EuroCave Vieillitheque 283v2 condensation/pooling — filter or something else?

WINE TALK
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1

Hello, wise people of wineberserkers,

I’m considering buying a used EuroCave Vieillitheque 283v2, manufactured May 2011, from someone whose wine collector father unexpectedly passed away (I’ve confirmed the story is legit). He doesn’t know much about wine or the unit, and is willing to let it go at a good price.

I went to check it out and observed some good signs: currently running (has never been unplugged as far as the caller knows) and half full of wine, very quiet / no weird noises, keeping temp. and humidity close to set levels, owner manual still with the unit, amber lights running, and no warning signs on the digital panel.

However, there was quite a bit of condensation internally, which led to some water pooling at the bottom of the unit. The charcoal filter looks a bit on the older side, so I’m guessing it hasn’t been replaced in a while. Could this alone explain the excessive internal condensation/pooling (i.e., an easy fix) or could there be more serious issues?

Thanks in advance for your help!

2

There really isn’t a good price for a wine cooler that’s 14 years old. It may last another 14 years or it may die tomorrow. It’s especially an issue once you unplug and move the unit. So unless he’s letting it go almost free, it’s a risk even without the known condensation issue.

3

The condensation can be a result of the door seal being off a bit, letting in fresh air with the resulting condensation. I believe on the bottom of the cabinet there is a drain tube that should let out the water that pooled at the bottom, The tube may be clogged, I had this on my artevino unit.

4

Let out water where?

5

It drains out below the unit to a pan. The warmth of the compressor should evaporate it. Keep in mind this should be a minor amount of water