Cooling units make noise-
Our units are designed to be as efficient as possible, but all cooling units generate noise from the compressor and airflow through the fans. You need to consider the location of the cellar and the cooling unit exhaust, particularly when installing a self-contained unit. If noise in these areas is not acceptable, consider a split or ducted system.

Cooling units run the majority of the time-
The amount of time that any cooling system will operate is dependent on the cellar design, the size of the unit, and the ventilation environment. Because your cellar is comparable to a walk-in refrigerator, the unit will operate as needed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Your unit will run 50% to 70% of the time on average in order to maintain the correct temperature.

Cooling units generate a large amount of heat-
As the unit cools the cellar by absorbing heat from the air, the condenser must reject the heat created during operation. It is critically important that the heat be dissipated effectively from the unit in order to maximize performance. Failure to provide proper ventilation will compromise the wine cellar environment and shorten the lifespan of the cooling unit.

Temperature differential-
This critical specification for a cooling unit plays a major role in its ability to cool your cellar to the desired 55°F for wine storage. The temperature differential is the difference a unit can cool from the area it is exhausting into. For example, a unit with a 30°F temperature differential will only be able to cool a cellar down to 60°F if the exhaust environment is 90°F.

Insulation affects cooling unit performance-
The more insulation you have, the more efficient your cellar will be. Without insulation, your cooling unit will work harder to maintain the proper temperature. This results in a shorter lifespan for the unit. Note: concrete walls are not appropriate for a wine cellar, as they absorb cooling. Your cellar requires framed walls with insulation.

Install a vapor barrier-
Just as you need insulation to help regulate cellar temperature, you must install a vapor barrier to help your cooling unit maintain the proper humidity. Lack of a vapor barrier will result in improper humidity and will compromise the wine storage environment. Consult your local regulations and building ordinances for proper vapor barrier installation.

Redundant cooling systems for high value collections-
If cooling failure occurs for any reason, a redundant system will keep your cellar environment from being compromised. Redundancy can be a second cooling unit, or the home A/C system can be used. A backup generator is a good idea in case of power failure. You should have some kind of contingency plan in place in case of electrical or mechanical failure in the cellar.

Temperature
The wine cellar temperature should stay a constant 55 degrees. The cool temperature helps slow down the aging process of the wine.

The advantage of air sensing temperature probes
Air sensing temperature probes are placed near the air return of the evaporator coil. The probe is attached to the thermostat and provides a measurement of the hottest air in the room. The cooling system can regain normal temperature levels more swiftly with an air sensing probe than with a liquid probe due to air registering temperature change at a faster rate than liquid.

Vibration
Vibrations may increase the chemical breakdown in your wines. Make sure to store your wine far away from vibration.

Humidity
Humidity should stay between 50 – 70%. Lower humidity may dry out corks. Higher humidity could damage labels and promote the growth of mold. In addition, it is good to keep bottles on their sides to prevent the bottle corks from drying out.

Light
Long periods of sunlight and florescent lights can have a harmful affect on wine. Do not keep wine cellar lights on for extensive amounts of time.

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This water is a byproduct of your cooling system stripping excess humidity from the air inside your cellar. This feature was added to protect your collection from the side effects of long-term storage in a high humidity environment.

How CellarCool Systems Manage Cellar Humidity.

The key difference between CellarCool systems and traditional air conditioner units is the maintenance of well-conditioned humidity. Regular air conditioning units are designed to cool as quickly as possible. As a result, humidity is removed below acceptable wine storage levels. CellarCool achieves optimal results by gently cooling the air within your cellar at a slower rate, thus maintaining optimal humidity levels for the long-term storage of fine wines.

Producing Too Much Water?

In high humidity areas (75%-90% relative humidity) of the country, moisture will frequently travel through the walls (especially in underground applications where materials like concrete or cinderblock are used) and enter the cellar. When creating your wine storage area, it is crucial to research your area’s climate to identify potential areas of concern. We suggest maintaining humidity levels near 55% since higher humidity levels can contradict the cooling process and make it harder to maintain temperature.

What Can You Do To Prepare Your Cellar For Humidity?

Vapor Barrier – 

When building your cellar, a vapor barrier is necessary for the efficient cooling of the cellar environment. The barrier acts as a defense to unwanted moisture coming in or escaping out of your wine cellar environment.

