# Inexpensive Coolers



## Boatboy24 (Dec 2, 2018)

My 13 year old Magic Chef wine fridge may be on it's way out. I keep it set at 58 degrees, but it has been cooling to around 65 the last week or two (if cooling at all - its probably 67 in my basement). It's a 50 bottle fridge and has served me well up until now. IIRC, I only paid about $250 for it. If I were to replace it, I don't want to spend much more. Options are limited in my price range for something with this much capacity. Any recommendations?


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## ibglowin (Dec 2, 2018)

Is that one of the compressor less (thermo electric) ones?


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## Boatboy24 (Dec 2, 2018)

ibglowin said:


> Is that one of the compressor less (thermo electric) ones?



No, its old school. Looked at a thermoelectric one at Lowes (from Wine Enthusiast) on line a bit ago though.


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## ibglowin (Dec 2, 2018)

Just got a new Wine Enthusiast catalog. They have a 28 bottle (compressor) unit for $299 with free shipping. That is the cheapest I have seen for a real compressor. I see 50 bottle "silent" units (thermo electric) going for close to $600 at Costco. They seem to all get mediocre at best reviews on all of them.


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## stickman (Dec 2, 2018)

Did you do any troubleshooting to determine if you really need a replacement or if it is a simple fix?


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## Boatboy24 (Dec 2, 2018)

stickman said:


> Did you do any troubleshooting to determine if you really need a replacement or if it is a simple fix?



I wouldn't know where to begin with that.


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## Boatboy24 (Dec 2, 2018)

ibglowin said:


> Just got a new Wine Enthusiast catalog. They have a 28 bottle (compressor) unit for $299 with free shipping. That is the cheapest I have seen for a real compressor. I see 50 bottle "silent" units (thermo electric) going for close to $600 at Costco. They seem to all get mediocre at best reviews on all of them.



Saw this one at Lowes: 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Wine-Enthu...ity-Black-Freestanding-Wine-Chiller/999958101


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## ibglowin (Dec 2, 2018)

I think there might be a typo. In the title is says 48 bottle but down lower in the specs it says 28 bottle in several places. Not bad reviews but not very many reviews either.



Boatboy24 said:


> Saw this one at Lowes:
> 
> https://www.lowes.com/pd/Wine-Enthu...ity-Black-Freestanding-Wine-Chiller/999958101


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## ibglowin (Dec 2, 2018)

Could just be low on freon.



Boatboy24 said:


> I wouldn't know where to begin with that.


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## Johnd (Dec 2, 2018)

I’ve bought a few from Wine Coolers Direct, most recently a little 18 bottle unit to keep at the property. The one below is a tad smaller than your current, but they have a pretty large selection. 

https://www.winecoolerdirect.com/edgestar-wine-cooler-refrigerators/CWF440SZ.html


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## Boatboy24 (Dec 2, 2018)

ibglowin said:


> Could just be low on freon.



How do I test that without spending a couple hundy on a pro?


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## ibglowin (Dec 2, 2018)

If you know somebody with AC gauges start there. If not you can purchase a cheap set on FleaBay or Harbor Freight for ~$50. Don't want to spend that you could always see what kind of freon is inside and track down a can and add it and see if it comes back to life. You got nothing to lose but ~$15 for a can of freon. If you have gotten 10 years or more of life out of this you probably got your $$ worth.



Boatboy24 said:


> How do I test that without spending a couple hundy on a pro?


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## 1d10t (Dec 2, 2018)

Look for simple things like dirty coils or dead fans. Freon leaks are not for the amateur. If it is leaking it will continue to leak. Getting 10 years out of it just by adding a little freon is a pipe dream. Also, in addiction to the gauges you need to install an access port. Anything other than brazed on ports WILL LEAK. If you don't have a leak now, you will when you're finished. I'm surprised you can buy freon retail now. I had to get a license. Bottom line, this forum doesn't appear to be a good place for repair advice in this case.


