Tag Archives: wine cellar cooling

Advantages of Using Ducted Wine Cellar Cooling Units

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In order to maintain the desired temperature and humidity levels in your wine cellar, you need to install a wine cellar refrigeration unit.  These units are designed to control the climate in your wine storage room to make sure that your selection of fine wines mature at optimal conditions.  A wine cellar cooling unit keeps temperature between 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, and humidity between 60% to 70%.  Without the presence of a cooling system in your wine cellar, there’s a great chance that the quality of your wines will deteriorate due to exposure to fluctuating conditions.

When choosing a cooling unit for your wine cellar, you need to take into account the size of your storage room, as well as the number of wine bottles in your inventory.  A larger wine cellar would require a unit that has a powerful cooling capacity in order to control the climate.  There are various types of wine cellar cooling systems available on the market, which can make the selection process a little difficult.  Familiarizing yourself with the different features of each wine cellar cooling unit, as well as taking into consideration the size of your wine cellar and inventory, will help you narrow down your choices.

Wine cellar refrigeration units are classified into two:  self-contained and split systems.  They can either be ducted or non-ducted.  Each cooling unit consists of an evaporator and condenser.  Keep in mind that the condenser is the part of your cooling unit that generates noise and requires ample space for ventilation.  Each unit may vary in terms of features, price, and size, but all are capable of regulating temperature and humidity levels in your wine cellar nevertheless.

If you want to make the most out of your money, you can go for ducted wine cellar cooling units.  A ducted unit for wine cellar cooling helps reduce noise and vibration inside your wine storage room because they are installed away from the wine cellar.  You can mount a ducted wine cellar cooling unit in a remote location in your home, such as the basement, attic, or an adjacent utility room.  Cool air is introduced into your wine storage room through ductwork and heat is exhausted in the same manner.

Ducted Wine Cellar Cooling Units - High Static Series

Ducted Wine Cellar Cooling Units – High Static Series

Single ducted units contain both a condenser and an evaporator.  In a split ducted unit, the evaporator and condenser are housed separately.   These units reduce the level of noise and vibration in your wine storage room because they are ducted away from the wine cellar.  Installing a ducted wine cellar cooling unit is an advantage because it does not take up space and it generates less noise and vibration.  It nurtures your wine collection by stabilizing the climate and it also provides a quiet environment.

These cooling units also come with electronic controls and digital displays that allow you to monitor the climate from the outside.  It is worth noting that your wine cellar should be properly insulated so that your wine cellar refrigeration unit can do its job efficiently.  Vapor barriers should also be installed on the warm side of the cellar walls to prevent moisture infiltration.

Coastal Custom Wine Cellars is one of the best wine cellar builders in the industry and we partnered with them in providing the best wine cellar cooling equipment for wine cellars. You can check out their webpage that talks about our wine cellar cooling units at this link http://www.winecellarsbycoastal.com/uscellars-wine-cellar-refrigeration-units.aspx.

You can also view some of their custom wine cellar projects where they have installed our various lines of wine cellar cooling systems.

Give Your Wines Optimum Care with the Right Wine Cellar Cooling System

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Wine tastes better when aged with the appropriate wine cellar cooling system. If you are a wine collector, it is essential to invest in a reliable wine cooling unit that will help preserve your finest wines properly.

Reliable Wine Cooling Unit

Preserve Your Wines with a Reliable Wine Cellar Cooling System

The main function of a wine cooling system is to protect wines from external factors such as temperature and humidity, thus it is the most important feature in a wine cellar. When choosing a wine cellar cooling system, there are certain factors that must be taken into account.

Through the Wall Wine Cellar Cooling System

Through-the-wall wine cellar cooling system is ideal for small wine cellars.

The space of your wine storage room or wine cellar must be determined before buying a wine cellar cooling unit. You can buy an economical cooling system if you have a small space without compromising quality. A through-the-wall, self-contained cooling system is best for small cellars.

In addition to your wine cellar space, the quality of the wine cellar cooling system must be prioritized. A wine cooling unit must be built with components that meet reliability and safety standards.

It should provide the right environmental conditions in your wine cellar for the graceful aging of your precious wines. The temperature in a wine cellar must be maintained between 55-57 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity levels must range from 50 -70 percent.

