What is the difference between thermoelectric cooling
and compressor cooling?
Thermoelectric cooling uses the Peltier effect which basically means that an electrical cur
rent is responsible for creating a temperature difference.
If you really want to understand it in more detail, click here – thermoelectric cooling.
This type of cooler doesn’t actually add cold air, rather it takes out hot air.
They do not have compressors which means they have fewer moving parts and are much quieter. This doesn’t mean they are all completely silent; there may be some coolers that produce a slight hum, but they are quieter than a compressor cooler.
It also means that these coolers are vibration free. Vibrations can disturb the sediment in your wine and affect the taste in a negative way.
The lack of a compressor makes a thermoelectric cooler more energy efficient (using less electricity). They
are also environmentally safe as there are no hazardous materials used. Compressor coolers use refrigerants which have been linked to ozone depletion.
Should you get a thermoelectric cooler?
Advantages:
- They do not have a compressor. This means the are:
– Quieter
– Vibration Free
– Energy Efficient- Environmentally Save (no hazardous materials used)
- More consistent temperatures (the interior temperature of some compressor coolers can fluctuate up to 10ºF in different areas of the cooler)
Thermoelectric coolers sound like the best option, but are they?
Disadvantages:
- They don’t work well in warm areas since they don’t produce cold air (they remove heat)
- They don’t work well in extremely cold environments (interior temperature will drop to whatever the outside ambient temperature is)
- They can only be used in controlled environments (where the temperature does not fluctuate significantly)
- They do not get as cool as a compressor cooler. The lowest temperature they can generally reach is somewhere between 44-50ºF
Make sure the temperature range of a cooler matches your wine drinking temperature preferences.
A compressor cooler is just like an everyday refrigerator. It uses refrigerant that gets compressed together which creates a heated vapor. This vapor will then travel through a condenser and finally flash evaporation will turn it cold. This type of cooler has a fan that will blow air across coils which in turn cools the unit.
Assuming that most people are pretty familiar with a standard refrigerator, we won’t go into much more detail. We will however touch on some items to consider.
The temperature range of a compressor cooler is much greater than that of a thermoelectric cooler. Compressor coolers can get very cold, so if you like your wines cooler (cooler than 45ºF) you might be better off with this type of cooler.
This cooler might also be better for you if you live in very warm regions (where ambient room temperature is high) or plan on putting the cooler in an area that is not temperature regulated.
There are move moving parts with a compressor which means noise and vibration. These coolers should not be louder than a standard refrigerator (and will more likely be quieter).
Then there is the vibration which could disturb the wine sediment and alter the taste. If you have a very high end collection of wine, then this is something to consider. For the most part however, most people are not overly concerned about the potential for slight vibrations. I suppose it all depends on what kind of collector you are.
Finally there is the environmental concerns. The refrigerant used in these coolers has been linked to ozone depletion. If you are an environmentally conscious individual, you might want to think about this.
Should you get a compressor cooler?
Advantages:
- Has a wider temperature range – can get colder than thermoelectric coolers
- Can be used in different temperature environments
Disadvantages:
- Compressor causes more noise than a thermoelectric cooler
- Compressor causes vibrations which could negatively affect wine
- Uses refrigerant which causes environmental damage