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One of the best investments that you can make as a wine connoisseur is a wine cooler. Having a wine cooler installed inside your home is crucial when you want to store your bottles of wine in the correct manner.
It can seem daunting at first to get a wine cooler installed inside your home, but if there is insufficient space and your garage is the only location where you can install a wine cabinet then you will just need to ensure you find a cabinet with a winter system - installing a wine cooler is a very straightforward and simple process when done correctly.
Not only are wine coolers incredible pieces of equipment for when it comes to housing collections of wine bottles but having a wine cooler installed inside your garage means you can access your bottles easily without storing a large quantity elsewhere - this can save a lot of time and effort.
When having a wine cooler installed, there are many different factors that you’ll have to take into consideration. We’ve put together this guide for you today in order for you to learn more about the process of having a wine cooler installed inside your garage.
What Wine Cooler Should I Buy?
When buying a wine cooler, the first question that you’ll probably ask yourself is what type of wine cooler will be best for your garage? Will I want to move it into a different location in the future, whether I need a freestanding wine cooler or a built-in wine cooler? Do I prefer full shelving for easy access or do you want to maximise capacity by stacking your bottles?
The most important feature required for a wine cooler suitable for garage use, is a winter system. The garage is often much colder than your home, with an ambient temperature below 12°C, which is why a winter system is a must when it comes to choosing your wine fridge
What Is A Winter System?
A winter system is an internal heating element that is activated when the ambient temperature falls below a certain point - this is a heating element that will prevent the temperature of your wine fridge drop too low during colder months (above 0°C) to protect your wine from freezing.
Here at Elite, we supply leading brands that specialises in storage cabinets with winter systems such as Climadiff, Avintage, La Sommeliere, Artevino and more. When installing a wine fridge in the garage, it is recommended (but not essential) to go for a solid door model as it minimises heat loss compared to a glass door model. A glass door option would be beneficial if you are looking to move the wine cooler into your home at a later date, as they are much more aethetically pleasing.
What Else Do I Need To Consider?
If you’re someone who has a large number of bottles of wine then it is worth looking into a proper storage cabinet. Some models are able to hold up to 300 bottles of wine when stacked on the shelves like the Climadiff Reserve300XL, whilst some wine coolers are able to hold 100-200 bottles of wine with fully pull-out shelves like the Dunavox Grande-194 or Vin Garde Volnay 176.
So it entirely depends whether you would prefer to have easy access to your bottles by having pull-out shelves, or maximise your capacity by stacking your bottles in the cabinet - it just means you may need to take some bottles out to get to your bottles at the back!
Or, if you want to be able to store as much as you can and also have the option to have bottles on 1 or 2 pull-out shelves - you can purchase additional rails and shelves for accommodate this for Climadiff/Avintage and Artevino wine cabinets.
Your garage may have limited space for a wine cooler or you may want to have the freedom to change the location - if this is the case then the best option for you is a freestanding cooler. Freestanding models can be moved around wherever you like, giving you complete free rein. Having a built-in wine cooler will easily integrate into a chosen space in your home/kitchen, which often gives it a much sleeker design.
If you are struggling to decide which wine cooler is best for your situation, then don’t hesitate to reach out to our friendly support team who will be able to listen to your current needs and guide you on the next best options.
Installing A Built-In Wine Cooler
If you’ve decided to opt for a built-in wine cooler, you will need to install it. You can follow these simple steps in order to get your built-in wine cooler installed correctly.
Check the Power Supply
It’s key that your wine cooler is within reach of a power source. We recommend that you don’t attempt to use an extension lead unless you absolutely have to. You might find that the manufacturer of your wine cooler model has also recommended that you don’t use an extension lead, as it could lead to you losing the warranty of your wine cooler.
Take Measurements
You’ll need a tape measure for the next step, using your tape measure you are going to measure out the space where you are planning to put your built-in wine cooler. When measuring up your space, it’s crucial that you make space for your doors to open and space for the cooler to ventilate.
Depending on your model, you can find some built-in wine coolers that have ventilation at the front, but keep in mind that you need to leave enough space for your side ventilation if it’s blocked. Blocking the ventilation can cause your wine cooler to overheat, damaging both the equipment and wine bottles that you have stored.
Position Correctly
Once you’ve successfully measured up the space for your built-in wine cooler and then carefully place your wine cooler in the space you have created. Once placed, plug it in but don’t turn it on yet. If your wine cooler model comes with mounting plates, then you will need to secure it - you can do this by having a screwdriver.
Your Cooler is Level
The last thing that we want is for our bottles to be rolling around in our cooler. The reason why your bottles might be moving around so much could be because your shelves and storage aren’t level.
If you’ve noticed that your cooler isn’t level, you will be able to adjust it. You can find it usually adjustable feet at the bottom of your wine cooler. You are normally able to adjust it manually but it is always recommended that you take a look inside the manual of your model to ensure that you are able to go ahead with manually adjusting.
Leave for 24 Hours
The coolant inside your wine cooler will need to successfully settle when it has been moved before you decide to use it. It’s recommended that you leave your wine cooler off for at least two hours before you turn it on so your gases can settle.
What About Freestanding Wine Cooler?
The process between wine cooler models is basically the same, but you might find it easier with freestanding wine coolers as you don’t have to fasten any mounting plates. Freestanding wine coolers can be simply moved into most spaces you have created for it to be placed and plug it in.
As mentioned, installing a wine cooler can be daunting, especially with no previous experience. If you want to hear more information then please reach out to our Elite Wine Refrigeration support team who can make the process simple and hassle-free.
