WINE GUARDIAN®:
The only ductable self-contained environmental control system
for residential and commercial wine cellars

 

Dear Wine Guardian Distributor:

We hope you enjoy reading the second issue of Wine Guardian's Application Notes. It has been designed to provide you with more information about the features and benefits of our products, their innovative applications and creative installations. We received great feedback on our inaugural issue in April and hope to hear back from more of you on this issue...as well as any time in-between publication dates! For ongoing updates to our Wine Guardian product portfolio, be sure to regularly check our website, www.wineguardian.com.


Mike Militi
Wine Guardian Sales Manager

Cheers

Product Profile: Wine Guardian Humidifiers

Our distributors and customers alike are excited to learn that Wine Guardian's humidifiers can be ordered either as free-standing or integrated units, to best suit application needs/preferences. Both models--made in the USA--are evaporative drip-pad type models that are easy to install and operate. They add moisture to the cellar as required and sensed by the WG's humidistat.

The free standing version can be used with any wine cellar air conditioning system, while the integrated version must be mounted to a Wine Guardian unit.

Stand-alone humidifier

Principles of operation

Air from the cellar is drawn over an evaporative drip pad that is saturated with water from a distribution tray. As the air passes through the pad, it absorbs moisture through evaporation of the water. This raises the humidity of the leaving air that returns to the cellar. The humidistat, located in the cellar, will automatically turn on the humidifier whenever the cellar humidity is below the set point and turns it off when the cellar humidity reaches set point. The recommended set point is 50% to 70% RH for wine cellars. This humidity level is high enough to prevent corks from drying out and low enough to prevent mold from forming.

Humidifier features

• Completely self-contained design with cellar-mounted humidistat
• Drip pad-type humidification with removable, cleanable pad
• Lightweight, corrosion-resistant, all aluminum outer body
• Integral fan for air circulation
• Removable supply grille and drip pad access cover for easy service

Integrated humidifier

Maintenance of the humidifier

A regular maintenance program prolongs the life of the humidifier and helps maintain proper humidity levels in the cellar. Frequency of cleaning and replacement of the drip pad depends on the inlet water conditions and the cleanliness of the cellar air. The drain system may also trap dust and dirt. When water no longer stays on the pad or mineral build-up has started to reduce airflow, the pad needs to be replaced. For these reasons we suggest you check the drain on a monthly basis and confirm there is a steady flow of water while unit is in operation. Clean drain if needed. Also monthly, check for unusual noise or vibration, which could be a sign that the debris may be trapped and needs to be removed. Check the humidifier's installation operation and maintenance manual for step-by-step instructions on how to clean the humidifier and replace the evaporative drip pad.

 

Application Tips


Condensation -- Generation and Removal

This time of year usually means warm humid weather for most of the country. Condensate or water removal from the air stream is very common in any air conditioning system. Condensate generation from air conditioning systems is a function of the air conditioning cooling coil design, the condition of the air being passed across the coil, and the amount of airflow through the coil. Wine cellar cooling systems with very thin coils and high airflow tend to do less condensate removal, while systems with deeper cooling coils and lower airflow have a tendency to do more condensate removal. The Wine Guardian is specifically designed for wine cellars with the understanding that optimum humidity levels should be in the 50% RH to 70% RH range. The cooling coils will not overly dehumidify.

Each Wine Guardian unit is supplied with a drain connection along with seven (7) feet of clear plastic hose and a 90-degree fitting. The condensate generated from the unit can be either piped to a remote open drain, open sink, or pumped away using a condensate pump. Condensate pumps are available through Air Innovations; our part number is 51F0015-00.

 

Mounting and Service Accessibility

The versatility of the Wine Guardian allows the homeowner, contractor, or wine cellar builder the flexibility to mount the unit within a mechanical room, above the wine room, in an attic space, or within a crawl space. The unit can be floor mounted by sitting on a raised platform, ceiling mounted by support from the building truss system, or it can be shelf mounted on a wall.

Each Wine Guardian system incorporates at least six individual removable panels, three on the evaporator or cold air section and three on the condenser or warm air section of the system. Each panel is removable for easy access to any portion of the Wine Guardian's mechanical components. The paneled areas are also where ductwork is connected for supply and return to the wine cellar or intake and exhaust of the condenser.

For additional information on locating the unit for service and accessibility, please refer to the Wine Guardian's Installation, Operation, and Maintenance manual.

Got a photo of a customer's wine cellar to share? We'd love to put it in our next newsletter. Email it to Mike Militi at mmiliti@airinnovations.com.

The Wine Guardian Team

Mike, Debbie and Russ are standing by to help answer any product, application or customer service related question you may have. Our normal business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern. Service can be reached 24/7. Toll free 800-825-3268.

Mike Militi - Sales Manager 315-452-7409
mmiliti@airinnovations.com

Debbie Pelow - Customer Service 315-452-7433
dpelow@airinnovations.com

Russ Warner - Parts & Service 315-452-7434
rwarner@airinnovations.com

WG team