Regardless of whether it is a new wine cooler or one that you’ve had for years, it is important that you take important steps to ensure it operates smoothly and efficiently. Generally, wine coolers are very low maintenance appliances. Still, there are some things you can do to boost the longevity and efficiency of your cooler.
Importance Of Location
Exactly where you place your wine cooler can have a big impact on the wine and the appliance itself. The biggest determining factor that will impact where you place your wine cooler will be if it has ventilation to the front or not. For units with front ventilation, the unit can be placed under a counter, built into cabinets or somewhere sat on its own. Without front ventilation though, you will want to avoid placing it any confined space. Anywhere else is fine. If you must place it in a tight space, make sure there is around 2 to 4 inches at either side to allow proper ventilation.
Ensure It Is Installed Properly
When you know where you want to place your wine cooler, the next important step is obviously to have it installed. Proper installation is crucial to ensuring it runs smoothly.
If you are not feeling comfortable, you should contact a professional wine cooler installer such as those who work for ADK.co.uk, a Wembley based company that serves London and the South East. However, if you do feel up to the job, after unpacking the cooler, let it sit for around 24 hours. This gives all the internal parts that may have rattled around a lot during transit to settle. You also need to ensure that your wine cooler is accurately level by using a spirit level. The majority of modern wine coolers come fitted with levelling legs, making it easy to do this.
Never Overload It
It is imperative for the cooler itself and the wine stored in it that you do not overload it. You should consider purchasing a wine cooler at least one size larger than you need as this will stop you from being forced to overload a smaller sized cooler if you have too much wine at one time.
By balancing the capacity effectively you will ensure that each individual wine bottle stored in the cooler is properly preserved. If you exceed the maximum capacity, you put the wine at risk from hot spots, where the wine could be spoiled and the cooler overworked.
Clean Regularly
Part of the proper maintenance of your wine cooler includes cleaning it regularly. Not only will it keep it clean and ensure it is running as smoothly as possible, it will also be the perfect opportunity to handle any build-ups of moisture or frost that may be occurring before they become a much more serious problem.
Always unplug the cooler when you want to clean it and remove all the bottles and shelves. Keep your wine in a dark and cool place while you clean, to keep it preserved. You only need to use a soft and clean cloth to wipe down the inside, observing anything that comes off onto the cloth. Once it has been wiped clean on the interior and the shelving cleaned, you can plug it back into the mains supply.
Once the cooler has cooled back down to the ideal temperature, you can then start putting the shelves and bottles back. Try to do this at least once every 6 months and you will have a very clean wine cooler and will be able to keep a close eye on any potential problems before they become too serious.