Carrier Chiller and Absorption Refrigeration Systems
Product Description
Carrier Corporation, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation and one of the most prominent names in commercial and industrial climate control, manufactured chiller units and absorption refrigeration systems that were installed across a broad range of facilities throughout the twentieth century. These large-scale cooling systems were designed to regulate temperature in commercial office buildings, hospitals, universities, manufacturing plants, hotels, and industrial process facilities. Carrier’s chiller and absorption refrigeration product lines represented some of the most widely deployed mechanical cooling equipment in North American commercial construction during the mid-to-late 1900s.
Chiller systems work by removing heat from a liquid — typically water or a glycol solution — which is then circulated through air handlers and fan coil units to cool interior spaces. Absorption refrigeration systems operate on a related but distinct thermodynamic principle, using a heat source such as steam or hot water to drive a refrigerant cycle, often involving lithium bromide or ammonia as working fluids. Both system types are large, complex assemblies involving compressors, evaporators, condensers, heat exchangers, insulated piping, and associated mechanical components. The physical scale and mechanical complexity of these systems meant they required substantial insulation, gasket materials, and other thermal management components throughout their assemblies — materials that, in systems manufactured during certain decades, included asbestos-containing formulations.
Carrier chiller and absorption refrigeration systems were commonly installed in mechanical equipment rooms and central plant facilities. Their service life often extended for several decades, meaning that systems installed during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s frequently remained in operation — and required maintenance, repair, or eventual removal — well into the 1990s and beyond.
Asbestos Content
Litigation records document that Carrier chiller and absorption refrigeration systems incorporated asbestos-containing materials in various components during certain periods of manufacture. Plaintiffs alleged that asbestos was present in the thermal insulation applied to chiller vessels, heat exchanger casings, and associated piping systems. Insulation products used in high-heat and high-humidity environments within these systems were commonly manufactured using asbestos fibers due to their thermal resistance, durability, and moisture-resistant properties.
Litigation records further document allegations that asbestos-containing gaskets were used at flanged connections, valve assemblies, and heat exchanger joints throughout these refrigeration systems. Gasket materials in industrial and commercial HVAC equipment of this era were frequently composed of compressed asbestos fiber sheets capable of withstanding the pressures and temperature differentials involved in chiller operation.
Plaintiffs have also alleged that pipe insulation, block insulation, and fitting covers used in the installation of Carrier chiller systems contained asbestos, and that workers who performed installation, maintenance, and repair of these systems were exposed to asbestos-containing materials both from Carrier’s own equipment components and from insulation materials applied by contractors during original equipment installation.
How Workers Were Exposed
Industrial workers generally represent the primary occupational group documented in litigation involving Carrier chiller and absorption refrigeration systems. Exposure pathways were varied and depended heavily on the nature of the work being performed and the condition of existing insulation and gasket materials at the time of service.
Maintenance mechanics and refrigeration technicians who performed routine servicing of chiller units were potentially exposed when inspecting, cleaning, or replacing components. Opening insulated panels or casings on aging equipment could release friable asbestos fibers from deteriorating insulation materials. Gasket removal and replacement — a common maintenance task involving scraping old gasket material from flanged surfaces — is particularly well-documented in litigation as a source of asbestos fiber release.
Pipefitters and insulation workers who installed or repaired the piping systems connected to Carrier chillers were exposed during the application, cutting, or removal of asbestos-containing pipe insulation. These workers often operated in confined mechanical rooms where airborne fiber concentrations could accumulate without adequate ventilation.
Building engineers and stationary engineers responsible for operating and maintaining large central plant equipment were also present in mechanical spaces where Carrier chiller and absorption refrigeration systems were housed. These workers were frequently in proximity to aging, deteriorating asbestos insulation on a daily basis over the course of their careers.
During the renovation, decommissioning, or replacement of older Carrier chiller systems, demolition contractors, HVAC technicians, and laborers involved in equipment removal were potentially exposed to asbestos dust released from disturbed insulation and gasket materials. The abatement of large chiller systems has been subject to AHERA and OSHA regulatory requirements governing the identification and safe handling of asbestos-containing materials in building systems.
Workers in industries that operated large industrial process facilities — including chemical plants, refineries, power generation facilities, and large institutional settings — were among those most likely to have worked in proximity to this type of equipment over extended periods of time, increasing the potential for cumulative asbestos exposure.
Documented Product Identification
The following details are drawn from public asbestos litigation records, manufacturer catalog pages, technical manuals, and corporate history materials. Each item reflects the product as documented in those sources.
Documented asbestos-use period: 1922-??
Corporate context: Carrier Corporation, headquartered in Syracuse, N.Y., became a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation (UTC). The company is also named individually and as a successor to Bryant.
Brand identification: Brand names include: Carrier, Day & Night, Payne, Bryant
Documented asbestos components: packing, gaskets, pre-formed gaskets, coated insulation boards, rope caulking.
Documented asbestos-component suppliers: the public records lists the following external suppliers of asbestos-bearing packing, gaskets, and seals used in conjunction with this manufacturer’s equipment — Durabla.
Industries served: U.S. Navy, Marine, Submarine construction.
Naval / marine service: This manufacturer’s equipment is documented in connection with U.S. Navy and commercial-marine service.
Documented product lines:
- 170 Ton Absorption Refrigeration Machine (1960). Naval shipboard absorption refrigeration system using lithium bromide solution for climate control on submarines. — asbestos components: packing, gaskets.
Carrier absorption refrigeration machines were installed on U.S. Navy FBM submarines including SSB(N) 608-636 class vessels built at Electric Boat Division, Newport News, Mare Island Naval Shipyard, and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Asbestos packing was used in diaphragm control valves.