Wine Cellar Cooling Unit Shortlist Worksheet
A side-by-side worksheet for comparing up to three cooling units against your cellar's calculated load, heat rejection options, noise, running cost, and service support.
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
Cooling units are sold on cubic footage, but a cellar is cooled on heat load, and the two only agree when the room is well insulated, mostly opaque, and sitting in a mild space. This worksheet asks you to compare shortlisted units on the figures that actually decide whether the room holds temperature in August: rated capacity against your design load, the temperature difference the unit is rated for, where the heat goes, and how much the compressor draws when it runs. Fill it in from spec sheets and installer quotes rather than product pages.
Start by running the Wine Cellar Cooling Load Calculator at /tools/cellar-cooling-load/ so you have a design load and suggested rating to compare against, then use the running watts you record here in the Wine Cellar Cost of Ownership Calculator at /tools/cellar-ownership-cost/. The cooling article at /blog/passive-vs-active-cooling/ explains the system types in the first row. The cells below are placeholders for your own figures; we deliberately do not prefill them with numbers.
| What to compare | Unit A | Unit B | Unit C | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| System type (through-wall, ducted, or split) | Your entry | Your entry | Your entry | Decides where the heat and noise end up and how invasive the installation is |
| Rated capacity in BTU/hr | Your figure | Your figure | Your figure | Should clear the suggested rating from the cooling load calculator with margin |
| Maximum temperature difference the unit is rated for | Your figure | Your figure | Your figure | A unit rated for a small difference will not hold a cellar beside a warm garage |
| Running watts from the spec sheet | Your figure | Your figure | Your figure | Drives the electricity line in the ownership cost calculator |
| Humidity handling (adds, holds, or only cools) | Your entry | Your entry | Your entry | Some units dry the air as they cool and need a separate humidifier |
| Heat rejection space or condenser location | Your entry | Your entry | Your entry | The heat has to go somewhere that can absorb it without warming the cellar wall |
| Noise at the cellar side and at the condenser side | Your entry | Your entry | Your entry | Through-wall units put the compressor within earshot of the adjacent room |
| Condensate drain or evaporation method | Your entry | Your entry | Your entry | A drain line changes where the unit can sit and who installs it |
| Installed price from a written quote | Your quote | Your quote | Your quote | Compare installed figures only; the unit price alone hides ducting and electrical work |
| Warranty length and nearest service provider | Your entry | Your entry | Your entry | A long warranty is worth less if nobody within driving distance services the brand |
| Expected service life and replacement reserve per year | Your figure | Your figure | Your figure | Split and ducted systems often justify a smaller annual reserve than through-wall units |
https://cellarvo.com/templates/cooling-unit-shortlist-worksheet/Use it in your business, share it with your team, or link to it from your own site.
Also from Cellarvo
- Wine Cellar Build Planning Checklist: A stage-by-stage checklist for planning a private wine cellar, from choosing the room and specifying the envelope to commissioning the cooling unit and loading the first case.
- Free calculators