A wine cooler is supposed to hold a steady temperature, usually somewhere in the mid-50s °F for long-term storage, and stay there. In a San Antonio home, where a kitchen, a game room or an outdoor bar can get warm in summer, many wine coolers start to drift. Whether that's a fault or a limit of the design depends on what kind of cooler you have and where it sits.
Two kinds of wine cooler
Thermoelectric
Many small and freestanding wine coolers use thermoelectric cooling. A solid-state module moves heat from inside to outside, with fans on each side. They're quiet and have few moving parts, but they can only cool a limited number of degrees below the temperature of the room around them. Their capacity falls as the room gets warmer.
In a room kept at a comfortable temperature, a thermoelectric cooler works well. In a hot room, garage or patio, it may not be able to reach its setpoint at all. That isn't a fault. It's how the technology works.
Compressor-based
Most built-in wine coolers and larger freestanding units use a compressor, like a small refrigerator. They can hold a set temperature in warmer rooms, but they still have a rated ambient range, and they need airflow around their condenser to work.
Check the manual or the label inside the door to find out which type you have and what room temperatures it's designed for.
Why a wine cooler drifts warm
The room is too warm
This is the usual reason a thermoelectric unit drifts. If the cooler holds temperature in spring and loses it in August, heat is the likely reason. Moving it to a cooler room, out of direct sun and away from the oven or dishwasher, often solves it.
It can't breathe
Built-in wine coolers are designed to vent through the front, usually through a grille at the bottom. Freestanding units vent from the back or sides and need space around them. A freestanding model installed under a counter, boxed in by cabinets, will recirculate its own warm air and struggle. It's an easy mistake to make, because the two types can look almost identical from the front.
- •If it's built in, confirm the model is rated for built-in installation and that the front grille is clear.
- •If it's freestanding, pull it out and give it the clearances the manual specifies.
The condenser or fans are dirty
Unplug the unit first. Dust on the condenser or on the fans and heat sinks of a thermoelectric unit reduces cooling. Clean the grille and any accessible coils or fins with a soft brush and a vacuum.
The door isn't sealing
Close the door on a sheet of paper at several points and pull it out. It should drag. Check that the cooler is level, or tilted slightly back so the door swings closed, and that no bottle or rack is holding the door open.
It's opened often or overloaded with warm bottles
Adding a case of room-temperature bottles raises the temperature for a while. That's normal. Give it a day to recover before judging.
Checking the temperature properly
Wine cooler displays often show the setpoint or the air temperature near the sensor, not the temperature of the wine. Put a thermometer in a glass of water in the middle of the cabinet and leave it overnight. That gives you the true storage temperature. Dual-zone units should be checked zone by zone.
Signs of a fault
Call for service if:
- •The cooler isn't cold even in a cool room, with good ventilation.
- •The fans aren't running. Most units have an interior fan and one on the condenser or heat sink. A thermoelectric unit with a dead fan loses most of its cooling.
- •A compressor unit runs constantly without reaching its setpoint, or clicks on and off repeatedly without running.
- •Frost or ice forms on the back wall.
- •The display shows an error code, or the temperature reading is wildly different from your thermometer.
- •Water collects inside or under the unit.
On compressor units, the faults are similar to a small refrigerator: fans, sensors, control boards, and occasionally a sealed-system problem. On thermoelectric units, the fans, the cooling module or the power supply are the usual suspects.
Is it worth repairing?
For a high-end built-in wine cooler, like those from Sub-Zero, U-Line or Perlick, repair is usually the right choice. Those units are built for long service and are hard to replace without affecting the cabinetry. See our page on Sub-Zero wine cooler repair.
For a small, inexpensive thermoelectric unit, replacing a failed cooling module or power supply can cost close to a new cooler. Our repair or replace guide sets out how to weigh that, and our wine cooler repair page covers what a diagnosis involves.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a wine cooler in the garage?
Most wine coolers aren't designed for garage temperatures in a Texas summer. A thermoelectric unit almost certainly won't keep up, and even compressor models need a rating that covers the garage's range. The same limits that affect a garage refrigerator apply, so check the specifications before you move it.
Why does my wine cooler make a clicking noise?
Some clicking is normal as a compressor or fan cycles. Repeated clicking every few minutes with no cooling can mean the compressor is trying to start and failing.
What temperature should I store wine at?
Many people aim for the mid-50s °F for long-term storage, with serving temperatures depending on the wine. What matters most is keeping it steady.