Are you an enthusiastic wine collector or looking to start a wine collection? If so, you need to ensure that your wine is stored in the right conditions to help it age tastefully and protect it from damage.
The best way of achieving these ideal conditions for storing wine is by investing in a wine cellar cooling unit, which does an excellent job of maintaining the proper humidity and temperature levels. This way, you can safeguard the quality of your wine.
But, your search for a wine cellar cooling unit won’t be a walk in the park due to the many available choices. Because of this, knowing which one is an ideal choice is usually a confusing and overwhelming task. If you’re struggling to identify a perfect pick, here are helpful tips to ease your decision-making:
Table of Contents
1. Understand The Different Kinds Of Cooling Systems
Before buying a wine cellar cooling system, you also need to know the different types available to choose from, and these include:
Through The Wall Cooling Units
A through the wall cooling unit is also referred to as a self-contained or no-ducted system. It’s the most convenient and affordable cooling unit, with built-in humidity and temperature control. This self-contained wine cellar cooling system is simplistic, and easy to install and maintain. With a through the wall unit, you get a budget cellar cooling option, without needing any ducting or an HVAC to install it.
Ideally, this type of wine cellar cooling system should be used in a tiny room and wine cabinets because it’s a standalone. This cooling system needs adequate ventilation to ensure the cellar reaches the desired temperatures for optimal functioning.
“Through the Wall Unit from WineCellarHq.com”
Ducted Systems
Such systems come integrated with a condenser and evaporator in your house’s exterior. They also have ducting that conveys the cooled air inside your wine cellar. This means this type of system is very silent while running, and it doesn’t vent or handle hot air or exhaust.
The ducted cooling system is perfect for use if you have a huge wine cellar and are a wine enthusiast who doesn’t want a piece of ugly equipment inside your cellar.
The downside with this cooling system is that its installation isn’t straightforward, so you’ll need to hire a professional HVAC contractor. Its high installation cost, alongside its high price, makes it the costliest wine cellar cooling unit.
Ductless Split Systems
You should get this type of cooling unit when storing your wine in a cellar without enough ventilation because it features a detached condensing unit and fan coils. The compressor, coil, and fan are positioned either in the room next to the wine cellar, or outside while the evaporator coil is inside the cellar. These two separate parts are linked by copper piping, which is often concealed through which air enters the cellar.
2. Size Of Unit
The wine cellar’s size is one of the main considerations to factor in when shopping for one. Usually, its size is mostly linked to the generic cellar volumes. But, other than this, other factors also do determine its size, including:
- Type of cellular insulation
- Ambient temperature in the wine cellar’s exterior
- If it’s a commercial or residential cellar
- The ducting length
When shopping for a wine cellar, you need to look for one that makes the most use of the available space. With this in mind, you’ll know whether to invest in a through-the-wall cooling unit or find an area where you can place your wine cellar to safeguard it from the elements.
Examining the thermal load is a helpful technique to help you pinpoint the perfect size of your wine cellar cooling unit. The cellar’s thermal load refers to how much energy is required to cool a particular space to attain the desired temperature and humidity within one hour. Thermal load is usually measured in British thermal unit (BTU). With a clear idea of how much thermal load your wine cellar requires, you’re better placed to choose a suitable size for cooling your wine.
3. Noise Level
Wine cellar cooling units typically produce some noise while running. This is especially due to the fans and compressors, more so when distributing heat. While this is normal, the last thing you want is the noise to be too loud, such that it disrupts your home’s tranquility. And, without peace of mind, you certainly won’t enjoy your wine collection, which is something an avid wine collector doesn’t want to experience.
Knowing this, you should prioritize buying a wine cellar cooling unit that produces minimal noise while running, without compromising its efficiency. The best option to get if you want the least noise is the ducted or split system that comes with its loud, hot-exhaust emitting part placed in a separate location. However, these systems are much expensive to install. If you have a self-contained system with parts in one unit, you shouldn’t position it so close to your home.
You should also check out cellar cooling systems from different manufacturers because some have more advanced technology to limit noise and vibration levels. This is possible thanks to advanced absorption technology that eliminates any vibration altogether, and doesn’t feature any compressor. Too much vibration can destroy your wine collection, so you shouldn’t take this decision lightly.
4. Ease Of Repair
Buying a cellar cooling unit is a considerable investment, but is worth it as it ensures the tasteful aging of your wine. Therefore, you want this equipment to serve you for as long as possible. But, like any other machine, the wine cellar cooling unit is prone to malfunctioning at some point. Because of this, it’s best to buy a wine cellar cooling unit that isn’t hard to repair or maintain, should any issue arise in the future. This will help reduce how much money you spend on repairing or replacing the damaged components.
Takeaway
It’s a known fact that a wine cooler helps store your wine in the best conditions possible. However, not everything that’s available on the market is of excellent quality, nor can meet your unique preferences.
Therefore, you shouldn’t make a rash decision and pick just any random wine cellar cooling unit. Instead, you should take your time to do exhaustive research to avoid buying the wrong cellar cooling unit, thereby wasting money and time, and getting frustrated in the process. This guide helps you prevent this by detailing useful tips you need to consider when shopping for a wine cellar cooling unit.
