800.549.3832

"I Want to Choose a Wine Cooling System"

The most cost-effective, straightforward, approach to a wine cellar environment control is a "through-wall" system.  Installation costs are nominal ... the process is essentially idiot-proof, speaking from personal experience.  For enclosures up to 2,000 cubic feet (8,000 BTU's), under appropriate conditions, this configuration is the most logical starting point for consideration. 

Breezaire and Whisperkool are industry standards - neither does more or less than the other in maintaining cellar conditions.  Both are subject to our extended warranties.  Visit the "Tech Specs" page for more specifics on installation and technical data.

'Though an entirely different animal, picture a window unit air conditioner .... the sizing of the equipment is generally based on the volume (cubic footage) of the area.  Additionally, the exhaust (and fresh air intake) should have "wide open" access to a well, ventilated area outside the cellar that is at least 2.5 - 3 times the size of the cellar.  This is determined by measuring the width, depth and height. 

The environment from which the machine will draw fresh air and into which it will dump the warm air is assumed to not "routinely and consistently" exceed ~ 80 - 85 degrees.  3 hours tomorrow afternoon or one day next week @ 88 degrees, is no big deal, but "routinely and consistently" is the operative phrase.  The equipment is designed to maintain a ~ 25 - 30 degree differential (delta) between the fresh air supply and the cellar temperature.

Temporary, gradual changes in air temperature will have no direct impact on the wine's temperature. The thermal mass of the liquid will change 8 - 10 times more slowly than that of the air. 'Kinda like a swimming pool in August - it can be 100 degrees outside, but if you jump into the water, the water is still cool.  We used to use the analogy of putting a pan of water on the stove and turning on the burner ... if you put your finger into the pan, nothing happens for several minutes.  If you remove the pan and hold your hand directly over the burner, you will realize how volatile the air really is.  (Due to an unfortunate incident in Missouri, we no longer use that analogy on the advice of our lawyers.)

To beat the point to death, every time you open the cellar door, the outside air will, essentially immediately, cause a rise in your interior temperature.  Attempts at micro-managing Mother Nature are a waste of time.  Cool air sinks and warm air rises - there will always be a variations in air temperature.  Otherwise, the compressor would never turn on or ever turn off.  Short of a chamber at the NASA facility, we'll always have nominal, inconsequential, changes in the cellar environment.  If the wine doesn't care, neither should you.

OK, sticking with the "through-wall" approach ... while not highly recommended, within nominal limits, equipment can be "upsized" to address higher temperatures.  You can't expect results by oversizing a unit to accommodate construction deficiencies, but from practical experience - adding BTU's can deal with periodic spikes in ambient temperatures.  Manufacturers do not recommend such an approach and they are certainly experts.  But, as a matter of practice, "heavy duty cooling" options are offered by cabinet makers and we have any number of projects where slightly larger capacities function effectively in slightly more hostile environments.

Certainly there's a trade-off ... ideal, appropriately designed, machines that may cost a few thousand dollars more than a "through-wall" system, will provide consistency within narrower limits.  But in no case can "through-wall" equipment be "ducted," "vented, "diverted" or retro-fitted.  The air exchanges have to be segregated and the exhaust will not overcome the static pressure (inertia of the still air).  No "what if's," "but I live in ...," "my contractor says ...," or "my brother-in-law did it."  Air exchange must be horizontal and unencumbered.

While there is no "quietest" through wall system, sound sensitivity is a very subjective issue and impossible to quantify.  None of these things are going to rattle the windows, but larger machines will generate corresponding fan sound.  They may,or may not be appropriate for interior walls. 

'Can't or don't want to go through the wall?  Remote systems of varying configurations are the next step.  Now you'll pretty much need a licensed mechanical contractor.  With the exception of CellarMate's unique ductable system, all will need to be charged with refrigerant.  Installation costs just went up dramatically.

CellarMate will need to located in a well-ventilated environment with an ambient not to exceed 90 degrees.  The duct work shouldn't exceed 25' - the shorter the better.

Breezaire offers most proven split system for capacities up 1,000 cubic feet (4,000 BTU's).  The condenser should be located within 100' (subtract 10' for every 90 degree bend in the line set) in a well-ventilated area with an ambient not routinely and consistently exceeding ~ 80 degrees.  The condenser is not designed for low ambient operation, nor particularly hostile environments.

WCI  manufacturers both split air handler systems as well as a ductless split system up to 13,000 BTU's.  Outdoor condensers are available and will function effectively in the mid-30's or on rooftops in Las Vegas.

Final observations:

A bank balance won't change the laws of physics.  Especially for our contractor clients - we won't put you in the middle of probable or avoidable service issues - we don't place any equipment into an inappropriate application, no matter how expensive the project, no matter what the owner's name, no matter how demanding they may be.  We will not tell anyone what they want to hear for the sake of a credit card #.

There is a very low threshold at which the mystique of wine storage technology gives way to marketing hype best suited for rosebeds.  Most wine has traveled in the cargo holds of ships, on the trailers of 18-wheelers, sat on shipping docks or resides in 72 degree wine shops and restaurants.  It's not plasma.

Certainly a consistent and controlled environment is important in the long run - otherwise, we'd have real jobs.  But there is nothing exotic about wine storage equipment, nor is wine jeopardized by nominal, occasional and gradual variations from "perfect" conditions.  Certainly, it's a bad idea to monkey with controls - all that will be accomplished is that you'll change the set point, i.e., the storage temperature.  The equipment isn't going to cool any faster - which would have an adverse impact even if it did.

Food poisoning can be fatal, but when's the last time anyone "adjusted" their kitchen refrigerator's settings or hooked up digital displays and alarm systems?  Groceries are lot more perishable than wine.  Don't get sold on the hi-tech, "pristine environment" nonsense.  A $10 thermometer, located in the middle of your enclosure will assure you that a pretty basic, 'though specialized, piece of refrigeration equipment is properly functioning.

References to "humidity control" are redundant and potentially misleading - any HVAC or refrigeration system "controls" humidity just by the way it functions.  No wine cooling system is going to allow you to "set" the humidity level, relative to the temperature.  They will, on the other hand, maintain such within the optimum window (50% - 75%), with Mother Nature's cooperation.  For very arid environments, supplemental moisture may need to be provided - a humidificaton component, a flower pot full of water or a wet towel.