Inexpensive Coolers

[stickman]

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.

 

[mainshipfred]

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

 

[dallase]

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.

 

[1d10t]

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.

 

[dallase]

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.