--- title: "Cellar Cooling Load and Room Check | WineCellarRepair.center" description: "Measuring the cellar as the cooling unit sees it: insulation, vapor barrier, door, glass and the heat load, to show whether the unit can ever keep up." url: "https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-cooling-load-and-room-check/" --- # Cellar Cooling Load and Room Check Measuring the cellar as the cooling unit sees it: insulation, vapor barrier, door, glass and the heat load, to show whether the unit can ever keep up. ## What the cellar cooling load and room check involves. A cooling unit rated for a room of a certain size assumes that room is built like a cellar: insulated walls and ceiling, a continuous vapor barrier on the warm side, an exterior-grade door with a seal and a sweep, and little glass. Many cellars fall short of that. A room framed in a basement corner with bare drywall, a display wall of glass facing a warm living room, recessed lights that open into the ceiling or a door with daylight under it all add heat and moisture the unit has to remove. When the load is larger than the unit's capacity, no repair makes the cellar hold 55°F on a hot day. This visit measures the room and what surrounds it, uses a thermal camera to find cold walls and warm gaps, checks the door seal and threshold, counts the glass and lights, and estimates the heat load against the unit's rating at the conditions it actually works in. You leave with a list of what adds the most heat, which fixes are small, such as a door sweep, a sealed light or a moved exhaust, and whether the unit is the right size for the room. How the visit goes ### What it usually costs Lowest · Cooling load and room survey The survey itself is a measured visit with a thermal camera and a written list. Any insulation, vapor barrier or door work it points to is done by the right trade and priced separately. ### Answers 6 problems Wine Cellar Too Warm Cellar Cooling Unit Running Constantly · Condensation on Wine Cellar Walls or Glass · Wine Cellar Humidity Too High or Mold · Cellar Cooling Unit Exhaust Overheating · Wine Cellar Humidity Too Low ### Comes up most on Through-the-wall cellar cooling unit Ducted cellar cooling unit · Split-system cellar cooling · Ceiling-mounted cellar cooling ### Codes that lead here E1 · AL · OH · AH1 Breezaire E1: the unit stopped after a slow first cool-down. ## Cellar cooling load and room check, step by step. Give you a list of what adds the most heat, which fixes are simple, and whether the unit matches the room. 01 Measure the cellar, note the walls and ceiling that face warm space, the glass, the lights and the door. 02 Scan walls, ceiling and door with a thermal camera to find missing insulation and air leaks. 03 Check the door seal, the sweep, the gaps around the unit and any penetrations for pipes, wires or lights. 04 Estimate the heat load against the unit's rated capacity at the temperatures it actually works in. 05 Give you a list of what adds the most heat, which fixes are simple, and whether the unit matches the room. ## The problems it answers. 6 of them, from wine cellar too warm to wine cellar humidity too low. [All problems](https://winecellarrepair.center/problems/) The collection is exposed ### Wine Cellar Too Warm 6 causes, cheapest first Before you call ### Tell us this when you book 1. The cellar's rough size and how many walls face warm rooms, the outdoors or glass 2. Whether the room was built as a cellar, with insulation and a vapor barrier, or converted later 3. The door type and whether light or air comes in around it 4. The unit's model and when it was installed It also answers - [**Cellar Cooling Unit Running Constantly** 5 causes](https://winecellarrepair.center/problems/cellar-unit-running-constantly/) - [**Condensation on Wine Cellar Walls or Glass** 5 causes](https://winecellarrepair.center/problems/condensation-on-cellar-walls-or-glass/) - [**Wine Cellar Humidity Too High or Mold** 5 causes](https://winecellarrepair.center/problems/cellar-humidity-too-high-or-mold/) - [**Cellar Cooling Unit Exhaust Overheating** 5 causes](https://winecellarrepair.center/problems/cellar-unit-exhaust-overheating/) - [**Wine Cellar Humidity Too Low** 4 causes](https://winecellarrepair.center/problems/cellar-humidity-too-low/) ## Lowest, on the site's scale. The survey itself is a measured visit with a thermal camera and a written list. Any insulation, vapor barrier or door work it points to is done by the right trade and priced separately. [Read the full cost guide](https://winecellarrepair.center/cost/) | Repair | Relative cost | | --- | --- | | [Start capacitor, contactor, compressor or sealed-system restriction](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-compressor-and-sealed-system-repair/) | | | [Leak search, joint or coil repair and a weighed charge](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-refrigerant-leak-repair/) | | | [Evaporator or condenser fan motor, blade or capacitor](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-evaporator-and-condenser-fan-repair/) | | | [Air or coil probe, display, transformer or control board](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-controller-and-sensor-repair/) | | | [Drain line, drain pan or condensate pump](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-condensate-drain-and-pump-repair/) | | | [Thawing an iced coil and correcting its cause](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-coil-icing-and-defrost-repair/) | | | [Line set section, insulation or control cable](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/split-system-line-set-repair/) | | | [Humidifier module, humidity probe or settings](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-humidity-control-repair/) | | | **Cooling load and room survey** | lowest | ## Where it comes up most. Most bookings: Through-the-wall cellar cooling unit, Ducted cellar cooling unit, Split-system cellar cooling, Ceiling-mounted cellar cooling. [All wine cellar cooling unit types](https://winecellarrepair.center/types/) Codes that lead here - [`E1` Breezaire · Temperature and alarms](https://winecellarrepair.center/error-codes/breezaire-e1/) - [`AH1` CellarCool · Temperature and alarms](https://winecellarrepair.center/error-codes/cellarcool-ah1/) - [`HA` CellarPro · Temperature and alarms](https://winecellarrepair.center/error-codes/cellarpro-ha/) - [`AL` KoolR · Temperature and alarms](https://winecellarrepair.center/error-codes/koolr-al/) [All 17 codes that lead here](https://winecellarrepair.center/error-codes/#family-temperature) Often the same visit - [**Wine cellar cooling diagnostic visit** 3 problems in common](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/diagnostic-visit/) - [**Cellar condensate drain and pump repair** 3 problems in common · low](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-condensate-drain-and-pump-repair/) - [**Cellar coil icing and defrost repair** 3 problems in common · low to moderate](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-coil-icing-and-defrost-repair/) ### Through-the-wall