Listen:
|
Many people use wine coolers to preserve wine. But suddenly, one day, your wine coolers stops cooling. What happens to those precious bottles of wine you hoard? There are common reasons why your wine cooler won’t work, and how to repair a wine cooler you need to know.
HOW WINE COOLER WORKS?
Contents
To find out why a wine cooler isn’t working and repair it, you first need to know what type of wine cooler you’re using and how it works.
Wine coolers on the market today use two main cooling technologies: compressor cooling or thermoelectric cooling.
COMPRESSOR COOLING
Wine coolers are cooled by air compressors that operate similarly to conventional refrigerators but on a smaller scale. They use the vapor compression cycle technology used in air conditioning units to remove hot air inside the cabinet.
THERMOELECTRIC COOLING
Wine cooler thermoelectric technology uses the Peltier effect to create heat flow between two sides. One side of the cold plate will become hotter while the other side cools.
The wine cooler has a hot side attached to it and a cold side inside. The Peltier module will push out the hot air absorbed from inside.
COMPRESSOR COOLING VS THERMOELECTRIC COOLING
- In general, wine cooler compressor technology has better cooling capacity than thermoelectric. They can cool the interior down to about 4 degrees Celsius. It is more suitable if you need to store large quantities of wine.
- Wine cooler compressor technology is not affected by ambient temperature, while the thermoelectric wine cooler is sensitive.
- However, wine cooler compressors are quite power-hungry and make noise, while thermoelectric wine coolers are not.
Depending on the purpose of use, you will have to decide to choose the right wine cooler for you. No matter what kind of wine cooler you use, sometimes it still fails to work. Let’s find out the cause and how to fix these wine coolers.
WHY WINE COOLER COMPRESSOR IS NOT WORKING AND HOW TO REPAIR IT
THE CONDENSER FAN IS NOT RUNNING
The tank cooling fan and condenser coil are four important parts of the compressor cooling system. The cooling fan will turn on with the entire system, and when there is a fan failure, the tank and coils can overheat. In the long run, this will cool your wine cooler instead of cooling it, which will heat your wine.
HOW TO REPAIR IT?
How do you reset a wine cooler? You need to check if the cooling fan in the wine cooler is spinning freely, is there anything obstructing it? Chronic dust and debris can accumulate and prevent the blades from turning. If yes, clean it to make the fan move better.
Conversely, if there is no dust or debris, the fan is probably damaged, and you will have to replace it. A simple operation can replace the old fan with a new one, and your wine cooler will work properly.
THE EVAPORATOR IS BROKEN
You will feel the cold air coming out when you open the wine cooler door, thanks to the evaporator technology. The evaporator pulls air from the coils and cools it inside the wine cooler.
If the evaporator is not working, the wine fridge will not produce cold vapor even if the compressor is running at full capacity.
Since the evaporator also uses a fan, the reason for the malfunction could be a blockage caused by dirt and debris build-up.
HOW TO REPAIR IT?
To fix a wine fridge that won’t work due to a broken evaporator, you need to check the device for ice on it. Also, check if the evaporator blades are in good condition, is there dust or debris accumulated on them?
You can fix the wine cooler not working error due to a broken evaporator very easily.
If there is ice, you should first get the wine and remove the shelves from the wine cooler. Then, unplug it until the ice melts completely. Finally, you plugin the power, install the shelves, and put the wine in.
If there is dust and debris on the evaporator fan, clean it with a clean cloth.
If the fan is bent beyond repair, replace it with a new one.
FAULTY THERMOSTAT
If your wine cooler compressor is not cooling, one of the possible reasons is a faulty thermostat.
You can see that the thermostat can be located above, behind, or on the side of the wine cooler. This unit powers the components that control and regulate the temperature of the refrigerator.
So if it is damaged, the inside will be too hot, or conversely, in some cases, it may be too cold.
HOW TO REPAIR IT?
Unfortunately, you cannot repair the thermostat yourself. You need to replace the new one to get your wine fridge working properly again.
To keep the best wine taste, you should set the temperature in the wine cooler to suit each type of wine. Between 50 and 65 degrees F (10-18 degrees C) for red wines and 45 to 50 degrees F (7-10 degrees C) for white wines.
WHY WINE COOLER THERMOELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY DOESN’T WORK AND HOW TO REPAIR IT
ROOM TEMPERATURE IS NOT SUITABLE
When you have problems with thermoelectric wine coolers, room temperature can be one of the causes. Thermoelectric cooling does not maintain cool temperatures as efficiently as compressor technology.
If the environment is too hot, the Peltier module will lose its effectiveness in cooling. That’s why you should place the thermoelectric wine cooler in an environment where the room temperature does not exceed 75°F (24°C).
HOW TO REPAIR IT?
If the thermoelectric wine cooler fails to cool because the room temperature is too hot, it means your wine cooler is not damaged.
To fix it, you just need to move the wine cooler to a lower temperature, and it will normally work again.
FAN DISCONNECTED OR FAULTY
Like the compressor wine fridge, the thermoelectric wine cooler also has a fan that directs hot air out of the cabinet.
But due to different technology, the fan of the thermoelectric technology wine cooler is easier to disconnect. The fan could be disconnected, broken, or obstructed by dirt, rendering your wine cooler inoperable.
HOW TO REPAIR IT?
To fix this, check the fan in the wine cooler.
Attach the connectors if it isn’t connected, to see if it works. If there is a lot of dirt or debris, wipe it off with a cloth. The fan is probably broken if both aren’t working, so it’s time to replace it.
IMPROPER VENTILATION
If the room temperature is moderate, the cooling fan is working properly, but your thermoelectric wine cooler still won’t cool?
Check that your wine cooler is properly ventilated. Due to the way heat is removed from the system, thermoelectric wine coolers need free space to function properly.
HOW TO REPAIR IT?
The quick fix for this is to make sure the thermoelectric wine cooler is properly ventilated.
Be careful not to put anything on top of the wine cooler. And make sure the wine cooler is away from other heat-generating appliances such as a microwave, oven, or rice cooker.
CONCLUSION
There are many reasons why your wine cooler is not working and how to repair the wine cooler. Try to check one of the six reasons mentioned above and see what is wrong with your wine cooler and find out how to fix it.
If you can fix it yourself, you will save the cost of hiring that technician.