We get tons of calls from customers, contractors and HVAC/R technicians asking what to do about the condensate drain line - where to put it, whether to use a self-contained evaporator or a pump, or if they should build a drain specifically for the drain line. 

The reason for the calls is that they have experienced massive amounts of moisture and condensation generated by our competitors’ refrigeration equipment, and they want to make be prepared.  Smart! 

What they don’t know is the following:  assuming the cellar is AIRTIGHT with a MOISTURE (AKA VAPOR) BARRIER, our cooling systems will generate very little excess condensation (with 2 caveats* – see below).  The reason why our systems are different is as follows:  when we designed our wine cellar refrigeration systems, we sized the evaporator coils and the compressors so that cooling system can do its job WITHOUT running the evaporator below the dew point.  In contrast, other manufacturers’ coils are much smaller, which means that the coils must be colder to achieve the same BTUH.

In other words, you probably won’t see a lot of excess condensate (ie water) coming out of the drain line from a CellarPro refrigeration system.  The benefits of our systems are tangible: 

• Because the water remains in the cellar, the humidity remains much higher inside the cellar.
• Because the amount of moisture will be minimal on an ongoing basis*, you probably can get away with draining into a bottle for the initial pulldown; thereafter, leave the drain line in the bottle, but you probably won’t see much moisture from that point forward. 

At CellarPro, our systems really are different!

*Caveats:  1.  During the initial pulldown, the cooling unit may generate a lot of excess condensate.  This situation will resolve itself once pulldown is achieved.  2.  The more frequently the cellar door is opened, the higher the risk of excess condensation (because moisture from the ambient environment will enter the room each time the door is opened.

CellarPro Cooling Systems recently launched its Mini Split 3000S wine cellar refrigeration system, priced at $2499, for use in wine cellars up to 600 cubic feet.  WhisperKool also sells a Platinum Mini Split, priced at $2495, which is advertised for use in wine cellars up to 500 cubic feet. 

We believe WhisperKool’s coils and compressors are undersized, which forces their condensing units to work extra hard and can result in premature failure.  Take a look at the following table:

One of our competitors recently launched a new (cheap) product line of wine cellar refrigeration equipment under a new name and website, with a different phone number and contact address than their existing brand.  It seems like they don’t want anyone to know that they’re affiliated with the new brand.  Is it because the new brand is low quality and they don’t want to drag down the established brand?   Or maybe they don’t want to cannibalize sales of the established brand?  Or maybe they’re embarrassed because the new brand has a shorter warranty and hard to look at? 

Frankly, we don’t understand their logic; nevertheless, we wanted to pass along the following suggestions to our competitor:

• You forgot to remove the parent name Vinotheque in the warranty.
• Your reference to Stockton in the warranty gives away your identity.
• Whisperkool’s phone number is listed in the new site and gives away your identity.
• It took exactly 27 seconds to lookup the owner of the URL – ie Vinotheque – using whois
• Even after you clean up your site, give your customers more credit – they will learn your identity no matter what you do

Though the new brand name sounds a lot like CellarPro, that’s where the similarities end.  At CellarPro Cooling Systems, we manufacture advanced wine cellar refrigeration equipment, made in the USA with the finest components and the latest technology, and backed by the best warranty in the industry.   All of our performance results, load calculations, drawings and specs are posted on our site.  We are proud of our products and we have nothing to hide.

To our competitor:  if you feel like hiding from your product, what’s the point??  Anyway, good luck with your new venture!

Wine Guardian recently announced that their “through-the-wall [cooling unit] sets itself apart from other wine cooling equipment by being the quietest and most energy efficient though-the-wall system available in North America. These findings have been confirmed in independent lab testing conducted by Clarkson University.”

Who did Wine Guardian choose to benchmark against?  The tested units included “two WhisperKOOL units, manufactured by Vinotheque (models 4200 and 8000), and one Breezaire unit, manufactured by Breezaire Products Company (model 4000).”

Want to take a guess why Wine Guardian didn’t include CellarPro in their tests? Maybe it’s because CellarPro cooling units (at the low fan speed) are 6 decibels quieter than Wine  Guardian’s quietest unit?  Nah, probably not.

If you care about the noise level of your wine cooling unit, take a look at our decibel chart, then decide for yourself.  Or contact us and we’ll be happy to give you ALL the facts.

We are pleased to announce the introduction of the CellarPro 3200VSi and 3200VSx wine cellar cooling units.

Offered with the same dimensions and all the same features as our popular 4200VSi and 4200VSx cooling units, the 3200VSi and 3200VSx cooling units are designed for wine cellars ranging from 400 to 800 cubic feet.  The 3200VSi is designed for through-the-wall or ducted use in internal environments, and and the 3200VSx is designed for through-the-wall use in external environments.  (“VS” designates “variable speed”, “i” designates “internal” and “x” designates “external”).