cellar cooling unit ### Ducted cellar cooling unit ### Split-system cellar cooling ## The makes we see it on. 7 makes on this site, and the cellar cooling load and room check on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page. [All 7 brands](https://winecellarrepair.center/brands/) ## Cellar cooling load and room check, where we come out. The cellar, the climate and the building all change how the cellar cooling load and room check goes. These notes are about that, metro by metro. [All service areas](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/) [Tampa Bay](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/) FL · 31 areas Many Tampa Bay cellars are glass-fronted rooms carved out of a living area, and the load check adds up the glass, the exterior walls and the house temperature on the far side, showing whether the unit was sized for a room that now runs hotter than planned. - [Hyde Park](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/hyde-park/) - [Davis Islands](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/davis-islands/) - [Palma Ceia](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/palma-ceia/) - [Westchase](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/westchase/) - [Carrollwood](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/carrollwood/) - [Belleair](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/belleair/) - [St. Pete Beach](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/st-pete-beach/) - [Palm Harbor](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/tampa-bay/palm-harbor/) [Orlando](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/orlando/) FL · 30 areas An Orlando wine room built on a slab with a west wall in the afternoon sun carries far more heat than its size suggests, and the room check measures wall and glass temperatures and the unit's output to show whether a larger unit or better insulation is the answer. - [Winter Park](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/orlando/winter-park/) - [Windermere](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/orlando/windermere/) - [Dr. Phillips](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/orlando/dr-phillips/) - [Bay Hill](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/orlando/bay-hill/) - [Lake Nona](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/orlando/lake-nona/) - [Heathrow](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/orlando/heathrow/) - [Celebration](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/orlando/celebration/) [Miami / South Florida](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/south-florida/) FL · 47 areas In a South Florida tower the cellar's biggest heat load is often a wall of glass or exhaust air with nowhere to go, and the room check measures both before any unit is replaced, since a larger unit in the same closet only makes that closet hotter. - [Brickell](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/south-florida/brickell/) - [Coconut Grove](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/south-florida/coconut-grove/) - [Coral Gables](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/south-florida/coral-gables/) - [Pinecrest](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/south-florida/pinecrest/) - [Key Biscayne](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/south-florida/key-biscayne/) - [Aventura](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/south-florida/aventura/) - [Sunny Isles Beach](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/south-florida/sunny-isles-beach/) - [Bal Harbour](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/south-florida/bal-harbour/) - [Miami Beach](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/south-florida/miami-beach/) - [Golden Beach](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/south-florida/golden-beach/) - [Weston](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/south-florida/weston/) - [Boca Raton](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/south-florida/boca-raton/) - [Palm Beach](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/south-florida/palm-beach/) [New York Metro](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/new-york/) NY · 75 areas A New York brownstone cellar sits partly below grade and stays cool, while a wine room in a high-floor apartment takes sun and heat on every side, and the load check tells the owner which kind of room they have and what cooling it really needs. - [Upper East Side](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/new-york/upper-east-side/) - [Upper West Side](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/new-york/upper-west-side/) - [Tribeca](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/new-york/tribeca/) - [SoHo](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/new-york/soho/) - [Greenwich Village](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/new-york/greenwich-village/) - [Battery Park City](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/new-york/battery-park-city/) - [Brooklyn Heights](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/new-york/brooklyn-heights/) - [Park Slope](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/new-york/park-slope/) - [DUMBO](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/new-york/dumbo/) - [Forest Hills](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/new-york/forest-hills/) - [Great Neck](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/new-york/great-neck/) - [Southampton](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/new-york/southampton/) - [Scarsdale](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/new-york/scarsdale/) [Houston](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/houston/) TX · 36 areas Houston cellars built against an exterior wall take in heat through the brick all afternoon, and the room check looks at insulation depth, the vapor barrier and the door seal, the three things that decide whether the unit can keep up in August. - [River Oaks](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/houston/river-oaks/) - [Memorial](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/houston/memorial/) - [Tanglewood](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/houston/tanglewood/) - [Greater Heights](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/houston/greater-heights/) - [Kingwood](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/houston/kingwood/) - [Bellaire](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/houston/bellaire/) - [Bunker Hill Village](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/houston/bunker-hill-village/) - [Piney Point Village](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/houston/piney-point-village/) - [Hunters Creek Village](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/houston/hunters-creek-village/) - [Sugar Land](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/houston/sugar-land/) - [Cinco