Rancho Santa Fe Wine Cellar Cooling Unit Issues: Repair or Replace?

Before and After Shots of the Home Wine Cellar That Underwent Renovation in Rancho Santa Fe

Some of our clients in Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego were having repeated, persistent problems with their wine cellar cooling.

• The cooling unit was running non-stop
• It struggled to maintain the proper temperature and humidity
• The unit had to be replaced almost every year
• The owner was getting frustrated!

As a homeowner, having a wine cellar can be a special place to keep a collection of wines with meaningful stories.

It’s crucial to keep the conditions in the cellar just right, but what if you hire a contractor who doesn’t know much about wine preservation? Unfortunately, this can lead to some unpleasant consequences like mold growth, excessive heat, higher electricity bills, and even damage to your wines. One of our clients experienced these issues before turning to us for help to fix the situation.

Does this sound familiar? Have you had issues with your cooling unit and wanted to throw it out the window? After consulting with our team, the owners decided to do a full renovation. Take a look below!

Take a Look at the Importance of Proper Wine Cellar Cooling to Regulate Your Climate-Controlled Wine Room

Fortunately, they called the wine cellar experts at Custom Wine Cellars San Diego. They were able to diagnose the issue and overhaul the wine cellar, transforming it from a major pain in the neck to a beautiful and properly functioning piece of art.

Take a look at this walkthrough video to see exactly what they did –

No Project is Too Big or Too Small for the Custom Wine Cellars Team

In this project, we replaced the racking, insulation, and wine cellar cooling system

Our clients were having problems with the cooling system installed in their wine cellar. Over the last three years, they had already had 2 cooling units installed, both of which had failed. They just hadn’t had any success in efficiently maintaining the temperature within her wine cellar.  

Molds were already growing at the top of her wine cellar. This is a clear indication of unfavorable humidity within the wine cellar. Any wine collector should be alarmed by the possibility of mold formation in his/her wine cellar. Mold growth in your wine cellar will destroy the quality of your wines and can ruin very valuable investments. 

The team decided on a total makeover for the wine cellar to remedy the current state of our client’s wine room. We removed all the existing wine racks and replaced them with our own customized peg racking. We then reconstructed the walls to accommodate the duct system and electrical lines for the new split-type cooling unit. Lastly, we used spray foam insulation between the wine cellar walls to remedy the humidity building upon the wine cellar. 

You have a magnificent wine cellar. Everything seems fine. But then one day, your wine cellar won’t stay cool as it was originally designed to be. So then you start thinking of the possible harm it could do to your wine collection. 

A dysfunctional cooling system in a wine cellar is a bane for all wine cellar owners.

Insulation is a critical component of a well-functioning residential wine cellar

But, repairing or replacing a cooling unit doesn’t have to be that serious of a problem if you have a team of wine cellar cooling experts ready to help. That’s where we come in!

In order to maintain cooling within your wine cellar, you must ensure that your wine room is well insulated. Did you have any insulation application done on your walls? Can temperature outside dissipate through the interior of your wine cellar? These are just some things we’ll help you to consider in our recommendations for the insulation of your wine cellar. 

Is your current cooling system ideal for the design of your wine cellar? Yes, different cooling units work for different wine cellars. What may work for your friend’s wine cellar, may not work for yours.   

With proper research and careful planning, we’ll help you to optimize the insulation and cooling of your wine cellar, whether it’s a brand new space or an existing wine storage space in need of refurbishment. 

Types of Cooling Units

With a beautiful new split system cooling unit installed, this wine cellar finally operates the way it’s supposed to.

There are several types of wine cellar cooling units that fall basically into two general types. What unit to use depends on the size and location of the wine cellar in your home, as well as your preferences on the humidity and temperature of your wines.

Self-contained Cooling Unit 

One type of wine cooling unit is the self-contained cooling unit. Both the condenser and evaporator are enclosed within the unit. It looks similar to your typical window-type air conditioner. The inner part blows cold air throughout the room while hot air is blown outside through its exhaust. This cooling unit produces more noise compared to the split-type cooling unit. 

This cooling unit is appropriate for small wine cellars and for those wine cellars where the exhaust is oriented outside the house or hot air is directed to a utility room in the house.  

Our client previously had this type of cooling for her wine cellar. It didn’t work out for her wine cellar because the area of the wine cellar is just too big for this type of cooling unit. Plus, the insulation system for her wine cellar was insufficient. 

Split Type Wine Cellar Cooling Unit 

There are a lot of cooling system options out there. Make sure you work with the best when it’s time to pick your cooling system!

Another type of wine cellar cooling unit is the split type cooling unit. For this cooling system, the condenser and evaporator are separate units from each other.

This cooling unit is suitable for larger wine cellars. Wine cellars that are located centrally within the house are suitable for this wine cellar cooling system. 

This cooling unit produces minimal to no noise. It costs more than the self-contained cooling unit. But it is worth the money if you’re looking to preserve your vast wine collection. 

Ideal Location of Wine Cellar 

The location of your wine cellar should be away from areas in your home that are prone to sudden temperature fluctuations. Many people think that a kitchen is a perfect place for storing your wines, because of the ease of access. But, contrary to this belief, it might not a good idea due to heat coming off your stove, oven, or microwave that could potentially damage your beloved and expensive wines.  

A closet in your home to contain your collection is one possibility. You may build your wine cellar in a specific location in your house that is away from possible high-temperature areas. 

Is Drywall Enough for the Insulation of a Wine Cellar? 

Such treasures await inside this gorgeous completed wine cellar. Ready to talk to an expert about your own project?

The straightforward answer to this is NO. With changing temperatures throughout the year, condensation within the cavities of your wine cellar walls could cause unwanted humidity throughout the room. Uncontrolled humidity and temperature could spoil your wines. 

For this Rancho Santa Fe project, we applied spray foam insulation within the cavity of the wine cellar walls. This eliminated the likelihood of mold formation in the cellar while preserving the wines in their mint condition. 

A Successful Wine Cellar Cooling Unit Repair Project in Rancho Santa Fe  

Our clients are very happy with the end result of the project. We provided a solution for the ineffective cooling system of her wine cellar. And we created an overall look for the wine cellar that is more elegant than ever. We’re thrilled with the end results, and even more thrilled with our client’s satisfaction. 

Custom Wine Cellars San Diego

Do you have a faulty cooling system in your cellar?   We can replace or repair it to suit your wine cellar’s specific needs. Here at Custom Wine Cellars San Diego, we have experienced and knowledgeable staff ready to cater to your wine cellar needs.

Or perhaps, you want to create your own wine cellar and you want to make sure you install the most suitable cooling unit for it?  

We can do that too. Call us today at (858) 429-9190! Let’s start building that wine cellar for your collection.