The cellar cooling systems are specifically designed to maintain a constant temperature between 55 and 57 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity levels between 50 and 70 percent. Proper humidity levels will keep your corks sufficiently moist and swollen, ensuring a tighter seal while the proper temperature will moderate the aging process of your wine.
Always remember:
• If the humidity is too low, the corks dry out, thus allowing air to drain into the bottle and if oxidation occurs, the wine will surely be ruined.
• If the humidity is too high, you risk mold forming on corks, labels and bottle racks.
• If the temperature is too cold, the wine becomes sluggish and would end up tasting flat rather than fruity and sparkling.
• If the temperature is too high, you risk cooking the wine and aging it prematurely.
Ideally, however, the basement room should be precisely designed and built with the right conditions for these temperature and humidity variables to work.
The wine room
Before installing a wine refrigeration system, make sure the room is sealed against steam and properly insulated.
• All walls and ceilings must be scaled with a vapor barrier on the “warm side” of the walls. 6 or 8 mil plastic sheeting is highly recommended.
• Interior walls must be insulated with a minimum of R-19. We recommend the use of rigid foam board. Also, all cracks should be filled with expansive spray foam.
• All walls have a moisture resistant green board finish.
• Doors must be solid wood and / or insulated and weatherstripping is vital for a tight seal.
• Glass must be double pane with a minimum 1/2 “gap.
• Lighting should be low power.
The cellar refrigeration units
The types and models of cellar refrigeration units are generally chosen based on the size of the room, which is generally measured in cubic feet (length x width x height). Other factors to consider are the location of your cellar and the geographical aspects of your home because they can affect the temperature and humidity of your cellar. Measure the size of the room and then use a thermometer and hygrometer to test the room’s natural temperature and humidity.
Now you can choose the refrigeration system for your cellar based on your results. There are mainly 2 types of cellar refrigeration units.
The former is the relatively more affordable self-contained cooling system. The self-contained cooling system looks a lot like a built-in or wall-mounted air conditioning unit. This system needs to ventilate to an adjacent climate controlled room that is generally the same size or larger than your wine room. The WhisperKool XLT series is an example of a self-contained cooling system.
The second type is the split cooling system. This type of cellar refrigeration unit essentially consists of two separate units, the condensing unit and the evaporating unit. The condenser, which is usually located outside the house, supplies the evaporator with liquid refrigerant through a compressor, which is normally mounted on the wall inside the cellar. The evaporator then cools the air that comes into contact with it, turning the humid air into a liquid, which is then collected outside the cellar.
Split cooling versus autonomous cooling
Stand-alone systems are less expensive and easy to install, but potential downsides include the noise it produces during normal operation and a shorter lifespan (around 5 to 6 years) compared to a split cooling system. The availability of a suitable adjacent room for ventilation can also be a factor, but this could be solved by using air ducts to control where warm air can be vented. One such cellar refrigeration system that uses this method is the Cellarmate self-contained system. Of course, there will be additional costs depending on the circumstances surrounding the installation.
Split systems are useful when it comes to site difficulties or when installation flexibility is needed. On the other hand, your cellar cooling unit costs more than self-contained ones and requires an HVAC professional to install it. Ideally, the two units should be at least 50 feet apart, which in most cases means that the condensing unit should be located outside the home. This means additional costs for the condenser housing, the piping assemblies, and the power source. However, split cellar cooling systems are more durable and last at least a decade longer than self-contained systems.
Both types of climate control systems are popular and the selection of one over the other depends on the current state of your cellar and, of course, on your personal preferences. Just make sure you do everything right and your precious wine collection will turn out fine too.