A wine fridge question

I installed and filled three Liebherr WKt 6451 wine fridges about a couple of months ago.

The manufacturer claims an even temperature throughout the fridge. I set the fridges' temperature at 14°C (57°F). I noticed that bottles of red taken from the top of the fridge were almost at the right temperature for drinking and on checking found the temperature there about 15°C (59°F); not in itself a serious discrepancy. However the temperature on the bottom shelf is as low as 11°C (52°F) in the two fridges which I have tested and I have no reason to think it different in the third.

Would you consider this within the range of accuracy for an even temperature fridge or would you suggest complaining to the supplier while the guarantee is still valid?

If I had known this when I loaded the fridge, I would have put the whites at the bottom.

[David M. Bueker]

So we've basically got a +/- 3.5 from a mean temp of 55.5. You could certainly ask them if that is within normal/accepted range of uniformity, but given that it is a commercial product I would not expect much more consistency than that.

I've noticed the same thing (although I didn't measure it) in my Avanti.

But aside from being particular about the manufacturer's claims, is there any problem with the variation? I don't know how long you want to keep the wines but 59F doesn't seem like a problem for the wines?

Our Haier 40 bottle storage unit is set at 57 F and it varies from 54 F to 59 F bottom to top. I keep the sparklers and dessert wines toward the bottom and the robust reds toward the top. I have more than 50 bottles jammed into the thing.

I wouldn't be concerned about the temperature variation. If it really bothers you, you could try setting up a small, battery-operated fan to circulate the air continuously.

-Paul W.

I've noticed the same thing (although I didn't measure it) in my Avanti.

But aside from being particular about the manufacturer's claims, is there any problem with the variation? I don't know how long you want to keep the wines but 59F doesn't seem like a problem for the wines?

I not particularly concerned about the temperature variation other than the fact that I would have loaded the fridges differently if I had know beforehand. I noticed that my whites, and particularly Champagne, aged less well in my former passive cellar than the reds and I would have put them at the bottom.

Nearly all my reds at the top of the fridges probably have a longer life expectation than I do myself so 15°C - 59°F is not a problem, but 2002 Burgundies currently on the bottom shelf at 11°C - 52°F are likely to mature too slowly.

It's also interesting to hear that so many folks have units where it is cooler on the bottom. I guess that makes sense because heat rises, but my Avanti must have the cooler/fan on the top, because the top shelves are cooler than the bottom.

The best design is to have the cooler blow air into the top of the unit. But if your unit is properly insulated, most of the time the cooler is off, and at that point the denser, cooler air will settle to the bottom and the less dense, warmer air will rise. If you want to prevent this, you have to keep the air circulating and mixing.

-Paul W.

It's also interesting to hear that so many folks have units where it is cooler on the bottom. I guess that makes sense because heat rises, but my Avanti must have the cooler/fan on the top, because the top shelves are cooler than the bottom.

Rahsaan, I think it also has to do with the racking and how full the cellar is. If you've got wire racking and plenty of empty space, it's easier for the cooler air to fall to the bottom. If it's wood racking and chock full, the air exiting the cooler may have nowhere to go.

It's also interesting to hear that so many folks have units where it is cooler on the bottom. I guess that makes sense because heat rises, but my Avanti must have the cooler/fan on the top, because the top shelves are cooler than the bottom.

Rahsaan, I think it also has to do with the racking and how full the cellar is. If you've got wire racking and plenty of empty space, it's easier for the cooler air to fall to the bottom. If it's wood racking and chock full, the air exiting the cooler may have nowhere to go.

Yeah, mine is pretty full so I always thought that was the explanation. Although I never really thought much about it because even the 'warmest' bottles are cool enough.

Well I got myself a fridge thermometer - this one:
http://thermometer.co.uk/catering-therm ... meter.html
It seems to work nicely, with a claimed accuracy of +-1C.

Here are some measurements from roughly the middle of each shelf of my two Liebherr WKr4676 fridges, set to 12C.

Code: Select all

 
               Fridge 1   Fridge 2
Top shelf       12.7         12.7
5               12.6         12.1
4               12.1         12.1
3               12.1         11.7
2               12.3         12.3
1               12.8         12.8
Bottom shelf    14.0         13.7

The min/max function showed very little variation on each shelf, usually 0.1C.

I am reasonably happy with the results. But the bottom shelf is a bit on the warm side, which seems to be contrary to what other people get and contrary to what intuition would suggest. It might be because the bottom shelf does not go all the way back and the temperatures were taken closer to the door. More investigations are in progress