Wine coolers are different from refrigerators and mini-fridges. You can use it only for storing wine and not anything else.
However, wine coolers work on the same cooling principle as a refrigerator. There are two types of wine coolers in the market, depending on the cooling system and mechanism. Each one works differently when it comes to cooling.
Some wine coolers are compressor-based, while others are thermoelectric. They have a different mechanisms. You need to know how both these types of wine coolers to make the right choice.
We will show you how the compressor and thermoelectric wine coolers work. Apart from that, we will show you how, single-zone, dual-zone, and triple-zone coolers work.
How Does a Compressor Wine Cooler Work?
During its early days, this type of wine cooler was quite popular. However, as new technology came into the market, people switched over to other types of wine coolers.
This wine cooler works on refrigerant. It is a special liquid that helps in cooling. Most refrigerators work on this system. When you look closely, you will notice the same compressor system in this type of wine cooler. It is located at the back of the cooler.
In order to get a cooling temperature, this liquid is circulated in the cooler. It is done using a compressor. In this technology, the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor. In the compressor, the temperature of this liquid increases, and it turns into a gas.
This gas is then circulated through the coils. These coils are located at the back of the cooler. When this hot gas is passed through the coils, it cools down on its own to the room temperature. On room temperature, it turns into liquid and moves through the coil. When it moves, it cools and expands.
As it covers the surface area in the cooler, it absorbs all the heat. When doing so, the temperature inside the cooler falls down. This is how the interior cools down. As the process is completed, the liquid travel back to the compressor. The cycle keeps on repeating to keep the temperature inside the cooler low and cool the wine which is stored inside.
How Does a Thermoelectric Wine Cooler Work?
Nowadays most people prefer using this type of wine cooler. It is better than compressor-based wine coolers. This cooler works on electricity instead of refrigerant. It is safe for the environment and energy-efficient. The best thing about this type of refrigerator is that it doesn’t make any noise.
The most cooling appliance works in the thermoelectric principle. As there are no compressor coils, it is compact and provides more storage space. This type of cooler uses the Peltier effect for cooling. There is no need to use any chemical like refrigerant to cool down the interior. Rather, it utilizes electricity to function.
It uses the natural phenomenon called heat flux to work. When you join two metal pieces and passes an electric current through them, heat is transferred.
When this happens, one side becomes hotter, and the other becomes cold to balance the temperature and cool the other side. As the heat increases, the other side becomes colder.
In this type of wine cooler, a heat sink is attached to the hotter side. Because of this, more and more heat is drawn from the cold side, thereby making it colder.
This way, the temperature of the cold side keeps on decreasing, which helps to make the interior of the cooler cold. A similar heat sink is used in computers to keep them cool and avoid overheating. It is made of aluminum fins. It is a good conductor of heat and helps to balance the temperature. Along with that it also contains a cooling fan so that more and more heat can be transferred.
The only drawback of a thermoelectric wine cooler is that it cannot achieve much lower temperatures. However, as wine doesn’t need a much lower temperature, it is perfect for storing wine.
Most wine coolers work on this technology so that there is less vibration. It helps to keep the cooler stable as vibration is not good for wine. There is less noise in this type of cooler. On top of that, it is eco-friendly.
How Does Single Zone Wine Cooler Work?
In this type of wine cooler, there is only one temperature throughout the cooler. The working is simple as there is no division. There is only one control setup in this type of cooler. If it is a compressor-based cooler, the refrigerant is used to cool down the interior. You can use the control setup to change the temperature settings. If it is not a thermoelectric wine cooler, it uses the Peltier effect to work.
How Does Dual-Zone Wine Cooler Work?
In this type of wine cooler, there are two different temperature zones. It works differently from a single-zone wine cooler. This type of coolers mostly works on the thermoelectric principle.
There are two separate electric currents so that there will be two separate temperatures in different compartments. There will be two different heating units and a control system in this cooler. You can use the control system in each compartment to set the temperature.
It uses a dividing mechanism to divide the two compartments. Stainless steel is pivotal in dividing the compartments and air generators in this cooler. Moreover, there are two doors, one for each compartment.
How Does Triple-Zone Wine Cooler Work?
In this type of wine cooler, there are three separate zones instead of two. Each zone has a different temperature. There will be three temperature control systems in this type of cooler. The heating system for each compartment will be different.
On top of that, there will be division in the cool air generator so that cool air might circulate differently in all three compartments. This type of wine cooler is expensive and huge. You can use it to store different types and varieties of wine.
This is how wine coolers work. You need to check the working mechanism before you make a buying decision. Moreover, it will help you to choose a quiet and energy-efficient wine cooler.
