--- title: "Reading the cellar controller: set point, probes, modes and alarms" description: "What the number on the display measures, why it can differ from the bottles, and how the symbols on common controllers separate a routine mode from an alarm…" url: "https://winecellarrepair.center/guides/reading-the-cellar-controller/" date_modified: "2026-09-26" --- Troubleshooting # Reading the cellar controller: set point, probes, modes and alarms A wine cellar controller display shows one temperature, and it may be air at the unit's intake, a probe in a water bottle, or the set point itself. Learn which one your unit shows, how the on and off points relate to the setting, which symbols mean defrost or a rest period, and which alarms name a probe, a hot condenser or a full drain pan. By [WineCellarRepair.center technical team](https://winecellarrepair.center/authors/technical-team/) Published September 26, 2026 ## At a glance. The wine cellar controller display is the only window most owners have into the unit, and it says less than it seems to. Knowing what its number measures and what each symbol means removes a lot of needless worry and makes the real alarms stand out. Read the whole guide ### How a common controller cycles Off at the set point, on above set point plus differential CellarPro ships at 58°F plus 4°F, so on above 62°F and off below 58°F. ### Wine-Mate's factory values Set 55, Hy 4 From the parameter table in its self-contained unit manual. ### Alarms held off after power-up 23 hours CellarPro's high and low alarms, and Wine-Mate's start-up alarm delay. ### WhisperKool's adjustable span 50°F to 70°F Factory set to 55°F and changed in 1°F steps. In this guide 1. What the number on the display measures 2. How the setting turns cooling on and off 3. Symbols and modes that are not alarms 4. Alarms that do need attention 5. Questions ## What the number on the display measures Controllers on cellar units show one of three things by default, and the manual says which. Breezaire's Sentry III shows the air entering the unit's intake unless the optional bottle probe is plugged in, in which case it shows the probe. CellarPro's display reads a sensor behind the front grille, again overridden by a bottle probe. WhisperKool's SC controller shows its bottle probe by default and can be set to show the set point, the coil or the condenser instead, while CellarCool's CX controller opens on the set point. Those differences explain most of the worry owners bring to a visit. A steady 55 on a display that shows the setting says nothing about the room until the reading is called up, and an air sensor at the grille moves far more than the bottles do. ### An air sensor at the unit Air readings run warm just before the compressor starts and cold just after it stops. A cellar held correctly by an air sensor can show a few degrees either side of the setting within an hour and be entirely healthy. What matters is the average, and whether the number returns to the setting every cycle. ### A bottle probe in liquid A probe in a bottle of water lags the air by hours, which is the point: it follows what the wine feels. CellarPro recommends cutting the differential from 4 degrees to 1 when its bottle probe sits in liquid, because the slow reading would otherwise let the air swing much further. WhisperKool asks for the bottle to stand about three feet from the air outlet and out of its stream, and lists a probe in the cold blast as a cause of short cycling. ### Stepping through the probes When the display shows the setting rather than a reading, a press of SET or an arrow usually steps through the sensors. On WhisperKool's SC controller they are listed as Pb1 for the bottle, Pb2 for the coil and Pb3 for the condenser. Noting all three while a problem is happening gives a technician a picture of both sides of the circuit before the visit. Source: [Breezaire — WKL Series installation instructions](https://breezaire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/WKL-Instruction-Jan-2025.pdf) — The Sentry III shows the intake air temperature, or the bottle probe when fitted; do not change the setting for at least 3 days after start-up; [CellarPro — 1800 series owner's manual](https://www.cellarprocoolingsystems.com/PDF%20Documents/Owners%20Manual%201800.pdf) — Display reads probe P1 behind the front grille unless a bottle probe overrides it; cut the differential from 4 to 1 with a probe in liquid; factory 58°F minimum set point and 4°F differential; wait 14 days before changing settings; Energy Saver adds 4°F; Quick Chill runs up to 6 hours; P1/P3 probe alarms, HA above 70°F, LA below 45°F, HA2 condenser above 140°F for 2 hours; HA and LA disabled for 23 hours after power-up; most collectors store at 55–60°F; [WhisperKool — SC Pro series owner's manual](https://whisperkool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/WK-SC-Series-OM-22-w-UV-120122.pdf) — Bottle probe shown by default, ddd selects setpoint, bottle, coil or condenser; bottle about three feet from the air output; probe in the air stream causes short cycling; Pb1, Pb2, Pb3; cooling starts 1°F above setpoint, setpoint 50–70°F in 