Cooling Assembly and Testing
The compressor is the one component that will need attention in year five, so it is the one component we refuse to make proprietary. Every cooled cabinet uses an Embraco unit.
Why Embraco
Embraco compressors are a standard part. A refrigeration engineer in Texas or in Rotterdam can source one, and it is not a special order from China.
The alternative — a proprietary compressor on a proprietary controller — saves a little on the bill of materials and turns every fault into an international shipping problem. We do not build that way.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Compressor | Embraco, R600a (R134a on larger units) |
| Voltage | 110 V / 60 Hz for the US · 220 V / 50 Hz standard |
| Control | Digital controller, standard part, ±0.5 °C |
| Vent path | Front to front through the plinth — zero rear clearance |
| Range | 5 – 20 °C cabinet · 8 – 18 °C cellar |
| Test | 24-hour cool-down and hold before packing |
110 V is a different compressor, not a transformer
A US order is built with a 110 V / 60 Hz compressor from the start. Fitting a step-down transformer to a 220 V unit is cheaper and it is the wrong answer: it adds a failure point, it wastes heat inside the cabinet, and no US engineer will service it willingly.
The 60 Hz frequency also changes the fan and pump behaviour slightly, which is why we change the unit rather than the supply.
The test we run before packing
- Pull-down test: from ambient to setpoint, timed and logged.
- Hold test: 24 hours at setpoint, checking the swing against the ±0.5 °C claim.
- Door-open recovery: measured after a 60-second door opening.
- Vent check: plinth airflow measured with the unit in its final position.
- Controller and light check, then the unit is locked out for shipping.
The detail behind the text
From this page to a delivered cabinet
- Made in
- Shunde, Foshan, China — frame, finish and assembly in one workshop
- Frame
- 18 mm stainless sightline, folded to the measured wall
- Materials
- Stainless steel, tempered or low-E glass, felt-lined bottle cradle
- Cooling
- Embraco compressor, 110 V / 60 Hz for the US, 220–240 V elsewhere
- Production
- 30 to 40 days after the 50% production deposit, quoted per project
- Delivery
- Crated, collected by your forwarder, with a numbered setting-out drawing
- Installation
- By your fitter, to our drawing; we dry-fit and inspect before crating
The questions that come up before an order
What happens if the compressor fails?
It is an Embraco part, so a local engineer replaces it. We ship the replacement at our cost within the two-year warranty; labour is yours.
Can the unit be serviced without removing the cabinet?
Yes on under-counter and built-in units — the controller is reachable through the plinth or a service panel. On a sealed built-in we mark the access route on the drawing before production.
Is R600a safe indoors?
Yes. It is the standard refrigerant in domestic refrigeration and the charge in a wine cabinet is small.
Send the wall and the bottle count
Three photographs and a tape measure is enough for a scheme, a finish direction and a price. The drawing fee covers the CAD and the visuals.