Safety features include timers, which are used to prevent short-cycling of the unit. To protect the compressor, the cooling unit should also feature high and low refrigerant switches.

Many wine collectors also prefer a quiet cooling system, so as not to disturb their home’s ambiance. Many manufacturers are creating quiet cooling systems to meet their clients’ needs.

The condenser of a split wine cooling system can be placed outside, thus reducing noise in your wine cellar. Through-the-wall systems are noisy, because they require mechanical equipment that needs to be placed inside the wine storage room.

Split Wine Cellar Cooling System

Split Wine Cooling System reduces noise in your wine cellar.

You can save extra money if you use a cooling system that is flexible and easy to install. Self-contained through-the-wall units can be installed without much difficulty, while split systems require a professional for proper installation, which will cost you more money.

Before the installation process of the cooling system, it is important to ensure that your wine cellar has the proper seal, insulation and vapor-barrier. You wine cellar door will affect the performance of your cooling system, so it is important that you choose a high-quality door with proper doorjamb, bottom sweep or threshold to ensure that it is properly sealed. An improper door seal will keep your cooling unit running, thus increasing energy consumption.

Wine Cellar Door

Your wine cellar door will affect the performance of your wine cooling system.

You invested a good amount of money for your wine collection so it is a good idea to protect them with a reliable and high-end wine cellar cooling system. This will help your wines age well and protect their desirable characteristics.

Proper Sizing of a Wine Cellar Cooling System is Critical to its Efficiency and Longevity

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Take Me Straight to the Wine Cellar Cooling System - Heat Load Survey Form

Take Me Straight to the Wine Cellar Cooling System – Heat Load Survey Form

Most wine cellar cooling systems companies offer only a few sizes of wine cellar refrigeration units. These are often matched to a sizing standard of cubic feet. A very useful starting point when determining the volume to be a climate controlled wine storage area. However, this does not include ANY details specific to the Custom Wine Cellar.

The cubic feet method assumes basic standards in construction, usage, and operation. It assumes minimal insulation is used. Not more or NONE. That is generally the only consideration included. It does not account for many very common variables that can be incorporated into a Custom Wine Cellar which are calculated when using an actual heat load survey.

What are these variables that affect a wine cellar cooling systems choice and why are they important?

– Glass

Windows, doors, or walls are NOT considered when sizing by cubic feet.

Any glass in a Wine Cellar or Wine Cabinet is hugely important to compensate for when sizing. The insulation value of dual pane glass is ~R2. This allows a good deal of the cooling to be transferred through the glass. Increasing the amount of equipment required to keep the temperature stable. If it is not considered and smaller equipment is used the chance it will keep up with the needs of the space are slight. However, it is very likely that the equipment will run all the time. This will cause additional problems of very low humidity, extremely high cost of operation, or premature equipment failure not covered by the warranty.

Single pane glass should be avoided like the plague! The slightest leak in a door seal can cause your beautiful cellar to look more like a restaurant pie case. When the cold and warm air mix the water vapor instantly condenses to water droplets. This causes a ‘fog’ on the glass and can eventually lead to staining of the surrounding areas if left unattended. It is not the fault of the equipment and cannot be compensated for. It is a construction issue.

– Insulation

R value, above or below grade, ambient temperature all makes a difference.

Cubic feet estimates R11 insulation as the only factor in the equation. Obviously if there is no insulation to be used this estimate will be wrong. No company ever suggests it is acceptable to use no insulation in a Wine Cellar. Just the same it happens all the time. If a wine room like this is insisted upon by the client, even against better judgment, at least plan for it. Just the same as underestimating glass a larger system will be required or there will be problems.

On the other hand, if more insulation is being used a smaller system may be recommended. This is especially true if the Wine Cellar is to be below grade. Ground temperatures tend to be considerably lower than normal “ambient temperatures” or the conditioned air surrounding the cellar. Therefore much less equipment is required to maintain a stable temperature.

Over-sizing can create problems of a different kind. If the refrigeration system is too large it will only need to run a fraction of the time it should to keep temperature. This may sound great at first but it is not. Commonly known as “short-cycling” will damage the equipment causing failures that may not be protected under the warranty. In addition, the equipment running a predetermined cycle is how the humidity is balanced in the room. If the equipment runs too little the wine cellar’s humidity will increase. Condensation could occur especially if there are defects in the construction. If left alone labels could fall off bottles, water staining wood surfaces, and mildew and/or mold will grow.

