My wine cellar is in a basement utility room. One of the walls is fully below ground level; two of the wall are 75% below ground level. There’s a solid utility door. The rest of the basement (and the house) has active cooling via ductless mini-splits. But there are no ducts into the utility room.
For most of the year, the temp in the utility room has hovered in the mid 50s. We typically will heat the basement during the winter months. Humidity is mid 50s as well.
Over the past week, temps spiked into the mid 80s. Temps in the cellar/utility room gradually increased over the past week from mid 50s to a daily high of 62 degrees. Overnight, temps dropped back into the high 50s.
I am concerned that an outside high of 85 results in a cellar temp of 62 degrees. Historically, ‘hot’ summer temps are in the high 80s or low 90s. As we move closer to summer, I am concerned about the rising cellar temps. If we’re breaking heat records in April, I worry about the cellar temps in future record heat days.
I don’t expect to stay in this house for more than 3 years. Trying to consider minimal spend options to better protect the cellar.
Anyone experienced with portable AC in a cellar? In theory, I could cut a small vent into the exterior siding of the house, one of the 25% exposed walls. The caveat is the utility room is where our hot water heater is. I’ve heard you can’t use portable AC in rooms where there’s a combustion source.
I am skeptical I can cool the cellar to the mid 50s on a hot day by running the AC in the rest of the basement.
I could simply pay for offsite storage.
Any other ideas come to mind? Again, given the time horizon in the house, I’m trying to minimize spend (hence, why I don’t want to install new AC ducts or re-insulate, etc)
Thanks!