CellarPro 3200VS and 4200VS cooling units are designed to provide optimal performance in extreme temperatures, ranging from 40 to 115 degrees.  In addition, our cooling units provide adjustable humidity control and super-quiet operation (nearly 10 decibels quieter than Whisperkool’s comparable cooling unit at the low fan setting). Our unit offers variable fan speeds so that customers can use low (ie quiet) fan speeds for mild environments, and higher fan settings when conditions require additional BTUs. Visit www.CellarProCoolingSystems.com for detailed performance charts and to compare Whisperkool, Breezaire and CellarPro cooling units.

All CellarPro 3200VS and 4200VS cooling units are loaded with the following standard features and upgrades:

- Designed to operate in extreme temperature conditions (from 40 to 115°F)
- Variable Speed Fans:  allows customers to select between Super-Quiet (54 Decibels at Low Fan Speed) and Maximum Power (66 Decibels at High Fan Speed)
- Advanced Electronic Thermostat
- Adjustable Humidity Control
- Thermostat-Controlled Condensate Evaporator with “On/Off” Switch
- Digital LED Display
- Energy-Saver and Quick-Chill Modes
- Multiple Audible and Visual Alarms
- Min/Max Temperature
- Maintenance-Needed Indicator
- Power On/Off Switch
- Auto-Defrost Cycle
- 1/2″ ID Condensate Fitting and Drain Line
- Fully Ductable
- Condenser Air Filter
- Adjustable Mounting Brackets
- Dual Power Source – Front or Rear
- High-Performance Compressor
- Oversized Coated Evaporator Coils
- Dual High-Output Centrifugal Fans
- Stainless Steel Drain Pan
- Removable Powdercoated Steel Case
- Rechargeable Refrigerant Schraeder Valve
- Vibration-free Operation
- Compatible with a Dedicated 15-Amp Circuit
- ETL Tested and Certified (UL Standards)

CellarPro is accepting and shipping orders immediately. For more information, contact us via email anytime or call 877.888.9137 during normal business hours.

I spoke with a customer yesterday who was trying to decide between CellarPro’s 4200VSi and Whisperkool’s Platinum Extreme 4000 wine cooling units. We first spoke last week, then he spoke with Scott at Whisperkool, and then he called us again yesterday.

The customer – a contractor – is building a wine cabinet inside a butlers pantry for his client, and he needs a cooling unit that can be located remotely and ducted. Initially he considered the CellarPro 1800 wine cooling unit, but these units can’t be ducted. So we talked about the CellarPro 4200VSi wine cooling unit, which CAN be ducted, and has the added advantage of variable speed fans. Because the wine cabinet is a small space, the low fan speed should be enough to maintain optimal wine storage conditions inside the cabinet, which is great news because the low fan speed is SO QUIET at 53 decibels. In comparison, Whisperkool cooling units have just one fan speed:  LOUD.  Whisperkool’s 4200 XLT emits 63 decibels, and Whisperkool’s Platinum Extreme 4000 cooling unit emits 67 decibels.  Yikes!  To compare the different cooling units, view our Cooling Unit Comparison Chart.  To view the different sound levels, click on our Cooling Unit Sound Performance Chart

After we spoke last week, the customer called Whisperkool to learn about their products.  According to the customer, when he asked Scott at Whisperkool about the variable speed fans on CellarPro cooling units, Scott replied that, “According to CellarPro’s Owner’s Manual, they do not recommend using the low fan speed.”

Huh?

Here’s the deal:  we have three fan speed settings, and each one produces a certain amount of BTU per hour (BTUH).  You can use the low, medium or high setting – whichever is most appropriate for your cellar.  To guide you, we published a thermal load chart at 55 degrees and a thermal load chart at 60 degrees, so you can calculate the thermal load of your cellar and see which fan setting will work for you.

Not only are CellarPro’s wine cooling units quieter than Whisperkool’s cooling units, they are less expensive (up to $1,000) with  more features and variable speed fans to suit most applications. At CellarPro, we’re committed to providing the highest level of customer service in the industry.   We won’t feed you silly arguments to sell you our products.  Our goal is for you to make the right decision.  You can count on it!

Postscript: The contractor purchased the CellarPro 4200VSi cooling unit – and his client loves the cooling unit!

We received – unsolicited – the following email exchange that a prospective customer had with the folks at one of our competitors:

Competitor: Hello, I will forward drawings on Monday, look forward to working with you on this project. Thank you

Customer: Thanks. Question on the WhisperKool, which unit is it? and how does it handle excessive ambient humidity? I.e. drip pan .. etc

Competitor: The unit is a UL 1200 with quiet fans, there is a heating element in the compressor fan to evaporate excessive moisture. No drain line is required.