Sealing Your Cellar –

Properly sealing your cellar environment will prevent unwanted humidity from leaking into your cellar and causing your unit to expend more of its capacity to work to strip this excess moisture. Areas of concern are as follows: doors, wall joints, and the cellar’s flooring, & ceiling sealing seal. These areas should all be properly sealed with recommended materials.

An Important Note To Keep In Mind.

When a cooling unit strips excess humidity out of the air within the cellar, it is using a percentage of its overall capacity to do that. For example, if your system was rated to run 50% of the time to cool the heat load of the cellar, it will use an additional 10%-20% of its capacity to work to strip the unwanted humidity from the air, when proper humidity prevention methods are not taken. This is extremely important to note when pertaining to the runtime of your system and the amount of liquid drainage from your cooling system.

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Occasionally, the evaporator coil of a wine cellar cooling unit may ice up. This can happen for several reasons.

In self-contained cooling units, a lack of ventilation may be to blame. The unit blows cold air into the room. If this air has no place to circulate (if the front of the unit is blocked or obstructed), the cold air will circulate back into the unit, chilling the coil to lower temperatures. This can trigger the formation of ice on the coil and on other surfaces. Clogged filters can also reduce airflow over the coils.

In split systems, overcharging can be an issue. For example, if the unit is charged with too much refrigerant, the coil will become colder than intended. This can lead to the formation of ice on the coil.

Coil ice can be a severe problem. Ice begets more ice. Eventually, the entire evaporator coil may be encased in a solid block of ice. This can damage the cooling unit. The fan(s) will strain to pull air through the ice-clogged coil and may overheat. The unit may run continuously, never shutting off, straining the compressor and other components, eventually leading to unit failure.

Even if the unit has an automatic shutoff, what follows could also be tragic. When the block of ice melts, water will almost certainly leak out of the unit, potentially damaging the interior of the unit, wine labels, racking, and walls.

Preventing Coil Ice

Customers can help ensure that their self-contained units will not develop ice on their evaporator coils. By ensuring that their unit has at least three feet of clearance on all sides (five feet is ideal), customers can prevent supply air from recirculating. This will go a long way towards preventing coil ice. Adequate ventilation is vital to the correct operation of CellarCool and other HVAC units.

Technicians can also help ensure that split systems and self-contained units do not develop coil ice by not overcharging the system.

Conclusion

To conclude, both poor installation and improper charging procedures can cause coil ice to form. To prevent damage to your unit and wine cellar, make sure your self-contained unit has adequate ventilation. Decorative grilles and other objects can obstruct airflow and cause ice to form on the evaporator coil. For split systems, make sure that the unit is not overcharged. Charging charts are included with the condensing units of each CellarCool split system. These charts explain how to properly charge CellarCool split systems. Adherence to these charts should prevent overcharging issues.

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But some people are unaware of the thermodynamic properties of glass. Especially compared to traditional construction materials like drywall, wooden studs, insulation, and a proper vapor barrier.

Glass vs. Traditional Cellar Construction

Traditionally, wine cellars were below-ground, built into hillsides or beneath structures. For much of the modern era, home wine cellars were ordinary rooms in people’s houses. These rooms have extra insulation and vapor barriers. The door is made of solid wood and includes weatherstripping (including a bottom “sweep”). The walls are made of drywall or plaster and contain heavy-duty insulation to keep the temperature in the cellar as constant as possible. The vapor barrier prevents water vapor from entering or leaving the cellar. This keeps the wine corks moist and prevents them from cracking.

The current trend in interior design (and, consequently, wine cellar construction) is “modern industrial.” The modern industrial design trend, according to Wikipedia, is “an aesthetic trend in interior design that takes clues from old factories and industrial spaces that in recent years have been converted to lofts and other living spaces.” Metal (such as brushed aluminum) figures prominently in modern industrial design. And so does glass.

The current trend in wine cellar construction is to place the wine cellar in a central area of the home, usually in the living or dining area. It’s becoming more and more popular to furnish the wine cellar with glass doors and walls. Many modern wine cellars, for example, have three glass walls and one normal wall. Metal rails and pegs secure the wine bottles to the conventional wall. The glass allows passers-by to view the wine from virtually any angle.

The Problem with a Glass Wine Cellar

Unfortunately, glass is not an ideal construction material for wine cellars. First of all, it conducts heat far better than insulated drywall. When you build a wine cellar, what you must remember is that you’re not just building another air-conditioned room. You’re building a walk-in refrigerator. A glass cellar will require a much more powerful cooling unit to keep the space cool.

