Determining the appropriate size for your wine cellar cooling unit may seem straightforward initially, but there are crucial steps to ensure success before diving in. Begin by consulting with a wine storage professional who can provide valuable insights into the feasibility of your desired cellar location. This expert advice is essential before making any purchasing decisions, offering guidance on wine cellar cooling and the necessary preparations for your space.

Wine Cellar Walls Insulation

Assuming you’ve consulted with a wine storage professional and your planned installation is solid, ensure that your cellar is constructed appropriately. Ideally, the cellar should be below ground, and materials like stone, glass, brick, or cement should be avoided due to their poor insulation properties. Optimal insulation involves using ordinary sheetrock walls with 2×4 or 2×6 studs, adequately insulated (typically ranging from R-13 to R-30, depending on wall type and construction)

Installing a vapor barrier is also crucial. Placing a thin layer of plastic sheeting on the warm side of the cellar wall acts as a barrier, preventing moisture migration from the exterior to the interior and vice versa.

Heatload Calculation

Once you’ve ensured the sound construction of your cellar, it’s time to calculate its heat load.

Our heat load calculator form, considers your cellar’s parameters to estimate the heat load – the amount of heat entering your cellar every hour. Given that heat and temperature fluctuations can harm wine. It’s crucial to keep the cellar cool and constant. We measure heat load in British Thermal Units (BTUs) per hour.

The Heatload Form prompts you to input details about your cellar. Such as dimensions, insulation ratings in walls, floor, and ceiling. And the number and dimensions of doors and windows. Using thermodynamic principles and daily cooling unit runtime.  We will provide your results – a four-digit estimated heat load. This number serves as a guide when selecting a cooling unit.

Selecting Your Wine Cooling Unit

After computing the heat load, one more step remains – choosing the right unit for your intended application. WhisperKOOL offers four product families:

1. Self-contained Wine Cooling Units (evaporator and condensing unit share the same housing)
2. Fully ducted self-contained Wine Cooling Systems (fully ducted, installed outside the cellar)
3. Split Wine Cooling System (evaporator in the cellar, condensing unit outside)
4. Fully Ducted Split System (evaporator and condensing unit ducted)

Self-contained units and non-ducted split systems generate noise, making fully ducted systems preferable for a quiet cellar environment. While fully ducted units offer versatile installation options, accessing them for maintenance can be more complex. For assistance in selecting the right unit, contact our helpful sales team at the provided number.

Conclusion

In conclusion, before purchasing a cooling unit, follow these steps:

1. Consult a wine cellar professional.
2. Ensure your cellar construction is complete and sound.
3. Use a heat load calculator to estimate the heat load.
4. Select the correct unit for your desired application.

Completing these steps guarantees the selection of the correctly sized wine cellar cooling unit for your application