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Wine Cellar Cooling

The Benefits of Installing a Wine Cooling Unit

If you’re not building a passive or showcase-only wine cellar you will need to buy a cooling unit for your space. Cooling units keep your wine cellars at the correct storage temperature and humidity (~55°F and 50-70% humidity).

The first thing you should splurge on in your wine cellar is the cooling unit. It might be tempting to undersize your cooling unit to save a couple dollars, however this temptation usually results in a unit running loudly 24/7, unable to get your cellar to 55° and dying early from exhaustion. In ideal conditions your cooling unit can last up to 15 years but an overworked unit can die as quickly as 5 years.

What type of cooling unit do I need for my wine cellar?

Through-the-Wall

Through-Wall Cooling Unit

Self-contained, through-wall cooling units fit in the space between wall studs between rooms and offer the easiest and cheapest way to cool your cellar. (Best for basements & venting into unused rooms.)

Split System

Split System Wine Cooling Unit

Split systems “split” up the cooling unit condenser from the evaporator, allowing for flexible installation and a quieter wine cellar. These units allow you to put the noisy condenser in place where noise isn’t an issue.

Fully Ducted

Fully Ducted Wine Cellar Cooling System

Ducted systems are available as both self-contained and split systems. Cooling units can be placed 25 ducted feet away from the cellar and allows for the most flexible installation assuring minimal noise and visual disruption.

Other factors to keep in mind:

Ambient Temperature Recommended for Wine Cellar

Room Volume

Avoid buying a cooling unit designed “up to” your room space and always go the size up if you’re within 50-100 cubic feet of the manufacturer specified maximum. This means if you have a 300 cubic foot wine cellar you should avoid the 300 cubic feet units and step up to the 650 cubic feet units. With Cellar Cool units as an example, this upgrade is $100 (from $995 to $1095). Sizing up your cooling unit could save you years for a minimal cost increase.

Ambient Temperature

Another important thing to consider with your cooling unit is the ambient temperature of the environment. The greater difference between the 55° cooling temperature and the actual ambient temperature, the larger the unit you’ll need. Lower end cooling units are designed up to a 30 degree differential (minimum 50° – maximum 85°) which is adequate for most interior spaces you heat and air condition (and some exterior spaces if you’re lucky to live somewhere with year-round temperate weather).

For people who need to install their cooling unit outside of the 30 degree differential, the WhisperKOOL Extreme Series is what you’ll need to look at for options.

While nothing quite compares to owning and showing off a custom wine cellar, owning and showing off a well-maintained custom wine cellar is even better. If you want to see what the wine cellar of your dreams could look like in your home, use our VR Demo or call at (800) 659-WINE (9463).

Posted in Wine Cellar Cooling

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