Second, glass wine cellars frequently do not include weather stripping on the door. As a result, heat and moisture leak into the cellar at a far greater rate than it ordinarily would in a traditional cellar with weather stripping on the door.

Our Recommendation

CellarCool recommends traditional drywall construction with 2×4 or 2×6 studs. Insulation should be a minimum of R-17 for interior walls and R-30 for ceilings and exterior walls. The cellar must have an adequate vapor barrier to prevent water vapor migration in and out of the cellar, and the door must have weather stripping, including a bottom sweep.

If glass must be used in the wine cellar’s construction, we strongly recommend caution. The glass should be dual-paned insulated glass. The door, even if made of glass, should still have weather stripping, including the bottom sweep. This will help prevent heat from entering the cellar and help keep moisture levels within the cellar relatively constant. Cellar owners and contractors should take care to compensate for the poor insulating properties of glass by judiciously upsizing the cooling unit they select.!

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Selecting the proper system based on the recommended BTU rating for runtime will have by far the most significant effect on your cooling system’s longevity. Unlike any other appliance you may own, your cellar cooling system will operate regularly throughout the day. These cooling cycles are necessary to keep your wine at the optimal storage temperature.

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What is a bottle probe?

The CellarCool bottle probe is a slim metal rod that fits into a wine bottle filled with water. Inside this metal rod is a temperature sensor. The sensor is connected by a cord to your CellarCool unit. The sensor detects the temperature of the water in the wine bottle and relays it to the controller in your CellarCool unit. When the water in the wine bottle reaches a certain temperature above the setpoint, the controller will then call for cooling and the unit will turn on and cool the room.

The bottle probe differs from an air temperature sensor in one key respect: it measures the liquid temperature in your wine cellar rather than the air temperature.

Disadvantages of air temperature sensors

The simple truth is that air temperature sensors do not give a clear picture of the temperature of the wine. Since they measure air temperature instead of liquid temperature, the unit will turn on or turn off based on the air temperature of the cellar and not the actual temperature of the wine. Moreover, air temperature changes faster than liquid temperature. This can result in your cooling unit turning off and on more frequently than it needs to, which shortens its operational lifespan.

Advantages of bottle probes

The bottle probe, as we’ve seen, measures liquid temperature, not air temperature. By measuring liquid temperature instead of air temperature, the bottle probe provides a more accurate reading of the temperature of the wines in your cellar. It also tells the unit to turn on only when it needs to. With a bottle probe, the unit is actually cooling the wine and not the cellar air. Overall, this causes your unit to run less and last longer.

Using a CellarCool controller vs. a 24-volt Thermostat

Fortunately, you don’t have to limit yourself in regards to the type of thermostat you’d like to use in your wine cellar.CellarCool offers you a choice. You can use our standard thermostat with our bottle probe, or you can opt for a 24-volt thermostat conversion kit. This allows you to buy a 24-volt thermostat conversion kit as an add-on to your purchase. (Recently, we began offering the 24-volt thermostat conversion kit as an aftermarket upgrade for select units as well.)

After purchasing a 24-volt thermostat conversion kit, customers can then select the 24-volt thermostat of their choice (not sold by CellarCool). Our conversion kit is compatible with 24-volt thermostats from all major sellers: Honeywell, Nest, EcoBee, etc. Customers may choose to use conventional 24-volt thermostats or “smart” 24-volt thermostats that can connect to WiFi networks and which can send updates to mobile devices. The 24-volt thermostat conversion kit uses an air temperature sensor; you will not need the CellarCool bottle probe.

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The Ultimate Plus Series is a large, self-contained, fully ducted unit. A Self-contained system means that the two essential parts of a wine cellar cooling unit—the evaporator unit and the condensing unit—share a single housing. (Split systems, on the other hand, separate the condensing unit and evaporator unit.) Many self-contained units mount through a wall, with the evaporator side venting cool air into the wine cellar and the condenser side venting hot exhaust air into an adjacent room such as a utility room.

The Ultimate Plus, on the other hand, is also fully ducted. Fully ducted units do not mount inside the cellar. They can be mounted anywhere within 25 duct feet of the cellar. The cool evaporator air will be ducted into the cellar, and the hot exhaust air from the condenser will be ducted elsewhere, usually outside via exterior vents.