1°F steps; blinking snowflake is the five-minute anti-short-cycle wait, dripping snowflake and Def mean anti-frost; loc locks the keypad; CA1 calibrates ±12°F; E1–E3, AH1, AL1, COH at 125°F, Ad3; ON/OFF does not disconnect power; [CellarCool — CX series owner's manual](https://www.cellarcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/CC-CX_Series-OM-061219.pdf) — The setpoint is displayed by default ## How the setting turns cooling on and off Most cellar controllers switch cooling off when the reading reaches the set point and back on when it climbs past the set point plus a differential. CellarPro ships its 1800 series at a 58°F minimum set point with a 4°F differential, so the unit starts above 62°F, stops below 58°F and averages about 60°F. Wine-Mate's self-contained units ship at 55°F with a 4-degree differential, and WhisperKool's SC begins cooling once its probe reads 1°F above the setting. So the cellar averages above the number you set by roughly half the differential, and a wide differential looks like a problem on an air-reading display. Change one value at a time and give it days rather than hours: Breezaire asks for three days after start-up before touching the setting, and CellarPro suggests a 14-day break-in before changing anything. - Set point: where cooling stops. - Differential, shown as Hy on many controllers: how far above the set point cooling restarts. - Anti-short-cycle delay: the minutes the compressor must rest between runs. - Fan-on time after the compressor stops (Fdc on WhisperKool, Fon on CellarPro and Wine-Mate): used to return moisture to the room. Source: [Breezaire — WKL Series installation instructions](https://breezaire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/WKL-Instruction-Jan-2025.pdf) — The Sentry III shows the intake air temperature, or the bottle probe when fitted; do not change the setting for at least 3 days after start-up; [CellarPro — 1800 series owner's manual](https://www.cellarprocoolingsystems.com/PDF%20Documents/Owners%20Manual%201800.pdf) — Display reads probe P1 behind the front grille unless a bottle probe overrides it; cut the differential from 4 to 1 with a probe in liquid; factory 58°F minimum set point and 4°F differential; wait 14 days before changing settings; Energy Saver adds 4°F; Quick Chill runs up to 6 hours; P1/P3 probe alarms, HA above 70°F, LA below 45°F, HA2 condenser above 140°F for 2 hours; HA and LA disabled for 23 hours after power-up; most collectors store at 55–60°F; [WhisperKool — SC Pro series owner's manual](https://whisperkool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/WK-SC-Series-OM-22-w-UV-120122.pdf) — Bottle probe shown by default, ddd selects setpoint, bottle, coil or condenser; bottle about three feet from the air output; probe in the air stream causes short cycling; Pb1, Pb2, Pb3; cooling starts 1°F above setpoint, setpoint 50–70°F in 1°F steps; blinking snowflake is the five-minute anti-short-cycle wait, dripping snowflake and Def mean anti-frost; loc locks the keypad; CA1 calibrates ±12°F; E1–E3, AH1, AL1, COH at 125°F, Ad3; ON/OFF does not disconnect power; [Wine-Mate (Vinotemp) — WM-1500/2500HTD owner's manual](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0555/0676/3891/t/7/assets/description_image_wm1500_2500htd_owners_manual_v2.pdf?v=1643942330) — Factory Set 55 and Hy 4; flashing compressor LED is the anti-short-cycle delay, defrost LED on during defrost; POF and PON lock and unlock the keys; P1, HA, LA alarms, HA and LA clear when temperature returns; start-up alarm delay dAO 23 hours; Fon raises humidity; ot calibrates the air probe Close on a small wall-mounted cellar controller with a dark blank screen and three plain buttons, on a plastered wall. ## Symbols and modes that are not alarms Several indicators look alarming and are only the controller at work. A blinking snowflake on WhisperKool's SC means cooling is wanted but the five-minute rest between runs has not ended. A dripping snowflake, or Def on the display, means an anti-frost cycle: compressor off, fans running to clear the coil. On Wine-Mate's controllers a flashing compressor light marks the same kind of rest, and a steady defrost light a defrost in progress. Modes can also move the temperature on purpose. CellarPro's Energy Saver adds 4°F to the set point, and its Quick Chill runs the compressor for up to six hours after warm bottles are loaded. A keypad lock, shown as POF and PON on Wine-Mate controllers and set through a loc parameter on WhisperKool's, explains a setting that refuses to change. Source: [CellarPro — 1800 series owner's manual](https://www.cellarprocoolingsystems.com/PDF%20Documents/Owners%20Manual%201800.pdf) — Display reads probe P1 behind the front grille unless a bottle probe overrides it; cut the differential from 4 to 1 with a probe in liquid; factory 58°F minimum set point and 4°F differential; wait 14 days before changing settings; Energy Saver adds 4°F; Quick Chill runs up to 6 hours; P1/P3 probe alarms, HA above 70°F, LA below 45°F, HA2 condenser above 140°F for 2 hours; HA and LA disabled for 23 hours after power-up; most collectors store at 55–60°F; [WhisperKool — SC Pro series owner's manual](https://whisperkool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/WK-SC-Series-OM-22-w-UV-120122.pdf) — Bottle probe shown by default, ddd selects setpoint, bottle, coil or condenser; bottle about three feet from the air output; probe in the air stream causes short cycling; Pb1, Pb2, Pb3; cooling starts 1°F above setpoint, setpoint 50–70°F in 1°F steps; blinking snowflake is the five-minute anti-short-cycle wait, dripping snowflake and Def mean anti-frost; loc locks the keypad; CA1 calibrates ±12°F; E1–E3, AH1, AL1, COH at 125°F, Ad3; ON/OFF does not disconnect power; [Wine-Mate (Vinotemp) — WM-1500/2500HTD owner's manual](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0555/0676/3891/t/7/assets/description_image_wm1500_2500htd_owners_manual_v2.pdf?v=1643942330) — Factory Set 55 and Hy 4; flashing compressor LED is the anti-short-cycle delay, defrost LED on during defrost; POF and PON lock and unlock the keys; P1, HA, LA alarms, HA and LA clear when temperature returns; start-up alarm delay dAO 23 hours; Fon raises humidity; ot calibrates the air probe ## Alarms that do need attention Real alarms usually arrive with a red light, a buzzer or a flashing reading, and the characters on screen name a sensor or a limit. The table in your own manual is the authority. The examples below come from the makers' published manuals and show the families most controllers share; the error codes section of this site groups them the same way. Before clearing any alarm, write it down exactly, including whether it flashes and what reading sits beside it. Some clear themselves once conditions return, as Wine-Mate's high and low alarms do, and an alarm that clears and returns every afternoon tells a clearer story than one that was wiped once. - Probe alarms (E1 to E3 on WhisperKool's SC, P1 and P3 on CellarPro, P1 on Wine-Mate): a sensor is unplugged, damaged or out of bounds, and most units fall back to a timed on-off cycle to protect the wine. - High temperature (AH1 on WhisperKool, HA on CellarPro and Wine-Mate): the cellar is warmer than the alarm limit; check the door, the exhaust room and the coil first. - Low temperature (AL1, LA): the cellar is colder than the limit, often a cold house in winter, since these units have no way to add heat. - Hot condenser (COH on WhisperKool at 125°F, HA2 on CellarPro above 140°F for two hours): the exhaust side is not shedding heat; clean the condenser and clear its airflow. - Anti-frost timed out (Ad3 on WhisperKool): the coil did not warm during defrost; thaw it and read the icing guide. - Condensate switch (!2 on Wine Guardian's remote interface): the drain pan is full and the system stays off until the switch is cleared and reset. Source: [CellarPro — 1800 series owner's manual](https://www.cellarprocoolingsystems.com/PDF%20Documents/Owners%20Manual%201800.pdf) — Display reads probe P1 behind the front grille unless a bottle probe overrides it; cut the differential from 4 to 1 with a probe in liquid; factory 58°F minimum set point and 4°F differential; wait 14 days before changing settings; Energy Saver adds 4°F; Quick Chill runs up to 6 hours; P1/P3 probe alarms, HA above 70°F, LA below 45°F, HA2 condenser above 140°F for 2 hours; HA and LA disabled for 23 hours after power-up; most collectors store at 55–60°F; [WhisperKool — SC Pro series owner's manual](https://whisperkool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/WK-SC-Series-OM-22-w-UV-120122.pdf) — Bottle probe shown by default, ddd selects setpoint, bottle, coil or condenser; bottle about three feet from the air output; probe in the air stream causes short cycling; Pb1, Pb2, Pb3; cooling starts 1°F above setpoint, setpoint 50–70°F in 1°F steps; blinking snowflake is the five-minute anti-short-cycle wait, dripping snowflake and Def mean anti-frost; loc locks the keypad; CA1 calibrates ±12°F; E1–E3, AH1, AL1, COH at 125°F, Ad3; ON/OFF does not disconnect power; [Wine-Mate (Vinotemp) — WM-1500/2500HTD owner's manual](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0555/0676/3891/t/7/assets/description_image_wm1500_2500htd_owners_manual_v2.pdf?v=1643942330) — Factory Set 55 and Hy 4; flashing compressor LED is the anti-short-cycle delay, defrost LED on during defrost; POF and PON lock and unlock the keys; P1, HA, LA alarms, HA and LA clear when temperature returns; start-up alarm delay dAO 23 hours; Fon raises humidity; ot calibrates the air probe; [Wine Guardian — Remote interface controller guide](https://wineguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Remote_Interface_Controller_Guide_5.4.22-1.pdf) — !2 is the condensate switch alarm, which shuts the system down until resolved and reset; high voltage remains at the main control board when the system is switched off at the interface ## Where to stop Leave the controller to a technician when the display stays blank with power at the outlet, when a probe alarm returns after its plug has been reseated, when a hot-condenser alarm persists with a clean coil and a cool exhaust room, or when reaching the controller means opening the unit's housing. WhisperKool and Wine Guardian both point out that switching off at the keypad leaves line voltage inside the unit; pull the plug or turn off the circuit before any cleaning. Written by [WineCellarRepair.center technical team](https://winecellarrepair.center/authors/technical-team/). Cellar cooling technicians who write from readings taken in the room, at the exhaust side and along the line set. Sources: [Breezaire — WKL Series installation instructions](https://breezaire.