Customer: I found the following on Goggle search for WhisperKool 1200:

Hello all,

I am looking for some advice on a Wine Storage unit I’m having trouble with. I purchased a Vinotheque (Villa Series; model 330) about 4 years ago. It worked just fine for about 2 years, then the cooling system failed (it ran, but did not cool). Even though it was beyond the 1-year warranty, they sent me a replacement, and I installed it (sent them the non-working unit back). Now, 2 years later, the same thing has happened (it runs, but does not cool). I called their customer service again (not really expecting them to offer a replacement); and they have a “Customer Care Program” to exchange the 1000 BTU with another for about $750 (plus shipping). They also offered, for the same price to send a 1200 BTU unit. I just not sure I want to spend $800 each two years to “maintain” my Vinotheque.

I would expect a quality Wine Storage to work correctly for at least 10 to 15 years, even longer since it’s not located in a harsh environment. Has anyone else had experience with WhisperKool cooling units; either good or bad? Does anybody think that these can be repaired at a reasonable cost?

I’m struggling with the choices of either getting an exchange unit or just scrapping the whole thing and getting something else.

Thanks for any and all suggestions. Also are there any other forums where I might read about others’ experiences with Wine Storage Cabinets.

Michael

Competitor: This is a planted email, by my competitors. These emails are planted by Le Cache / Breezeaire cooling system. They are there to discourage customers from Vinotheque, and sway them to their less expensive models. People buy Vinotheque for the reputation and service. That’s why my competitors attack me there, it’s obvious they can’t touch the craftsmanship (when seen in person). Our warranty is 2 years are parts and labor and shipping, 5 years on the compressor. The man below doesn’t put his name or email, if he did I would look up the history . We document every sale and any warranty history. Even the last line below is a “winner”. The statement is baiting customers to write a bad or frustrating experience. Happy customers won’t take the time to respond, generally. One last note is we sale wine cellar WK units ( 1600, 3000, 4200, 6000, 8000, SS4000, SS8000 and the Extreme series) also WK units for cabinet ( 1000 BTU, 1200 BTU, 1200BTU UL approved , 2300 BTU). Why I know it’s a plant is the open-ended sentence— “Has anyone else had experience with WhisperKool cooling units; either good or bad? Does anybody think that these can be repaired at a reasonable cost?” this man is trying to bring in the Cellar WKs to confuse the reader, these units are the flat best that’s why the T.W.E still offers are product even though it has replicated it in China as “Grand Cru”. Cellars need to be built with insulated doors and vapor barriers ect, ect (on website), Customers and contractors sometimes cut corners or use the WK in the wrong application( vent to outside, cement walls ect, ect). If it fails, we are there to trouble shoot it and correct the unit or replace it. Problem is sometimes we find out the end user has disregarded how to install( manual) the unit or built a substandard cellar. We point this out to them and they blame our unit, they have the same problem over and over again with other cooling systems and eventually come to the same conclusion. Now at that point who goes back and amends their email from the year before, and says they were wrong. If you had this man’s email I would like to respond to him. If I knew his last name? I would be able to determine what he is saying is true and as I suspect a planted email. I have many customers I can refer to you as to my quality and warranty, If you like I will see if I can give you there email address? We have been in business for over 27 years, in 2001, Mr. Schneider brought the company ( formally Nordicorp). He has spent a fortune in product development, to keep us #1. I hope you choose to buy Vinotheque, my personal cell #209-###-####, my home # is 209-###-####. I know of no other Sales Mgr that believes in his product that much he would do that….. I do!

Customer: To the contrary of what you have said, I was routed by Le Cache to Vinotheque because they could not match my stain. Here is an E-mail from Le Cache Customer service:

We would need a wood sample to try to match a cabinet. From the picture, it looks like the lot of cabinets with our lightest Provincial stain would be a good match. We have these cabinets in the mission style (credenza, 1400 and 2400) and the Contemporary credenza. It is likely that the other cabinets would be too dark to match your stain.

If matching your stain is a priority, you may want to consider purchasing a wine cabinet from Vinotheque. They are a competitor, but their products are well regarded and they will be able to match stain colors for you.

Let us know if you have any further questions.

Best regards,

Customer Service
Le Cache Premium Wine Cabinets
531 Mercantile Drive Cotati, CA 94931
(P) 877.532.2243 • (F) 707.794.8005
www.lecache.com

Competitor:That is unusual, never happened in the last four years?

Customer: Can you then build a unit using a CellarPro wine cooling unit?