Features of the CellarCool Ultimate Plus Series

The first and most obvious benefit of a fully ducted self-contained unit is the ducting options. The Ultimate Plus Series is unique, as technicians can run the ducting from the top or side of these units.

Other features of the Ultimate Plus unit includes:

– Remote KDT Plus controller: This flat-panel digital control mounts outside the cellar, allowing you to monitor the temperature of your cellar and control your Ultimate Plus cooling unit without needing to step inside.

– Compatibility with 24-volt thermostat conversion kit: Our 24-volt conversion kit is available as an add-on at the time of purchase with Ultimate Plus units. This kit replaces the Ultimate Plus Series bottle probe and KDT Plus controller. The customer will need to select and purchase a 24-volt thermostat of their choice to control their unit. A smart thermostat such as Nest, Ecobee, or Honeywell may be selected.

– Corrosion-resistant drip tray: Ultimate Plus Series units have stainless steel drip trays that resist corrosion. Pan tabs are also available on select units to prevent the build-up of microbial growth and mold.

Benefits of Fully Ducted Self-Contained Units

The main advantage of fully ducted self-contained wine cellar cooling systems is flexibility. These units offer more flexible installation options than non-ducted self-contained units. If you have limited cellar space and require a powerful cooling unit, the Ultimate Plus is an excellent choice. The Ultimate Plus unit works well when installed in an attic or an adjacent utility room. From there, ducts carry the cool air into the room. Ducts also move the hot exhaust air to a safe location. The Ultimate Plus Series’ blower orientations ensure that your installing technician will have numerous installation options.

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NOTE: Accessibility varies depending on the type of CellarCool unit you have. The following information pertains to split systems. For self-contained systems, HVAC technicians will be able to clean the drain line, coils, and/or filters and visually inspect components such as fans.

When an HVAC technician inspects your unit, he or she will:

1. Clean.

The HVAC technician will perform a comprehensive cleaning of the unit. This is especially important for split systems, as only qualified HVAC-R technicians (the “R” stands for “refrigeration”) can take the system’s housing off under warranty. The technician will clean and/or replace any filters in the ducting or in the unit itself. He or she will also clean the evaporator and condenser coils. The technician will clean the drip tray (removing any mold or bacterial build-up) and the drain line (removing any vermin- or mold-related clogs). Finally, the HVAC technician will wipe down the evaporator unit and condensing unit.

2. Test.

The technician will perform two kinds of functionality tests on your CellarCool ystem. The first is a “control functionality test.” This test ensures the controller is working properly. The technician will turn the controller on and off and attempt to temporarily readjust the set point. This will ensure that the controller responds properly and instructs the unit to begin cooling the cellar when it senses a preset temperature change. The second is a condensing unit functionality test. The technician will test the system to ensure the condensing unit and its various components are functioning properly.

3. Inspect.

The line set is the copper tubes that transfer refrigerant between the condensing unit and the evaporator unit. The technician will inspect this line set to ensure that it’s not leaking and that it’s properly insulated. He or she will also inspect all wires and wiring connections to make sure they’re sound. Finally, the HVAC technician will check the sight glass to ensure the refrigerant levels are where they should be. If necessary, the technician will top off the cooling unit’s refrigerant charge.

Some of the problems this annual inspection may catch and/or prevent include:

1. Drainage issues: When inspecting the unit, an HVAC technician will pay special attention to the drip tray and drain line. Ensuring these are kept clean and clear of obstructions will prevent water damage to your unit and your wine cellar.

2. Unit failures: Regular inspections ensure that operational problems are caught in time. For example, if the cooling fan on the condensing unit burns out, this will eventually cause the compressor to burn out. Annual inspections can help HVAC technicians catch these small problems before they cause premature failure of the unit. The technician will also check the integrity of all wiring.

3. Loss of cooling capacity: By thoroughly cleaning the coils, the technician will ensure your cooling unit’s maximum efficiency and longevity. Dust on the coils and clogged filters will prevent the unit from cooling your cellar to the desired temperature. Regular inspections and cleanings help to alleviate these problems.

Long story short, it’s essential to have your cooling unit regularly inspected by a qualified HVAC-R technician. The technician will be able to clean and perform routine maintenance upon the unit. He or she can also top off refrigerant charge and catch potentially serious issues before they become a problem.

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