Marine HVAC and refrigeration spare parts — a sourcing guide for Bitzer, Sabroe, Grasso, Danfoss and Carrier Transicold systems

OEM families common on commercial vessels — HVAC and refrigeration

Marine HVAC and refrigeration systems on commercial vessels draw from a defined set of OEM families. Correctly identifying the family and the specific product line is the first step for any RFQ. The two refrigeration populations are also ordered in different ways. A provision plant belongs to the ship: a fixed installation feeding meat, fish, vegetable and lobby rooms at different temperatures from one or two compressors, with a solenoid and expansion valve per room and defrost heaters. Container reefer units belong to the box rather than to the vessel and are usually exchanged rather than repaired at sea, so the question there is quantity, unit model and controller software revision rather than the identity of one machine.

HVAC — chillers, air handling and fan coils

• Heinen & Hopman — HHSCHSC (self-contained, seawater-cooled condenser) and HHSCHFC (fresh-water/coaxial condenser) chilled-water series on R134a; a Turbocor-based chiller line; and a steam/hot-water-fired Maritime Absorption Chiller for waste-heat recovery. Which of the two chilled-water series is fitted follows from the condenser arrangement; the cooling duty of the machine on board is the figure on its nameplate.
• York (Johnson Controls / YORK-Marine) — magnetic-bearing centrifugal YMC², semi-hermetic screw YCWS water-cooled series, and legacy YK/Millennium centrifugal chillers with marine waterbox options. The compressor type separates these three lines; the size of the unit fitted is on its nameplate.
• Daikin — VZ water-cooled inverter marine chiller with copper-nickel condenser tubes and roll/pitch-compensated electronic expansion valve control, plus the larger DWSC/DWDC centrifugal chillers for newbuild cruise tonnage.
• Trane — CenTraVac water-cooled centrifugal chillers, a low-pressure design that Trane currently builds for R-514A or R-1233zd. R-513A belongs to Trane's medium-pressure Agility magnetic-bearing chiller, not to the CenTraVac, so read the refrigerant of an older machine from its own plate rather than from the current range.
• Novenco Marine & Offshore — Climaster ZCR air handling units (10 sizes) for accommodation, Climaster ZCP (4 sizes) for offshore/heavy duty, outdoor-rated ZNT, and the ZPR unit; cabin fan coil types IDAC (passenger ships) and Super Speed (high-speed craft); reheat/attenuation boxes RS and RW; and the NovPac-R/G self-contained A/C unit (hermetic reciprocating compressors) for ECR and galley spaces.
• AERON AS — Vertical Air Handling Units (VAHU), Self-Contained Units (SCU), and FCU fan coil range (vertical and horizontal cabin types, plus public-area units).
• Carrier (Marine and Offshore division) — dedicated Fan Coil Units range for marine and offshore accommodation.
• HI AIR KOREA (HAK) — HIF series marine fan coils in steel casings; quote the HIF model designation from the unit plate.

Refrigeration — provision, process and cargo/container reefer

• Sabroe (Johnson Controls) — reciprocating compressor units that Sabroe builds for industrial, marine and offshore duty: the large single-stage SMC, the two-stage TSMC for low-temperature plant, the small single-stage CMO, and the TCMO, HPO and HPC units. Sabroe describes the SMC as suited to all common refrigerants. One series covers several frame sizes and more than one mark, and Sabroe's documentation names the mark, as in its operating manual for SMC/TSMC 100 Mk 4 LL and Mk 5 units, so quote the designation and the Mk number in full from the plate.
• Bitzer — semi-hermetic reciprocating compressors, among them the 4NES and 6FE frames, plus condensers and oil separators for shipboard plant. Bitzer states that its marine classification-society approvals depend on the product and the request, so whether the machine on board came with a class certificate is read from the ship's documentation, not assumed from the model.
• GEA Grasso — V series reciprocating compressors for ammonia (R717), driven directly or by V-belts from a separate motor. GEA designates the single-stage machines V 300-2 to V 1800-2 and the two-stage machines V 300T-2 to V 1800T-2, with the T marking two stages; the V series carries no marine suffix. The Grasso M is a different machine, a GEA screw compressor for industrial and marine plant, not a marine version of the V series, so copy the designation from the plate letter for letter.
• Bock — reciprocating compressors, sold today as Danfoss BOCK, including semi-hermetic models such as the HGX series. Do not assume an open-drive machine from the name: whether a separate motor and coupling are fitted shows which build is on board, and only an open-drive machine has a shaft seal to order.
• Carrier Transicold — container reefer units that share the 69NT40 model prefix, with the next group of figures naming the line. 69NT40-541 is a ThinLINE, built around Carrier's 06D semi-hermetic reciprocating compressor on HFC-134a with Micro-Link 3 controls. 69NT40-561 and 69NT40-571 are PrimeLINE units with a digital scroll compressor designed for R-134a and configurable for R-513A, controlled by Micro-Link 5, and some -571 PrimeLINE and PrimeLINE EDGE builds are certified for R-1234yf. Carrier publishes service manuals and parts lists by suffix range, such as 69NT40-541-001 to 199, so copy the full model number, suffix included, from the unit plate.
• Thermo King — container reefer units Magnum Plus, Container Fresh & Frozen (CFF) and SuperFreezer. MP4000 is the name of the controller, not of a unit: Thermo King fits it to the CFF, which runs on R-134a and which Thermo King states is ready for R-513A as a drop-in, so the unit model and the controller with its software revision are two separate lines in the request.