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## Boatboy24 (Dec 3, 2018)

So, it appears it just isn't running at all. Don't know if that is a bad thermostat - doubtful, as I think the temp reading is pretty darn close to the ambient temp, so it appears accurate. What else would cause a fridge to not run?


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## dralarms (Dec 3, 2018)

Compressor quit. Look at the type of refrigeratiant. If it’s R600a (I think) that’s alcohol based coolant and it’s trash don’t waste time or money on it.


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## ibglowin (Dec 3, 2018)

Is there a fuse that might be blown (on the wine fridge) or a breaker that might be tripped?



Boatboy24 said:


> What else would cause a fridge to not run?


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## Boatboy24 (Dec 6, 2018)

Unplugged it, hoping that might reset something. Plugged it back in and it still isn't running.


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## ibglowin (Dec 6, 2018)

Next thing you will be saying there is no Santa Claus either!

That one that Johnd linked to look BDG for the $$ and free shipping to boot.



Boatboy24 said:


> Unplugged it, hoping that might reset something. Plugged it back in and it still isn't running.


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## ibglowin (Dec 6, 2018)

I would think that if that unit has anything it has a push button reset of sorts so unplugging it won't do anything. If no pushbutton then look for an actual fuse that would need to be replaced like old school glass with wire inside. Might have to dig into the unit to find it.


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## ibglowin (Dec 6, 2018)

Make haste..... LOL


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## stickman (Dec 6, 2018)

If you plug it in and hear nothing, it usually indicates an easier problem to troubleshoot. You need someone with an electrical background to check the typical issues like the temperature controller.


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## mainshipfred (Dec 6, 2018)

Used and more then you want to spend but 2.5X the capacity. Last year around this time Lowes or Home Depot had an unadvertised special. I think they were under $100.00 for a 24 bottle unit. I bought 2 and stacked them.

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/app/d/allavino-wine-cooler-mwr-1212/6761996606.html


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## dallase (Dec 7, 2018)

sub $100 used deep freeze with a $35 Inkbird Itc-308 will hold a lot of wine! I run 2x 7 cuft in the storage room. The compressors are strong for cooling sub zero. So running at 55 should last forever. You need some make-shift shelving in them to maximize storage.


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## 1d10t (Dec 7, 2018)

dallase said:


> sub $100 used deep freeze with a $35 Inkbird Itc-308 will hold a lot of wine! I run 2x 7 cuft in the storage room. The compressors are strong for cooling sub zero. So running at 55 should last forever. You need some make-shift shelving in them to maximize storage.


Do you have problems with moisture? I've often wondered about this since the sides will ice up a little.

ASIDE: I have plenty of experience with this type of repair but find that it is hard to give advice because transferring the sensory perceptions and what 'seems right/wrong' is hard to do remotely. The most recent example is I told my son to jump out the thermostat on his dead freezer. Well, he jumped out the two wires that came out with the thermostat. The cooling leads however stayed in the walls. I knew just by looking that these two wires were too thin. They were using the thermostat as a junction to pick off power for the light switch. And this is the 'easy stuff'. While some of the suggestions here might be right on the money they might not translate well to the users situation. That's why I suggested this may not be the best forum to solve this. Giving advice remotely is actually a specialized skill.


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## dallase (Dec 7, 2018)

1d10t said:


> Do you have problems with moisture? I've often wondered about this since the sides will ice up a little.



I close the lid on a bath towel. This prevents a full seal, and allows some air to seep in. It makes the unit less efficient, but it doesnt take much energy to keep something @ 55 degrees when ambients are low 70s.

I get a little moisture, but not enough to create a moldy environment. Ideally, wines should be stored at humidity level of 70 percent to prevent corks from drying out. I suppose this setup is better for wine corks than most other setups, that includes sub $300 wine fridges.

I would also point out that one of my deep freezers produces more moisture than the other. So brand may be important. I really should do some humidity measurements.


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