What is a pot?

[fridge doctor]

This is one of those odd things which were never explained, and you never asked..... Other engineers referred to compressors as 'POTS'. Where did this come from, what origin ?

[Brian_UK]

It may be because some of the early hermetic compressors were shaped like cooking pots or saucepans.

[fridge doctor]

Well it's certainly a possibility Brian, but a little diverse although many of them did indeed 'cook'

[Brian_UK]

The oldest compressor that I have seen was fitted to an old fridge and still had the Arcton 6 label on it.

The shape of the compressor was like an oven dish with a lid on. Rather flat and round, most peculiar when compared with todays models.

Or it could be this:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot-in-pot_refrigerator

[US Iceman]

I have heard them referred to as "tin cans", so calling them "pots" would not be much of an exaggeration.

[Argus]

.

In my time in refrigeration (starting back in the mid 60s in South Wales) fully hermetic compressors were always called pots.

The analogy was obvious to me even though they (mostly York BH types in those days) resembled two horizontal buckets welded together rather than cooking pots.

I still refer to that type of compressor as a “Black Pot”, even though they have now become mostly tall and slender in shape.

Later, moving to the south coast of England, they were locally called “domes”. I have also heard them called “cans” and “tubs” in other parts.

As I said, the analogies are obvious once heard.

You pays your money…….

.

[monkey spanners]

Does anyone remember the Stern compressors that looked like a little space ship?

[Mark]

A Pancake compressor was another one.

Im sure i have some pictures somewhere

Mark