Compressor identity — the RFQ bottleneck

Compressor identity is a recurring source of clarification in marine HVAC and refrigeration RFQs. The same nominal frame designation can span multiple build revisions with different running gear, valve plates and bearing sets, so the model shorthand alone is insufficient. Whether the enquiry is a rebuild or a replacement also changes the data it needs. A rebuild is quoted against the build revision, because valve plate, gasket set, bearings, liners and rings must match the machine on the seat. A replacement is quoted against the duty, because the original frame may no longer be built and its successor will not share the footprint, the connection sizes or the terminal arrangement. Send the following:

• Full nameplate photo — manufacturer, exact model/type designation (e.g. "Sabroe SMC 108," "Bitzer 4NES-14," "GEA Grasso V 700T-2," a Bock model plate) and the serial number. The serial number is what confirms the build revision, not the model designation.
• Compressor family and duty — semi-hermetic reciprocating (Bitzer 4NES-class, larger frames and 6FE series), open-drive reciprocating (Bock units and GEA Grasso V/VT series), other reciprocating (Sabroe SMC 104/106/108 and TSMC), screw (the exact Sabroe or other screw-compressor family), or scroll (Copeland/Emerson units used in some Carrier Transicold, Thermo King and smaller self-contained systems). On a semi-hermetic machine the motor sits in the same housing and is cooled by the suction gas, so a winding failure carries acid through the whole circuit and the order becomes a compressor, a burnout drier, an oil charge and a system clean. An open-drive machine is driven through a coupling by a separate motor, so the shaft seal is a wear item of its own, alignment is part of the work, and a replacement is usually a bare-shaft compressor that reuses the motor already fitted.
• Refrigerant designed for — the compressor block, oil charge and elastomer seals are matched to a specific refrigerant family; see the refrigerant-identity section below. State both the refrigerant on the plate and the refrigerant in the system, because on a converted plant they differ and the parts follow the second. Oil is part of the same answer: mineral oil suits R22 and ammonia, HFC and HFO circuits need polyol ester because mineral oil will not return from a flooded evaporator, and the two are not mixed. Polyol ester takes up water from the air within minutes of a drum being opened, so the drier goes on the same order.
• Design pressure range — e.g. for a Sabroe SMC in ammonia service, the HP-side and LP-side design pressures of the machine as built, read from the compressor nameplate and the unit documentation rather than from a catalogue figure. They govern the valve, gasket and safety-device selection.

When the only name in an enquiry is that of the company that built or last serviced the plant, rather than the maker of the equipment, match the request from the nameplates and the installation documents, not from an assumed catalogue series. A plant builder's label names the assembly, while each compressor, valve and controller inside it carries its own maker's plate.

Refrigerant identity matters more than ever

Refrigerant identification affects oil type, valve-orifice sizing, elastomer compatibility, pressure rating and the applicable servicing rules. Record the refrigerant actually charged and verify current requirements for the vessel and service location rather than inferring them from the equipment family.

