I have a Whisperkool 4200 that has run perfectly for five years. The manual says to vacuum the condenser coils every six months (oops, I’ve never done that). Is there any other routine maintenance I should do? The manual doesn’t mention it. It won’t run forever, and a summer time failure would be a disaster.
Any thoughts or anecdotes?
Thanks,
Warren
Most wine cellar cooling units are designed without a port to refill the coolant and that is what eventually stops them from working - the coolant slowly leaks out and eventually the volume is too low to achieve adequate cooling. If you notice that it runs longer and takes forever to bring the temps down, that is the likely culprit. Sometimes you can get an air-conditioning service company to install a port and top off the coolant. And five years is about what I’ve heard and experienced for the lifetime of the units - that is exactly how long my first unit lasted, and it crapped out in the summer (of course).
Keeping the vents and coils clean (vacuumed) is very important as dust and dirt decreases the efficiency and makes the unit run harder. Not aware of any other maintenance that is required other than testing the levels of coolant but that is applicable only for units that have the ports for testing/refilling.
Hope this helps!
Definitely vacuum the vents and coils – easiest and best thing you can do to prevent breakdowns.
Count yourself lucky you’ve gone five years, but don’t push it any further.
I agree with everyone above. It’s kind of a pain, but important.
If that is the case I suggest you get yourself a backup unit ASAP. The majority of these units fail as the weather gets hot.
ALL machines need maintenance, I’d start by shutting the unit off and vacuuming both the evaporator and condensor coils the best you can. If they are very dirty the unit should be removed and the system can be blown out from the inside with compressed air.
Mine broke down in the summer after 5 years in 2010. The good news was that it was still running in the high 60. While not optimal it was acceptable for the 4 days it took for the new cooling unit to arrive. I took my high end and no sulfur bottles to my off-site. Its good to think of noe though because it WILL breakdown
Agree with with maintenance above. My first Whisperkool lasted 5+ years with absolutely no problems. Then we moved and the next one failed, even with maintenance, after a few years. I bought a refurbished unit so that when it broke down again I could just slide the “new” one in its place. I did this and then found a local guy who could service them. That sort of a pain but it can be done. I have a split unit now and do have a local guy for service. They check it out when they do our regular HVAC seasonal service.
JD
At the winery our tanks are chilled by 2 compressors running side by side, so in the event one goes down we still have some cooling capacity. Backup unit is always a good idea, but running two units side by side is even better, if you can do it. When the weather gets hot, everybody is calling up the refrigeration man, and it may take a day or two to get him to come out.
My last Whisperkool lasted 9 years, and I made sure to vacuum it every six months religiously.
It is very important to keep the coils free and clear of dust and debris, vacuuming is important but since the coils inside the unit are much like a radiator in a car partials can get stuck. With the unit running get a can of compressed air, after vacuuming blow through the coils to loosen anything that can be stuck then it will blow out through the fans. Checking the temperature right at the cooling unit is important as well, if the unit recycles its own hot exhaust that can shorten the life of the unit. Even if a unit appears to not have a problem cooling, this is a very deceptive issue and if you wait it could cause damage that would have been easily preventable.
Is there a less reliable consumer product made in current times than wine storage cabinets? Yes, you should stay on top of maintenance, but you’re still always vulnerable.
My mother had a do-do brown Amama refrigerator that lasted 35 years, never needed freon, never needed a compressor or motor or anything, didn’t vacuum the coils once in 35 years, nothing. Can anyone tell me why they can’t make one of these units that will last over 5-6 years?
Ain’t that the truth! I had a toaster and waffle iron that were my grandmothers. Both have to be 75 years old. Used the toaster all thru college, vet school. Gave it to my brothers kids when they left home. Still being used. I still have the waffle iron. Makes the best dam waffles. Unfortunately, they don’t make anything to last anymore. Especially speciality items like wine coolers. I have a 15 yo Whisperkool 6000 that I still use. Vacumn the coils every couple of weeks. Probably just jinxed myself now.
I always ask the same question. You can buy a $200 fridge at Sears and it will last you 2-3 decades refrigerating to 37 degrees with no maintenance, but buy a $5,000+ wine fridge and the thing will be ready for the junk yard in 6 years and have bled a couple of thousand in repairs and maintenance out of you along the way.
Of all the many things I don’t understand in the world, that might be at top of my list.