– Lighting

Type, # of fixtures, hours used impact the heat of the Wine Cellar.

It used to be quite common to use can lights in a Wine Cellar. Anyone who has ever changed a light bulb knows lights can get very hot, pretty quickly. Imagine you intend to leave these on so you can show off your beautiful Custom Wine Cellar at a summer dinner party lasting several hours. Maybe you just want to leave it on to enjoy it yourself for a few hours each evening after a hard day’s work. Now think of that heat that the refrigeration has to overcome. This is another question in the heat load survey that should be answered as accurately as possible.

If in doubt USE LED LIGHTING! It produces so little heat it does not need calculated into the heat load. Modern LED lighting is now available in many designs, colors, and shapes. It does not have to look like a disco or a Christmas tree. Bulbs can fit in standard fixtures and even work with dimmers or remotes.

– Set Point

Activity, recovery and thermal mass are all things to consider when committing to a “Set Point” temperature for a Wine Cellar.

It is agreed by most experts that 55f is the ideal temperature to store wine, red or white. Both are SERVED at different temperatures. White wines or champagnes should be served preferably below 45f and reds at room temperature. Long term storage warmer than this can accelerate or damage the aging process, colder can slow or even stop it.

Wine Cellar Cooling Systems – Whites Wines & Champagnes

Some Wine Cabinets are designed with the intention of using a serving temperature for whites and champagnes. This would not be allowable with a cubic feet estimate alone. Especially since most Wine Display Cases like this are primarily glass and in hospitality locations. In a restaurant it is very possible that during peak hours the doors will be opened many times per hour. This requires a careful choice of which system is best suited to improve the recovery time and bring the Wine Storage Unit back to normal temperature.

Wine Cellar Cooling Systems – Thermal Mass

Thermal mass describes the temperature of the liquid within the bottles, cases, or even barrels stored in a Cellar. Thermal mass adjusts about 75% more slowly than air temperature does. If there is a lot of room temperature wine loaded into a cellar at one time it is perfectly normal to take up to several hours for the refrigeration to gently bring the temperature to where it is set. Once that is achieved the thermal mass reacts to changes slowly and will assist the stabilization in the room. The equipment will return to normal operation. Setting the thermostat to go colder WILL NOT make it go FASTER. It will put unnecessary stress on the equipment especially if a lower set point was not used in the heat load survey.

Sudden and drastic changes to the temperature of wine are far more detrimental than having it too cold or too warm for a short while.

– Additional features

Refrigerators, TV, Electronics, Fireplaces

Many designers like to add unique features to custom cellar designs. It is important to note that all appliances and electronics give off heat. These things should be considered carefully and are strongly discouraged.

H2: The USCS Heat Load Survey Form

Click here to go to the USCS Heat Load Survey Form. This information should be collected as accurately as possible and sent to us for a free load calculation and estimate. It will help us provide to you the correct equipment options for each unique design.

It will save you the money, time, and aggravation of improperly sized equipment.

Wine Cellar Cooling Units – How Do They Prevent Mold Growth?

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Mold growth in wine cellars? That is a big no-no.

Wine cellars typically have a cool and dark environment, a condition that molds love as it favors their growth.

Molds rapidly grow in moist environments, most especially indoors, and they create a foul odor within their surroundings.  In wine cellars, they commonly thrive on carpets, wooden fixtures, ceilings and even on wine labels.

Wine cellars must maintain an environment which is ideal for the optimum aging of wines. Environmental factors such as temperature, lighting and humidity are the most important considerations in building and maintaining wine cellars.

Among the three factors, humidity has the most major influence on mold growth. This means that humidity must be controlled to prevent molds from accumulating inside the wine cellar.

Humidity levels must be maintained at 60-75%, an ideal range for optimum wine aging and best to prevent mold growth as well. If humidity goes too high the moisture will peak as well, and this can trigger the growth of molds. If humidity goes too low, the cork may be damaged which can lead to air entering the bottle and cause oxidative changes to wine.

Thus the relative humidity must not fluctuate beyond these levels in order to ensure that your wines, wine labels and wine cellar furniture and accessories are well protected.

This is one of the reasons wine cellar cooling units are critical for every wine cellar. The type of wine cellar cooling unit that you choose for your wine cellar must be able to constantly maintain the ideal humidity levels.

