Serving or temperature control : Climatic single or multi-compartment environment designed to ensure you can enjoy your best wines at the right temperature so that the refined aromas come to life.
The mechanical refrigeration system relies on one or several mechanical or electronic thermostats to precisely regulate the temperature. The wine cabinet therefore operates in cycles of minor temperature fluctuations, which can be observed in the cabinet's air flow. This is normal and the temperatures which can be recorded randomly by placing a thermometer in the cabinet do not reflect the exact temperature of the wine.
A stable average temperature is achieved inside the bottle thanks to this method of minor air temperature fluctuations around the set point (temperature is regulated, required and controlled by the thermostat).
The more bottles of wine you store in your wine cabinet, the more important the thermal mass becomes, while the impact of possible ambient temperature fluctuations caused by thermal inertia becomes less significant.
A snowball will melt very quickly, while a large snowman will take several days to disappear even when temperatures are positive.
4. Specifications
Thermal inertia
Thermal inertia is the natural tendency of your bottles to maintain their initial temperature for long periods in the event of a disruption to the thermal balance within their environment.
Therefore, the slow rate at which a possible temperature disturbance would cause your bottles to reach a new balance point can also be determined.
It is worth noting that on average the conductivity of liquids (expect for water) decreases by 0.15% per °C when the temperature rises.
Consequently, you do not need to worry if you notice temperature fluctuations within the cabinet environment; your wines are perfectly protected! A cabinet filled with 200 bottles equates to a mass of around 260 kg (on average a 75 cl bottle = 1.3 kg), which is quite a significant amount.
This phenomenon can be illustrated by comparing it to an ice cube. A single cube of ice exposed to sunlight will melt very quickly, while a large number of ice cubes placed next to each and subjected to the same conditions will take a lot longer to melt.
Humidity
Humidity is used to maintain moisture in the corks of the bottles and preserve their elasticity, sealing qualities and prevent the wine from coming into contact with the air.
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It is controlled through the combination of three factors:
- Circulation of ambient, humid air
- Functionality of the device
- Inner surface covered in a paint with a high level of granularity (retains condensation droplets)
During the cooling period (cold air dries out the air), frost forms and humidity levels can increase to
40%. While the compressor is shut down, the frost melts during the warming-up period and levels can rise to 70%.
The average of these two values (40% + 70%) / 2 = 55% equates to the recommended humidity level for preserving wine (55% +/-10%). The customer must be well aware of the fact that this is an average.
In fact, if a customer rings and specifies that the humidity level is 50% and complains that it is too low and particularly that it is at a constant level, it is highly probable that the reading was taken just after a cooling period. The levels recorded inside the cabinet can therefore not remain fixed and will, on
the contrary, fluctuate several times a day.
Example: 65% +/- 10% = therefore equates to an average of 65% without causing a problem.
The duration of the cycle must also be taken into consideration. The operation of the compressor can equate to 10% of the cycle, which increases the average in this particular case to more than 65%.
The relative humidity (measured by public hygrometers) does not directly specify the quantity of water vapour in the air, but simply highlights the ratio between the state of the air in question and saturated air at the same temperature and pressure.
Temperature
The thermostat enables the temperatures to be increased or decreased.
The principle of an average temperature is the same as the one that applies to humidity. Following each start-up of the compressor, the temperature will fall and following each standstill it will increase again. The average of these two extremes equates to the average temperature required for preserving wine. Example: (10°C + 14°C) / 2 = 12°C
Our multi-purpose wine cabinets have different temperature levels: colder at the bottom and warmer at the top. This is achieved by distributing the static cold.
This principle relies on the free and natural circulation of cold air, which is heavier and moves down the cabinet environment. Once it is warmer, it naturally rises again. In the majority of cases, the coldest area (between 6°C and 10°C) is therefore located at the bottom of the cabinet and the warmer (between 12°C and 16°C) environment is located at the top, while the central section is for preserving wine (between 10°C and 14°C) .
The inertia phenomenon of the temperature is also very important. Once 100 to 200 bottles are loaded, their inertia plays a significant factor and even if the compressor shuts down for one or two hours (or more), the wine inside the bottles is not subjected to the fluctuation.
It can be concluded that a prolonged change of 1°C in the air equals to a change of only 0.1°C in the bottle.
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