A Copeland compressor is a compressor made by Copeland for commercial refrigeration. It raises the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant gas to the discharge pressure the system needs, and when it stops working properly, the cooling stops with it. Climate Flow Limited installs and services Copeland compressors for businesses in London and surrounding areas. This guide explains how they work, the signs a site owner can notice, and which jobs the law leaves to a certified engineer.
What does a Copeland compressor do in a refrigeration system?
A Copeland compressor raises the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant gas to the discharge pressure the system is designed for, as Copeland's description of its scroll design explains.
A few terms come up whenever a compressor is discussed:
- Evaporator: the coil and fan inside the cold room or cabinet.
- Condenser: the coil and fan in the condensing unit, usually outside the cold space.
- Discharge pressure: the pressure of the refrigerant gas at the compressor's outlet, after it has been compressed.
- Condensing unit: the assembly that holds the compressor, the condenser coil and its fan, often outside or on a roof.
- Hermetic compressor: a compressor whose motor and compression parts are sealed inside a welded shell, so it is replaced rather than opened.
- Semi-hermetic compressor: a compressor whose shell is bolted together, so an engineer can open it for some repairs.
- F gas: the fluorinated gases used as refrigerants in many commercial systems, covered by their own rules in Great Britain.
How does a Copeland scroll compressor work?
A Copeland scroll compressor works with one scroll orbiting inside a matching fixed scroll, as Copeland's own description of the design explains. The fixed scroll is attached to the compressor body, and the orbiting scroll is coupled to the crankshaft. As the orbiting scroll moves, it traps pockets of gas between the two spirals and carries them towards the centre, where the temperature and pressure of the gas rise to the discharge pressure.
For a site owner, the practical point is simple. What you see of a scroll compressor is the shell, the pipework and the electrical connections. Everything that does the work is inside, and any work on it is an engineer's job.
What is a Copeland semi-hermetic compressor?
Copeland also makes semi-hermetic compressors for refrigeration. Copeland describes its Stream range as a semi-hermetic compressor with Copeland electronic diagnostics. The same range includes the Fusion, which Copeland calls a semi-hermetic scroll, so "scroll" and "semi-hermetic" are not always two separate types.
Some Copeland semi-hermetic models are equipped with CoreSense Diagnostics, which Copeland says provides extra protection and diagnostics. Copeland describes its compressor electronics as designed to monitor and interpret data from inside the compressor. Not every compressor on a site has these electronics fitted. Where they are, mention it when you call, because the data they monitor can help the engineer with diagnosis.
What are the signs of a Copeland compressor problem?
The signs of a Copeland compressor problem that a site owner can notice are symptoms, not causes. Finding the cause takes an engineer with test equipment on site. Watch for these:
- The condensing unit is running, but the cold room or cabinet is not coming down to temperature.
- The compressor trips out, or a breaker or protection device keeps cutting it off.
- A new or louder noise from the condensing unit, such as knocking, rattling or humming.
- Short cycling: the compressor starts and stops far more often than it normally does.
- The compressor body seems much hotter than usual. Do not touch it to check; note it and tell the engineer.
Poor cooling does not always mean the compressor has failed. Let the engineer test the system first, before any compressor is condemned or replaced.
Which compressor jobs are engineer-only under the F-gas rules?
Any compressor job that involves handling the refrigerant is for a certified engineer. Under GB rules, a company that installs, repairs, maintains or decommissions stationary refrigeration equipment containing F gas for others must be certified by an approved body. Anyone who works with and handles F gas must also hold personal qualifications, and it is against the law to work with F gas without the correct certification.
Climate Flow is F-Gas certified. A site owner should never open a refrigerant connection, add refrigerant or change a compressor themselves. Keep to noticing and recording the symptoms above, and call an engineer.
When a leak is found, it must be repaired as soon as possible and the leak test repeated within a month to check the repair worked. Leak checks are a shared duty between the people who use the equipment and the service technicians who install, maintain or dispose of it. Systems in the smallest covered band are checked at least once every 12 months, and larger systems more often. Our guide to fridge and freezer regassing explains what a leak repair and recharge involve on a commercial site.
What F-gas records should a site owner keep?
A site owner keeps F-gas records for stationary refrigeration equipment containing F gas equivalent to 5 tonnes or more of carbon dioxide. The GOV.UK guidance on F-gas records says they cover the quantity and type of gas added during maintenance and the dates and results of leak checks. The records are kept for 5 years and include details of the companies that installed or serviced the equipment. Keep them where the next engineer can see them, because they show what has already been done to the system.
When to call an engineer
Call an engineer as soon as the cold space stops holding temperature, the compressor keeps tripping, or the condensing unit sounds different. Before you call, have these to hand:
- The equipment affected: cold room, freezer room, display cabinet or other
- The make and model from the condensing unit's data plate, if you can read it safely
- What the unit is doing, and when it started
- Any alarm or error code on the controller display
- How often it has tripped, and whether anyone has reset it
- Your F-gas records, where the system needs them
Compressor faults on condensing units and cold rooms are part of our refrigeration repair and maintenance work, and faults in upright and counter cabinets are covered by commercial fridge and freezer repair.
For installation, cold rooms and the rest of the service line, see commercial refrigeration services.
Climate Flow installs and services Copeland compressors in commercial refrigeration systems across London and surrounding areas, with 24/7 emergency callouts when a system fails.
This guide is general information, not a survey or a quote for your site; every system is different, so an engineer needs to see yours before any work is priced.