How to Convert a Wine Cooler to a Refrigerator


If you have a spare wine cooler that you want to repurpose and turn into a full-time refrigerator or a pantry for your fruits and vegetables, you might need to deploy a few techniques to lower the temperature of your cooler.

These techniques are simple and effective; all you need to do is follow the instructions correctly.

Step-By-Step Conversion of Wine Cooler to a Refrigerator:

Here are a few steps through which you can convert your old and used wine cooler to a functional refrigerator that works amazing! Follow the following guidelines for the best results:

  1. It is important that you first plug your device into WINE-STAT II which further goes into a wall. After that, you run the probes into the correct chamber of the refrigerator and adjust them accordingly.
  2. A conventional refrigerator has under 40 degrees temperature, and if you manage to get your wine cooler to that temperature, you will be good to go!
  3. Add insulation on all sides for proper insulation. Foam insulation is ideal. Moreover, try to install metal sheets for the purpose of water-proofing and avoiding water from getting into your refrigerator or messing with its wiring.
  4. The shelving of your wine cooler must also be removed in order to make space for the veggie and meat drawers that you are now going to put in your refrigerator. You can also get small and effective containers that will help you to organize your newly-made refrigerator in a proper manner.
  5. For better results, you can put in some more effort and actually replace the doors of your cooler with properly insulated doors that lock in all the coolness and keep your food and drinks fresh and nice.
  6. Most people also convert their old wine coolers into humidors because that is easier to do and here’s a good video tutorial.

Other useful tips:

● Get a better power supply

If your wine cooler has power supply issues and is not functioning properly, worry not! In just a few simple and easy steps, you will be able to totally transform it. Since the old supply is clearly not enough to support your wine cooler and you need a better power supply, check out an electronics store for a better power supply.

All you need to do is connect the wine cooler to a new and better power supply. The circuit must be completed in parallel including the thermoelectric components as well as the fans. Once you set this up, the device will hopefully start cooling and the led strip will show you the temperature inside the cooler, going down gradually.

● Play Around With the Thermostat Control

Refrigerators are usually at a temperature of 35 degrees Fahrenheit or below. In order to maintain that temperature in a wine cooler, you need to find the thermostat control in your appliance. By pulling the rotary knob off the thermostat, rotate the calibration screw clockwise or anticlockwise while ensuring which side turns it on and off.

Now you can make adjustments to this knob with the help of a screwdriver until the temperature is just right, which is 35 degrees Fahrenheit and lower. This is the optimum temperature that a refrigerator works best at. By making adjustments to the thermostat control, you change the temperature settings of your appliance while making it permanently adjusted to that setting.

● Keep an Eye on the Temperature

In order to keep checking the temperature of your newly-made refrigerator, you need a device called the “timer.” This timer will help you measure the temperature of the device you are making. These timers are available at all hardware stores. In case you do not have any idea about how to use these timers, worry not!

With temperature measuring timers, you do need to stress too much about connecting complicated wires or understanding a lot of complex technology or engineering. All you need to do is install the timer and plug your wine cooler’s plug into the timer.

Now, find an outlet to plug the timer into. In order to check how perfect your refrigerator’s temperature is, put a thermometer inside the fridge and keep checking for when the refrigerator reaches 35 degrees Fahrenheit or less, which is the desired temperature.

● Lower the Humidity

As a wine cooler owner, you must know how important it is for wine to be stored in a humid environment. For this reason, wine coolers are constructed in such a way that the humidity levels are kept high.

Now, there are some methods through which you can lower the humidity in your wine cooler to convert it into a conventional refrigerator. One of these ways is to keep silica gel or baking powder in bulk in your wine cooler.

These substances absorb the moisture and work towards lowering the humidity in a wine cooler. This aspect of your refrigerator-making process can be done perfectly with the help of a hygrometer, which is moisture measuring instrument.

● Go for Extra Insulation

With a wine cooler, it could be a little difficult to attain a temperature similar to a refrigerator without employing some crucial techniques to keep the temperature down. One of these tried and tested techniques is insulation. With good insulation, your wine cooler can reach a shallow temperature and act as a great refrigerator instead. You can provide the device insulation through sheets of foam or other insulating material.

However, it is essential to make sure that you leave room for the escape of hot air. Accidentally covering up passageways through which heat escapes would mean inducing a reverse effect on the cooler. The cooling, instead of increasing, would decrease considerably. This is why you need to experiment quite a lot while increasing the cooling capacity of your regular wine cooler and turning it into a refrigerator that keeps things super cold and fresh.

To convert your wine cooler into a proper refrigerator, you need to ensure that the insulation is absolutely perfect. Not only should it be a suitable material, but it should also be placed at the correct location on your wine cooler.

All in all, we know it might seem too good to be true. But, you can actually convert your old wine cooler that has not been used for ages into a super helpful and productive refrigerator for you. A bonus tip will be to use dry ice if the temperature of your makeshift refrigerator is not going up. Another amazing tip is to let your refrigerator’s temperature stabilize before storing your food and other goods in it, so they do not accidentally get spoiled.

Why Should You Convert Your Old Wine Cooler into A Refrigerator?

Some other uses that you can get out of your old and worn down wine cooler are:

● Store your mineral water in your newly-turned refrigerator. Mineral water should be stored at a chilled temperature in order to last for a long time.

● You can also store hard-to-store foods such as cheese and chocolate while keeping them wholly fresh and yummy for however many days you want to keep them in the fridge.

● Turn your wine cooler into a makeshift pantry for your fruits and vegetables. However, a pro tip would be to keep all the fruits and vegetables from touching the wooden racks present in most wine cellars. The moisture content of these foods can possibly damage the wood and make it deteriorate over time.

● You can also store foods such as olive oils and meats, including pepperoni, beef, chicken, ham, or bolognese. The refrigerator will keep them fresh and hygienic for a lot of days.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you do not always need to spend a lot of money to get your hands on the electric appliances you really want. Sometimes, all you need are some quick ideas and tricks to transform your electric devices into something entirely different.

So, you are now ready to convert your worn-down wine cooler that you do not need anymore and turn it into a refrigerator for your home.

Peter Baron

I learned how to fix many appliances while working part-time in a repair shop. Appliance Solver is the result of this experience, coupled with my interest in writing helpful content online. When I'm not fixing stuff, I'm usually either playing with my kids or on a walk with my golden retriever. Doesn't get much better than that.

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