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.

HVAC — chillers, air handling and fan coils

• Heinen & Hopman — HHSCHSC (self-contained, seawater-cooled condenser) and HHSCHFC (fresh-water/coaxial condenser) chilled-water series, roughly 190–1,200 kW on R134a; a Turbocor-based chiller line; and a steam/hot-water-fired Maritime Absorption Chiller from ~150 kW to ~5,000 kW for waste-heat recovery.
• York (Johnson Controls / YORK-Marine) — magnetic-bearing centrifugal YMC² (580–3,516 kW), semi-hermetic screw YCWS water-cooled series (267–593 kW), and legacy YK/Millennium centrifugal chillers with marine waterbox options.
• Daikin — VZ water-cooled inverter marine chiller (1,080–1,910 kW) with copper-nickel condenser tubes and roll/pitch-compensated electronic expansion valve control, plus larger DWSC/DWDC centrifugal chillers (800–9,000 kW) for newbuild cruise tonnage.
• Trane — CenTraVac water-cooled centrifugal chillers, including legacy HCFC-123 and current R-513A/R1234ze variants.
• Novenco Marine & Offshore — Climaster ZCR air handling units (10 sizes, 0.3–10.5 m³/s) for accommodation, Climaster ZCP (4 sizes, 3.8–30 m³/s) 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 (6–35 kW, 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 from 3–20 USRT in steel casings.

Refrigeration — provision, process and cargo/container reefer

• Sabroe (Johnson Controls) — single-stage SMC series (fifteen models, 200–1,350 m³/h swept volume, 130–1,225 kW), two-stage TSMC series for freezer duty, and smaller CMO reciprocating units (50–190 kW); ammonia, CO2, HC and HFC compatible.
• Bitzer — semi-hermetic reciprocating compressors, notably the 4NES and 6FE families, marketed specifically for "ship cooling" with seawater-resistant shell-and-tube condensers and marine-conversion kits.
• GEA Grasso — V single-stage series (V300 through V1800, 290–1,592 m³/h swept volume) and VT two-stage variants for ammonia (R717) provision and process refrigeration, with an "M" (Marine) suffix designating vessel-specific variants (e.g. Grasso V700M).
• Bock — open-drive reciprocating compressors used across smaller shipboard provision and process installations.
• Carrier Transicold — PrimeLINE (R-513A-ready scroll compressors, aluminum-frame construction, copper-nickel water-cooled condenser options for marine stowage) and ThinLINE (06D semi-hermetic reciprocating compressor on HFC-134a) container reefer ranges; legacy 69NT40 unit variants (e.g. 69NT40-541-320) remain in the operating fleet with scroll or 06DR241 reciprocating compressors on R134a.
• Thermo King — Magnum Plus MP4000 (scroll compressor, 4.48 kW/6.0 hp) and the marine-hardened CFF unit family, both on the R-134A/R-513A-ready platform with marine-treated aluminum alloy frames.

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. Send the following:

• Full nameplate photo — manufacturer, exact model/type designation (e.g. "Sabroe SMC 108," "Bitzer 4NES-14," "Grasso V700M," 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).
• Refrigerant designed for — the compressor block, oil charge and elastomer seals are matched to a specific refrigerant family; see the refrigerant-identity section below.
• Design pressure range — e.g. Sabroe SMC design pressures of 28 bar (HP side) and 18–21 bar (LP side) for ammonia service.

Buyer-side references to regional integrators such as Nordholt or Sea Cool Marine in RFQ correspondence typically point to marine HVAC service companies rather than a large OEM product family with standardized model nomenclature — RFQs referencing these names should be verified against nameplate data rather than assumed to map to a specific catalogued series.

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.
• 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. Availability and permitted servicing 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.

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.

• 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.
• 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 — Sabroe's UniSAB III, GEA's Maintenance Monitor (GMM), and Carrier's Microlink III govern capacity control, defrost timing and condition-based service intervals, and are frequently the actual RFQ item when a "control panel" spare is requested.
• 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.

Manufacturers themselves caution that cross-reference replacement valves are "similar but not necessarily identical" to the original — static/opening superheat settings, MOP range, connection type and refrigerant compatibility should be confirmed, not assumed from nominal capacity alone.

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 stock availability before the specific unit, refrigerant, class context and identification data are confirmed. Vessel Core is not an authorized dealer or exclusive distributor for Bitzer, Sabroe, GEA Grasso, Danfoss, Carrier, Thermo King or any other OEM named in this guide. 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.

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