Your ultimate guide on a wine cooler repair and maintenance
Keeping your wine cooler working ensures the quality of your wine, but it takes some attention. To optimize performance and durability, you need to practice some easy to follow steps of wine cooler repair and maintenance.
Contents
Keep it clean
Your wine cooler is an appliance, not just another piece of furniture. So, cleaning it regularly will continue its performance.
For example, cleaning the cooler once every six months gives you the chance to eliminate any frost or excess moisture.
- After you remove the wine bottles, place them in a dark cool spot
- Slide the shelves out and put them aside
- Unplug the cooler
- Wipe down the interior with a clean soft cloth
- Plug the cooler back in
- Return the shelves and bottles once the appliance has cooled down
Doing this regularly gets your head into the operation where you can notice any sign of current or future problems.
Defrost it regularly
The regular cleaning also is your opportunity to defrost the machine. If that’s your plan, follow the cleaning steps but stop short of connecting the power.
- Keep the door open after cleaning
- Allow air to circulate into the cooler
- Drain any ice from the cooler
- Wipe down the surface with a soft towel
- Reconnect the cooler
- Restore shelves and bottles
Check the filter
Wine coolers have filters that reduce pollutants and manage oxygen flow. Inconsistency in the air flow can affect the aging process and damage the wine. So, you must check on the filter at least every few weeks.
- Unplug the cooler so the fan stops
- Slip the hose of a small vacuum cleaner into the filter area
- Or, apply a compressed air nozzle to force out any dirt and debris
If there is a removable filter, run water through the filter, or immerse it in warm water and vinegar. One it is air dried, you can return it to the cooler set up. Removable filters can also be replaced with new ones.
Review the control board
The regular cleaning is also time to check on your cooler’s control board. It has settings that may have changed over time or need resetting. Your settings should correspond to your needs and to the machine’s operations manual. It’s always your choice to chill things higher or lower than the automatic setting.
Most users are comfortable with digital controls. You press a couple of buttons, and the target temperature goes up or down and displays on the LCD screen. This is very important for wines that require a specific temperature to ensure their quality and taste.
Even those coolers that come with pre-set options allow you to control the setting you want or the wine needs.
Move the cooler
If you decide to relocate your wine cooler from one room to another, you should do so with some forethought. For example, you should not place in in direct sunlight or where something blocks the air circulation.
If you plan to move your residence, you must treat the cooler as well as any appliance.
- Remove the bottles and transport them carefully
- Disconnect power and let cooler rest for an hour
- Use tape to secure shelves and other loose parts
- Seal the door with tape
- Keep machine upright throughout move
- Let machine sit for at least two hours if its position has shifted from upright
- Reconnect power, remove tape, and restore bottles
Make repairs
Regular cleaning and maintenance should keep your cooler working well. But, you should be ready to make some basic repairs when necessary:
- Have a replacement bulb(s) on hand if your cooler’s light(s) fails
- Fix or replace broken shelves
- Inspect the power cord for frayed damage or cuts
- Check the fan and cooling element as directed by the operator’s manual
Keeping your cooler fully and durably operational is the best assurance of preserving your wine’s quality. Now knowing the best wine cooler wine cooler repair and maintenance tips you are aware of how to store wine at home to keep its flavor and save investments.