Ranch](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/houston/cinco-ranch/) - [The Woodlands](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/houston/the-woodlands/) - [West University](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/houston/west-university/) [Chicago](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/) IL · 50 areas A Chicagoland basement cellar gains little heat through its walls, so one that cannot hold 55 often leaks air through the door or a ceiling open to the house above, and the room check finds that gap before a larger unit is ever suggested. - [Lincoln Park](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/lincoln-park/) - [Near North Side](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/near-north-side/) - [West Loop / Near West Side](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/west-loop-near-west-side/) - [Wilmette](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/wilmette/) - [Winnetka](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/winnetka/) - [Glencoe](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/glencoe/) - [River Forest](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/river-forest/) - [Oak Park](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/oak-park/) - [Hinsdale](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/hinsdale/) - [Lake Forest](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/lake-forest/) - [Highland Park](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/highland-park/) - [Gold Coast](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/gold-coast/) - [Lakeview](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/chicagoland/lakeview/) [Los Angeles](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/) CA · 95 areas Los Angeles glass-walled cellars look striking, but single-pane glass or a door without a threshold seal can double the load, and the room check measures the heat each surface brings in so the owner can weigh sealing against a bigger unit. - [Beverly Hills](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/beverly-hills/) - [Bel Air](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/bel-air/) - [Holmby Hills](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/holmby-hills/) - [Brentwood](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/brentwood/) - [Pacific Palisades](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/pacific-palisades/) - [Santa Monica](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/santa-monica/) - [Hancock Park](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/hancock-park/) - [Studio City](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/studio-city/) - [Calabasas](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/calabasas/) - [Manhattan Beach](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/manhattan-beach/) - [Palos Verdes Estates](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/palos-verdes-estates/) - [Pasadena](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/pasadena/) - [San Marino](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/san-marino/) - [Malibu](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/los-angeles/malibu/) [San Diego](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/san-diego/) CA · 31 areas San Diego cellars near the coast were often sized for mild air, and when a remodel moved the exhaust into a hotter space or added glass, the room check recalculates the load to show whether the unit still fits the room. - [La Jolla](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/san-diego/la-jolla/) - [Carmel Valley](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/san-diego/carmel-valley/) - [Point Loma](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/san-diego/point-loma/) - [Del Mar](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/san-diego/del-mar/) - [Rancho Santa Fe](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/san-diego/rancho-santa-fe/) - [Coronado](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/san-diego/coronado/) - [Encinitas](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/san-diego/encinitas/) - [Solana Beach](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/san-diego/solana-beach/) [San Francisco Bay Area](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/bay-area/) CA · 74 areas Bay Area cellars sit anywhere from cool fog-belt basements to hot inland valleys around Walnut Creek and Livermore, and the load check measures what each wall and ceiling brings in, since the same unit can be ample in one town and short in the next. - [Pacific Heights](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/bay-area/pacific-heights/) - [Presidio Heights](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/bay-area/presidio-heights/) - [Russian Hill](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/bay-area/russian-hill/) - [Noe Valley](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/bay-area/noe-valley/) - [Sea Cliff](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/bay-area/sea-cliff/) - [Hillsborough](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/bay-area/hillsborough/) - [Atherton](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/bay-area/atherton/) - [Woodside](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/bay-area/woodside/) - [Palo Alto](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/bay-area/palo-alto/) - [Los Altos Hills](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/bay-area/los-altos-hills/) - [Tiburon](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/bay-area/tiburon/) - [Piedmont](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/bay-area/piedmont/) - [Marina](https://winecellarrepair.center/locations/bay-area/marina/) For the heart of your home. ## Questions about the cellar cooling load and room check. ### How do I know if my cellar unit is too small? A unit that runs almost without stopping on warm days, yet has correct pressures, clean coils and working fans, is being asked to carry more heat than it can. The load check puts numbers on the room and compares them with the unit's rating. ### Does a glass wall make a wine cellar harder to cool? Yes. Even good insulated glass lets through far more heat than an insulated wall, and a glass door or wall facing a warm room can be the largest single load. That does not rule out glass; it means the unit and the glass have to be chosen together. ### What is a vapor barrier, and why does a cellar need one? It is a continuous layer, usually plastic sheeting or a foam board with sealed seams, on the warm side of the insulation. Without it, humid house air moves into the walls, meets the cold side and turns to water, which soaks insulation and grows mold. It also keeps the cooling unit from fighting that moisture. --- **[Read on the site: Cellar Cooling Load and Room Check | WineCellarRepair.center](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-cooling-load-and-room-check/)** **[Book a visit with WineCellarRepair.center](https://winecellarrepair.center/schedule/)**