My new cellar space has limited venting options and so a through-the-wall unit won’t work. I’ve been looking at split systems, but boy are those pricey.
Today I came across these self-contained units, which can be mounted inside the cellar between two studs in the wall and then be vented directly outside with a duct kit. This would solve the venting issues and these cost like $3000-$4000 less than a split system AND it looks like you don’t need a HVAC contractor to do the install, making these even more affordable.
My question is, do these work as advertised? They seem almost too good to be true. I’ve considered getting a portable A/C with ducts as well, but Coolbot says it does really work on these type of units, meaning they can’t (reliably) be tricked into cooling the cellar to 55F.
I’m looking specifically at the WhisperKOOL SC PRO 2000 Self-Contained Model.
Any thoughts/advice on these types of chillers and/or WhisperKool in general is much appreciated.
Have you considered a DIY split system? We installed one and it was easy and not very expensive. We just had to pay for an electrician to run a wire to the unit. Pair that with a Coolbot and you’re golden. Not sure if the DIY split systems are compatible with coolbot, you’d probably have to call.
This won’t be too much help, but I just installed a WhisperKool SCPro 4000 for our space-but it isn’t done yet. I can’t turn it on until we get the glass installed which is a 2 month back order at the moment. You can come over and check it out if I ever get it done. We’re back in Parker…
Thanks all. For those with a Cellarpro unit, is it mounted in wine room to blow conditioned air directly or does the cool air get blow in via a duct? Likewise, do these cellarpro units vent exhaust directly outside via a duct or into another part of the basement?
This is hard to explain but I’ll try. My inlet goes out the back of the unit and straight up thru the ceiling then drops down into an adjoining bathroom (these two rooms share a wall) with a standard a/c type vent; it’s about a 5 foot run.
The outlet (warm exhaust) runs out the back of the unit straight up thru the ceiling and drops over to vent thru an outside facia; it’s a longer run about 11’. The manufacturer has a recommended limit on the length of the exhaust run-I think it’s 20’ but don’t quote me.
My unit sits very high in the cellar so you really can’t see the ductwork, but I really didn’t care as the entire project was function over form.
*Best picture I have, obviously before I hooked up final ductwork
Mine is sitting on the floor (actually the pallet it was shipped on) in a utility room that shares a wall with the wine cellar. The ‘cold’ return (coldest air) is vented about 4ft to ~3ft high and the supply (‘warm’ air the unit pulls from the cellar into the unit) is ceiling height and has a ~10ft run). The utility room is 5x10 and serves as a ‘heat sink’ for the units exhaust