• R404A / R507A — found in legacy provision and cargo-refrigeration systems. Their high GWP makes the refrigerant identity and current servicing restrictions important RFQ context. These are the fluids the phase-down reaches first. It works by shrinking the quantity of high-GWP fluid allowed onto the EU market and by limiting servicing with virgin refrigerant, so the constraint arrives through the port where refrigerant is bought rather than through the machinery space. The two ways out are reclaimed refrigerant and conversion to a lower-GWP blend, and conversion is not a straight swap: the retrofit blends are zeotropic, so they carry temperature glide and are charged as liquid because vapour drawn off a cylinder shifts the composition.
• R407C — specified in tanker air-conditioning applications.
• R134a — used in some provision systems and HVAC chillers, including York YK/Millennium and Heinen & Hopman HHSCHSC families; check the actual charge and current servicing rules.
• R410A — present in some smaller split and self-contained units; verify component compatibility and current placement or servicing restrictions.
• R744 (CO2) — used in some provision-cooling and freezing systems; its higher operating pressure makes the exact component rating essential.
• R717 (ammonia) — used in some fishing-vessel and process-refrigeration plants, including Sabroe SMC/CMO and GEA Grasso V/VT applications. Confirm materials, safety classification, ventilation and hazardous-area requirements from the approved installation documentation.
• R22 (HCFC) — remains in some legacy systems. MARPOL Annex VI prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone-depleting substances, including releases during maintenance, servicing and repair, and since 1 January 2020 its ban on new installations containing ozone-depleting substances has covered HCFCs as well. Availability and permitted servicing still depend on jurisdiction and current rules, so verify the legal and technical route before planning work.

Every refrigeration RFQ should state the refrigerant type and total system charge quantity. These data support component matching and the separate check of applicable servicing requirements. Where charge has been lost, say what the leak search established, because that is what turns a refrigerant order into a parts order. The position names the part — a shaft seal, a valve gland, a corroded seawater condenser tube, a cracked evaporator return bend, a Schrader core — and the quantity lost between services separates one defect from a circuit that leaks everywhere. Pressure tests are run with oxygen-free nitrogen, and a leak that only opens under running conditions will not show on a static test.

Expansion valves, sensors and control gear

Expansion valves, solenoid valves, filter driers and control panels recur alongside compressor requests. Identity depends on orifice code, connection type, capacity, pressure rating and refrigerant compatibility rather than valve body alone. A thermostatic expansion valve is chosen for a refrigerant, a capacity at a stated evaporating temperature and the pressure drop available across it; the connection size is chosen last, to suit the pipe. Capacity is rated at specific evaporating and condensing conditions, so the same nominal rating means two different valves on a chill room and on a freezer, and sizing from the line diameter produces a valve that hunts, floods or starves.

• Thermostatic expansion valves (TXV) — Danfoss TU/TUA/TUAE and T2/TE2 families are selected by orifice, refrigerant, capacity and operating range. Alco (Emerson) or Sporlan cross-reference tables can identify candidates, but equivalence must be confirmed across every relevant parameter. On the bodies that take an exchangeable orifice, the valve and the orifice are two order lines and it is the orifice that carries the capacity. Two further details decide whether a valve behaves: the bulb charge, which fixes the response and whether there is a maximum operating pressure limit, and internal against external equalisation, since any evaporator with a distributor needs the external line.
• Electronic expansion valves (EEVs) — increasingly specified on marine chillers (e.g. Daikin VZ's roll/pitch-compensated EEXV control) for stability under vessel motion.
• Solenoid valves and filter driers — Danfoss EVR and DML/DCL families may be compared with other catalogues only after connection, capacity, pressure and refrigerant data are confirmed. An IMPA code alone does not replace the resolved manufacturer reference.
• Thermostats and defrost timers — typically OEM-specific to the panel manufacturer; identity depends on the control-panel model rather than a generic part number.
• Control panels — compressor controllers such as Sabroe's UniSAB, whose current generation is UniSAB 4, and container-unit controllers such as Carrier Transicold's Micro-Link 3 on ThinLINE and Micro-Link 5 on PrimeLINE, or Thermo King's MP4000, are frequently the actual RFQ item when a "control panel" spare is requested. Take the controller name and generation from its own label or screen rather than from the plant nameplate, and add the software revision.
• MOP range identity — e.g. Danfoss Range N (−40 to +10 °C) versus Range B (−60 to −25 °C) is necessary to select the correct valve body/orifice variant.

