Advantages Of A Liquid-Sensing Bottle Probe
The question is often asked: is it better to use an air temperature sensor in your wine cellar? Or is it better to use a bottle probe, which measures liquid temperature in the cellar?
What is a bottle probe?
The CellarCool bottle probe is a slim metal rod that fits into a wine bottle filled with water. Inside this metal rod is a temperature sensor. The sensor is connected by a cord to your CellarCool unit. The sensor detects the temperature of the water in the wine bottle and relays it to the controller in your CellarCool unit. When the water in the wine bottle reaches a certain temperature above the setpoint, the controller will then call for cooling and the unit will turn on and cool the room.
The bottle probe differs from an air temperature sensor in one key respect: it measures the liquid temperature in your wine cellar rather than the air temperature.
Disadvantages of air temperature sensors
The simple truth is that air temperature sensors do not give a clear picture of the temperature of the wine. Since they measure air temperature instead of liquid temperature, the unit will turn on or turn off based on the air temperature of the cellar and not the actual temperature of the wine. Moreover, air temperature changes faster than liquid temperature. This can result in your cooling unit turning off and on more frequently than it needs to, which shortens its operational lifespan.
Advantages of bottle probes
The bottle probe, as we’ve seen, measures liquid temperature, not air temperature. By measuring liquid temperature instead of air temperature, the bottle probe provides a more accurate reading of the temperature of the wines in your cellar. It also tells the unit to turn on only when it needs to. With a bottle probe, the unit is actually cooling the wine and not the cellar air. Overall, this causes your unit to run less and last longer.
Using a CellarCool controller vs. a 24-volt Thermostat
Fortunately, you don’t have to limit yourself in regards to the type of thermostat you’d like to use in your wine cellar.CellarCool offers you a choice. You can use our standard thermostat with our bottle probe, or you can opt for a 24-volt thermostat conversion kit. This allows you to buy a 24-volt thermostat conversion kit as an add-on to your purchase. (Recently, we began offering the 24-volt thermostat conversion kit as an aftermarket upgrade for select units as well.)
After purchasing a 24-volt thermostat conversion kit, customers can then select the 24-volt thermostat of their choice (not sold by CellarCool). Our conversion kit is compatible with 24-volt thermostats from all major sellers: Honeywell, Nest, EcoBee, etc. Customers may choose to use conventional 24-volt thermostats or “smart” 24-volt thermostats that can connect to WiFi networks and which can send updates to mobile devices. The 24-volt thermostat conversion kit uses an air temperature sensor; you will not need the CellarCool bottle probe.
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