If you own a frozen yogurt shop, restaurant, convenience store or any other type of business that depends on a machine’s ability to create or maintain frozen products, then freezer compressors are a vital part of your business. These compressors are the heart of the machines’ freezing systems and should be considered one of the most important pieces of equipment.

As a business owner, you should be aware of which freezer compressors are in your machines and ensure they are in the best operating condition possible.

Evaluating the technical details of compressors and commercial refrigeration systems can be overwhelming and result in the purchase of a bad compressor. This is where a guide comes in handy.

What is a freezer compressor?
A compressor is a mechanical device that operates as a pump that increases the pressure on incoming refrigeration gas, causing the gas to reduce volume and increase temperature. The hot compressed refrigerant vapor is then pushed through a condenser to change the refrigeration vapor state to a liquid and then through an evaporator, where the heat is carried away from the system by air or water flow. The refrigerant expands back into a vapor and flows back into the compressor, where the refrigeration cycle freezes ice cream or cools a refrigerator.

Know what type of freezer compressor your machines require
If you install a freezer compressor without knowing if it’s the right one for your machines, you put two very important things at risk:

1.       Business finances. Freezer compressors are said to be the most expensive part of a machine to replace. Investing in a machine with a compressor that is known to frequently break will cost you and your business more than you would ever want to spend on a single machine part. Invest upfront in a quality compressor to save more in the long run.

2.   Customer satisfaction. Freezer compressors also determine the amount of time it takes a machine to freeze products. Buying an undersized compressor that doesn’t freeze your product quickly enough to match your volume of customers could result in people walking out the door.

What you should look for in a freezer compressor
When looking to buy an industrial freezer or ice cream/frozen yogurt machine, look for these qualities in the machine and its freezer compressor:

  • You can accurately control the temperature to meet the requirements of your product.

  • The compressor makes a minimal amount of noise.

  • The compressor is energy efficient and appropriately sized to minimize electrical costs and extend operating life.

  • The machine uses 220 volts of power for optimal efficiency and rapid cooling.

  • The machine allows use of 404A refrigerant to get the freezer to lower temperatures.

  • The machine and wearable parts come with a reliable warranty to help with potential repair costs.

Tips for warranties
To avoid experiencing buyer’s remorse, always make sure your compressor comes with a warranty. Before making the purchase, ask for explicit details about the warranty. If it doesn’t come with a warranty, or it comes with one that doesn’t even last a year, consider looking at another brand.

Equipment and machinery for the food industry comes down to the fact that you depend on your equipment, and you can’t afford to worry about a part breaking every single day. By investing upfront in a quality freeze compressor from a dependable manufacturer will give you more confidence in your machines and provide you with long-term value.