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/WKL-Instruction-Jan-2025.pdf) · [CellarPro — 1800 series owner's manual](https://www.cellarprocoolingsystems.com/PDF%20Documents/Owners%20Manual%201800.pdf) · [WhisperKool — SC Pro series owner's manual](https://whisperkool.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/WK-SC-Series-OM-22-w-UV-120122.pdf) · [CellarCool — CX series owner's manual](https://www.cellarcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/CC-CX_Series-OM-061219.pdf) · [Wine-Mate (Vinotemp) — WM-1500/2500HTD owner's manual](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0555/0676/3891/t/7/assets/description_image_wm1500_2500htd_owners_manual_v2.pdf?v=1643942330) · [Wine Guardian — Remote interface controller guide](https://wineguardian.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Remote_Interface_Controller_Guide_5.4.22-1.pdf) For the heart of your home. ## Questions owners ask. ### Why does my display read 58 when I set 55? Depending on the unit, that is the top of a normal cycle, an air sensor sitting in warm air near the ceiling, or a cellar losing ground. Watch it for a day: a number that returns to the setting each cycle is fine, and one that never gets there is not. ### Can I calibrate the reading? Many controllers allow an offset. WhisperKool's CA1 parameter shifts the bottle probe reading by up to 12°F either way, and Wine-Mate's ot parameter does the same for its air probe. Calibrate against a thermometer in a water-filled bottle, never against an air reading taken at the door. ### Which setting should I choose? The makers' factory settings sit between 55°F and 58°F, and CellarPro notes that most collectors store their wine between 55 and 60°F. Pick one number and leave it there, because steadiness matters more to the wine than a degree either way. ### The display went dark after a storm. Has the controller failed? Not necessarily. Check the breaker, the outlet and any surge protector first, since several makers recommend one and it may have tripped. If power reaches the outlet and the display stays dark, the controller or its power supply needs testing. ## The problems behind it. Each has a page of its own: what it usually means and the causes in the order worth checking. [All 17 problems](https://winecellarrepair.center/problems/) Problem ### Cellar Cooling Unit Error Code 8 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Cellar Cooling Controller Display Blank 4 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Cellar Cooling Unit Short Cycling 5 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Wine Cellar Too Cold 4 causes, cheapest first ## When it needs a technician. The repairs on the right are where this guide ends when the checks do not settle it. ### Cellar controller and sensor repair Getting the controller, its display and its probes to read the cellar truthfully and call for cooling at the right time. ### Wine cellar cooling diagnostic visit A visit that reads the cellar, the room the heat goes to and the cooling unit itself, and ends with one named cause, whether it is a part or the room. ### Cellar coil icing and defrost repair Stopping ice from forming on the cellar coil by finding what starves it, whether airflow, charge, controls or humid air coming into the room. ### Cellar condensate drain and pump repair Clearing and rerouting the line that carries water off the cellar coil, and repairing the condensate pump where the water has to travel uphill. ## More in troubleshooting. What an owner can safely check on a cellar cooling system, from a thermometer and hygrometer among the racks to the controller's set point, the filter, the drain outlet and the exhaust side, and where to stop and book. [The whole section](https://winecellarrepair.center/guides/troubleshooting/) Checks an owner can make in the cellar ### Cellar cooling checks before booking: twenty minutes on both sides of the wall A thermometer in a water-filled bottle, both grilles, the breaker, the door seal and the drain outlet: the checks that settle many calls before anyone drives over. Checks an owner can make in the cellar ### Find the cooling unit model plate before the visit The plate is on the housing, not the controller, and on through-the-wall and split systems it often faces a side you cannot see from the cellar; where to look and how to photograph it. Guides ### All 18 guides Six sections, by what you are trying to find out. --- **[Read on the site: Reading the cellar controller: set point, probes, modes and alarms](https://winecellarrepair.center/guides/reading-the-cellar-controller/)** **[Book a visit with WineCellarRepair.center](https://winecellarrepair.center/schedule/)**