A cross-reference table lists a valve that is similar to the original, not one proven identical to it. Confirm the static and opening superheat settings, the MOP range, the connection type and the refrigerant before accepting it, and check superheat on the running plant after the change, because nominal capacity alone does not show how the valve will feed this evaporator.

Class-society and F-gas regulation context

Class societies publish rules and notations for refrigerated cargo, provision refrigeration and HVAC installations. Include the vessel's class society, applicable notation, system documentation and latest survey context in the RFQ. Check the current rules for the specific vessel and installation rather than relying on a generic threshold or notation list.

Regulation (EU) 2024/573 and related national rules contain phased restrictions that can depend on refrigerant, GWP, equipment type, service date and refrigerant source. Before work is planned, check the latest official text, the refrigerant actually charged and the jurisdiction that applies. This guide does not replace legal, class or technical review for a specific vessel.

OEM route vs verified alternative

OEM, non-OEM and reconditioned overhaul components are available for some Bitzer, Bock, Sabroe, Carrier, Daikin and York compressor families. Before quotation, confirm the model, serial number, refrigerant, revision, material and documentation. Prefer the OEM route where warranty terms, class records or safety-critical duty require traceable original parts; consider an alternative only after compatibility and acceptability for the specific installation are documented.

For expansion valves, a cross-brand reference identifies a candidate only. Confirm the orifice, MOP range, connection, capacity, pressure rating and refrigerant before treating it as interchangeable. Recovery and charging equipment must suit the refrigerant and installation safety requirements; legal acceptability of the refrigerant is a separate check from physical equipment compatibility.

What we cannot promise before the RFQ is reviewed

Vessel Core does not quote HVAC or refrigeration spare-part prices, lead times or availability before the specific unit, refrigerant, class context and identification data are confirmed. Vessel Core has no agreement with Bitzer, Sabroe, GEA Grasso, Danfoss, Carrier, Thermo King or any other manufacturer named in this guide; their names identify equipment only. Every quotation is prepared for the specific request; for ammonia and CO2 systems, it remains preliminary until the relevant approval documentation and refrigerant data are known.

How to send the RFQ

Use the RFQ form. Attach the compressor and valve nameplate photos, the refrigerant type and charge quantity, and the class-society notation if known. Or use the RFQ evidence checklist to walk through the fields item by item.

Frequently asked questions

What are the common marine HVAC and refrigeration compressor OEM families?

Frequently encountered families include Bitzer 4NES and 6FE semi-hermetic reciprocating compressors; Sabroe SMC and TSMC reciprocating compressors; GEA Grasso V and VT open-drive reciprocating compressors; Bock open-drive reciprocating units; and Copeland scroll compressors used in some container-reefer and self-contained systems.

Why does the compressor serial number matter as much as the model number?

Running-gear and valve-plate revisions can differ within the same nominal compressor model. Match overhaul kits, gasket sets and valve-plate kits to the build revision and refrigerant, not to the model shorthand alone; a readable nameplate showing model and serial number is therefore an important RFQ reference.

What should be checked under EU F-gas rules before servicing a refrigeration system?

Check the refrigerant actually charged, its GWP, the equipment type, the refrigerant source and the current rules that apply to the vessel and service location. Regulation (EU) 2024/573 includes phased restrictions, so use the latest official text or qualified compliance advice; a parts RFQ does not by itself establish that a servicing route is legally permitted.

Are aftermarket Danfoss-equivalent expansion valves a safe substitute?

A cross-reference can identify a candidate valve, not prove interchangeability. Confirm the orifice, capacity, superheat setting, MOP range, connection type, refrigerant, pressure rating and application against the original data before choosing an alternative.

What evidence does a marine refrigeration compressor RFQ need beyond the nameplate photo?

Nameplate photo with model and serial number, refrigerant type and system charge quantity, design pressure and temperature range (HP/LP side), the class notation that covers the refrigerating installation, copied as it appears on the class certificate, and the date of its last survey. For ammonia (R717) systems, Ex-rating context for the machinery space is also relevant.

Related reading

• Marine cooling water sourcing guide
• Marine pumps sourcing guide
• Marine electrical sourcing guide
• Marine boiler sourcing guide
• RFQ evidence guide
• RFQ case notes