Competitor: Unfortunately we do not do that, but I do recommend them.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We have never “planted an email” about a competitor, and it’s pathetic that the competitor dismisses the online customer’s problems by blaming Le Cache. We are too busy managing our own businesses to waste time creating and planting phony emails.

On our site, we compare wine cabinets from Le Cache vs. Vinotheque, EuroCave, SubZero, Vinotemp and WCI. These comparisons are meant to highlight the differences between the wine cabinets, such as features, bottle capacity, size and price. We also have a wine cabinet shopping guide to help customers understand how to evaluate different wine cabinet features.

When you call Le Cache and CellarPro, we will give you our honest advice and opinions, even if it means that you purchase a competitor’s product. Guaranteed.

In an earlier post, I discussed the benefits of using changes in air temperature rather than changes in liquid temperature to regulate the on/off cycles of Breezaire cooling units. However, there are some circumstances when using a bottle probe DOES make sense.

First, a review. A bottle probe is inserted into a “dummy” bottle of water/alcohol, which is placed in the racks with your wine. Based on changes in temperature of the liquid in the dummy bottle, the Breezaire cooling unit will cycle on and off, thereby maintaining the temperature of the liquid within a predetermined range.

Without a bottle probe, the cooling unit cycles on and off based on changes in the air temperature at the top of the cabinet (which is where the cooling unit is located). Since air changes temperature more quickly than liquid, we prefer to have the cooling unit cycle on when the air warms up (but BEFORE the liquid warms up), rather than waiting for the liquid to warm up.

So when does it make sense to use a bottle probe? If your wine cabinet is placed in an environment that is subject to significant but temporary changes in temperature, such as a garage or a restaurant, you should consider using a bottle probe to avoid having the protection mechanism triggered by too many “false positives.” (The protection mechanism is triggered when the cooling unit registers 75 degrees, and will shut down the cooling unit if the temperature doesn’t fall below 65 degrees within 45 minutes.) By using a bottle probe, the protection mechanism won’t be triggered by temporary changes in air temperature. and therefore the cooling unit won’t turn off after 45 minutes unneccessarily.

It also makes sense to use a bottle probe if your wine cabinet is less than half full. With a wine cabinet that is relatively empty, the cooling unit will run constantly just to keep the empty air in your wine cabinet at your desired temperature. Instead, use a bottle probe to lengthen the cycle times, or build the thermal mass inside the wine cabinet by buying more wine! You also can build the thermal mass inside the wine cabinet by using water bottles, soda cans and beer bottles.

Cooling systems with AIR temperature thermostats are better than bottle probes because the cooling systems turn on and off when the air temperature changes, well before the wine temperature changes inside the bottle.

Breezaire cooling units turn on when the AIR temperature inside your wine cellar rises two degrees above your set point, and turn off when the AIR temperature falls two degrees below your set point. For example, if your set point is 55 degrees, the Breezaire cooling unit will turn on when the AIR temperature rises above 57 degrees, and will turn off when the AIR temperature falls below 53 degrees. This fluctuation in AIR temperature results in a nominal LIQUID temperature change of approximately 1/2 degrees.

In contrast, bottle probe thermostats turn the cooling units on and off when the liquid temperature fluctuates, which fluctuation can hurt the aging process for fine wine collections. For more information about proper wine storage and aging, see The Importance of Proper Wine Storage..

The most common reason that cooling units fail is that they aren’t properly maintained. Without proper maintenance, lint and dust will accumulate on the air intake grill and coils of the cooling unit, and create blockages over time. When this happens, the cooling unit will be unable to dissipate the heat generated inside the wine cabinet, and therefore it will be unable to create cold air inside the wine cabinet. To solve this problem, simply use a vacuum brush attachment to clean the grill and coils (the coils look like aluminum fins). In some cases, the grill will need to be removed in order to access the coils. The coils usually are located at the back of the cooling system.

Cooling systems also can fail because the coils lose their refrigerant gas. The environment inside the wine cabinet is extremely acidic. This acidity is created the wines inside the wine bottles mature, and the effect is heightened with “younger” wines. Over time, the acidity eats away at the coating on the coils in the cooling system, and eventually creates pinholes in the coils themselves. When this happens, the freon gas inside the cooling unit begins to dissipate, and pretty soon the cooling unit loses its ability to create cold air. If this happens, the cooling unit will need to be returned to the manufacturer or to an authorized repair center in order to seal the holes in the coils and recharge the gas.

Tip: If you have a lot of young wine or are concerned about the level of acidity inside your wine cabinet, try opening a box of baking soda and place it inside your wine cabinet!

For more information, visit us at www.lecachewinecabinets.com