Here at US Cellar Systems, we offer wine cellar refrigeration systems that are highly efficient in creating an environment that favors proper wine aging while simultaneously preventing the growth of molds. Our wine cellar cooling units are designed to complement the style of every wine cellar and function with high efficiency to ensure that your wines are well protected from different environmental factors.

Consider, for example, our High Static Series Wine Cellars Cooling Units.

High Static Wine Cellar Coolers

High Static Series Wine Cellar Cooling Units

 

It is featured with a factory installed automatic expansion valve that ensures humidity balance. Humidity balance is one of the most important features to look for when planning to purchase a wine cellar cooling system for your residential wine cellar or commercial wine storage.

To check out other wine cellar refrigeration systems with this kind of feature, visit these sites:

http://www.winecellarrefrigerationsystems.com/dq-wine-cellar-cooling-unit-spec.aspx

Wine Cellar Cooling Units – How To Choose The Best

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Wine is a beverage that needs to be stored properly if you want to enjoy it at its best. Wine needs to be stored in ideal conditions with minimal fluctuations so that it can age tastefully. Besides a well-built custom wine cellar, you need a quality wine cellar cooling unit in order to achieve these ideal conditions. By making sure that your wine storage conditions are well-controlled, you can be sure that your wines will age properly so that you and your family and friends can enjoy them at their best.

There are lots of wine cellar cooling units available on the market. The challenge is finding the right one for you. In this post, you will learn a few of the qualities to look for when purchasing a wine cellar cooling unit.

Capacity To Cool Your Wine Room
When choosing a wine cellar unit that can effectively cool your wine cellar, it is important to consider the size of your wine storage room. The size of your cellar cooling unit is dependent on many factors including the size of the wine room. If you have a large room for instance, you will need a unit with a larger compressor and more BTUs. A cooling unit needs to be more powerful in order to properly cool a large room. Remember the ideal temperature for wine storage is 55 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit.

No matter how capable the wine cellar cooling unit is in cooling your wine storage room, there are other factors that can affect the temperature in the room. Other factors include such things as the way the room was insulated. If the storage room is not properly insulated, the temperature will never be kept within the ideal range all the time. Therefore the custom wine cellar should be properly insulated and ideally have a good vapor barrier in order to keep excess heat or cold out of the room.

Capacity To Control Humidity Effectively
Temperature is only one of the many variables that need to be controlled effectively in order for wine to be stored properly. Another variable that a good wine cellar refrigeration unit should be able to regulate is the humidity. The ideal humidity for proper wine storage is between 60% to 70%.

If the humidity is too high in the wine cellar room, wine corks will have the tendency to mold and this can lead to contamination of the wine inside the bottle. On the other hand, too little humidity can lead to wine cork shrinkage. If the wine cork shrinks, air can get into the bottle and spoil the wine inside.

Other Features Are A Bonus
Even if you live in California, once your wine cellar cooling unit is installed, you will want to be able to check the temperature and humidity inside the room. It’s not a good idea to constantly open the wine cellar room because this can cause fluctuations in the temperature and humidity levels. It would be a bonus if the cooling unit you buy has an accessory wherein you can check the temperature and humidity levels from outside the wine cellar room.

Another good feature would be something that would allow you to change or adjust the temperature and humidity settings from outside the custom wine cellar.

Wine Cellar Cooling | About Lighting, Temperature & Humidity

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“Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.” – Andre Simon, “Commonsense of Wine”

 

“A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine.” – Anthelme Brillat Savarin

 

How important or special to you is wine? How do you value wines? What do you do to protect your own collection of wines?

Wine is treated by many not just as a beverage but something that has been part of their lives, may it be in times of happiness or in times of sorrow. That is how important wine is for us here at US Cellars Systems – we treat them as precious possessions that can make a significant impact in a person’s life.

Preserving your wines, protecting them from the harmful effects of certain environmental factors and providing them the best storage conditions possible are some of the ways of pampering them, just like pampering your favorite pet.

So what can you do to provide nothing but the best for your wines?

There are actually different requirements for you to be able to preserve your wines and let them age to perfection. There’s lighting, temperature, humidity, insulation and a lot more.

 

The Right Lighting 

Direct exposure to sunlight, UV light or incandescent light can lead to possible wine faults.  In order to protect the wine from harmful rays, they are bottled in darkly tinted wine bottles.  Another way of protecting your wine collection is by storing them in dark environments which can be provided by wine coolers, wine cabinets, and wine cellars.  Wines are also stored in boxes or crates to shield them from direct light.

 

The Right Humidity 

Humidity is responsible for keeping the cork from drying out.  When the cork starts to dry out, it causes oxygen to seep through into the bottle which eventually leads to wine spoilage.  Wine bottles should be stored in an environment that maintains a 70% humidity level which is considered to be ideal.

Excessive wine cellar humidity can contribute to mold growth. Although mildew will not affect the contents of the wine bottle, it can do considerable damage to the label.  This should not be much of an issue unless you intend to resell your bottle of wine.   Conversely, if the wine cellar humidity level is too low, it runs the risk of the cork drying out.

There are useful instruments that can help determine the level of humidity.  A hygrometer or humidity sensor can provide an accurate reading of humidity in your storage environment.

One of the surest ways to maintain the ideal wine cellar humidity is with the use of a wine cellar cooling system, particularly the type which has a humidity control system.

 

The Right Temperature 

The most important of all external factors in wine storage is temperature.  Wine is easily influenced by fluctuations in temperature.   Wine bottles should be stored in an environment that maintains a temperature within the 55 – 60°F range which is considered to be the ideal temperature for storing and aging.

If exposed to too high a temperature, it can hasten the aging process of the wine and even give your wine a ‘cooked’ flavor.  If exposed to a wine cellar temperature that is too low, it can lead to a variety of wine faults one of which is stopping the aging process altogether.

Our wine cellar cooling systems come in different styles and specifications that can meet your wine storage requirements and most importantly, maintain the ideal wine cellar temperature.

 

Take a look at these products:

Rack Mounted Wine Cellar Refrigeration Units

Rack Mounted Wine Cellar Refrigeration Unit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vertical Rack Mounted Wine Cellar Refrigeration Units

Vertical Rack Mount Wine Cellar Cooling Units

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other External Factors

 

Aside from the three aforementioned external influences, vibration and odor can also affect the overall condition of your wine.

Vibration is said to expedite the aging process along with stirring up the sediments at the bottom of the bottle  creating the most adverse effects to your wine collection. Therefore it is highly recommended that you store your wines in areas free of vibratory motion.

Here at US Cellar Systems, we know that noise can produce vibration, and this inspired us to create virtually quiet wine cellar cooling units such as our Low Profile Quiet Wine Cellar Cooling Units.

Due to the porous nature of the cork, wine is susceptible to natural agents, particularly air, which is why making sure your storage area is free from strong smells is so important. Odor can also have damaging effects on those wine bottles that you have opened and resealed especially when placed in confined spaces with little ventilation.  With this in mind, it is imperative that you store your wine collection in areas that is clear of food, chemical, and household odors.

The orientation of the bottle must also be taken into consideration when you talk about proper wine storage.  Although there are certain wines that age better when kept upright, Champagnes and sparkling wines for instance, most wine bottles are stored on  their side allowing the cork to stay moist as it maintains contact with the wine.

 

Take a look at our wine cellar cooling systems and tell us which one interests you the most and why.

 

Contact us here.

Updated Trade Discount Pricing Wine Cellar Cooling & Refrigeration Units

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Updated Discounts for Volume Dealers, Trade and HVAC Contractors. Changes across the board, MSRP’s and Costs for April – May 2012.

We are trade only innovative wine cellar refrigeration suppliers providing Wine Cellar Builders with highly configurable cooling equipment for custom wine cellars, commercial wine displays and cabinets.

Our pricing is volume based and highly competitive. Get your copy of the latest TRADE ONLY pricing catalogue today. Simply call +1 (562) 513-3017 or complete a contact request form.

Wine Cellar Cooling Trade Pricing

While a few products have increased in price we would like to thank our regular trade partners for an excellent year in 2011 and pass on some of our new lower rates which we were able to negotiate due to increased sales volumes.

In particular we have been able to create better trade prices for our HS (High Static) cooling units & LPQ (Low Profile Quiet) cooling system, CC Cabinet & Closet Wine Cooling Units, three of our highest volume sellers for 2011.

Call us today and get the latest TRADE ONLY Discount Pricing.