Vinotheque Wine Cellars Owner's Manual
Owner’s Manual
Protecting Your Investment in Fine Wines
Congratulations!
Thank you for choosing Vinothèque Wine Cellars.
We are sending you this Owner's Manual in advance, in order for you to become
acquainted with the process of receiving, installing and operating your new
cabinet.
Our goal at Vinothèque is to produce the highest quality cabinets in the industry.
Each of our employees plays an integral role in this process. Your unit has been
created especially for you based on the information received from our distributor.
We hope you enjoy the cabinet for years to come with trouble-free use.
We thank you for your business. Enjoy our proudly crafted enhancement to one of
life's great pleasures—your collection of fine wines.
Sincerely Yours,
Thomas Schneider
President
Vinothèque Wine Cellars 800.343.9463
1738 East Alpine Ave. fax 209.466.4606
Stockton, California 95205 http://www.vinothèque.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Transportation of the cabinet 5
Inspection of the cabinet 6
Designating proper location for unit placement 7
A. Weight Factor 7
B. Ambient Temperature Factor 7
C. Ventilation Factor 7
D. Noise Factor 7
Leveling the unit 8
Aligning the doors 9
Thermostat System 10
PDT JR Operating Instructions 11
PDT Operating Instructions 12
QT Series Operating Switches 13
WhisperKool
™
Series Operating Switches 14
Monterey Credenza Operating Switches 15
Testing the Refrigeration Unit 15
Loading Bottles 16
“Cool Down” Period 16
Normal Operations & Maintenance 17
Troubleshooting 18
Troubleshooting Guide 18
Bypass Plug 19
Door Gasket Not Sealing Correctly 19
Door Re-Alignment 20
Unfinished Wood Not Warranted 20
Door Warpage 20
Freight Damage Claims 21
Consumer Care Program 22
Warranty Information 23
Customer Service 24
Table of
Contents
-3-
Table of
Contents
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NEW OWNERS PLEASE NOTE…
Do not start or plug-in your new unit for 24 hours after
delivery. . .
Units are sometimes placed on their sides during shipping
which may allow compressor oil to escape their reservoirs. . .
Premature starting—before the oil has had a chance to
resettle—can cause damage to the compressor and result in a lack
of cooling.
A DEDICATED 20 AMP CIRCUIT IS HIGHLY
RECOMMENDED FOR OPTIMUM OPERATION!
Do not use a Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) with this
product. The cooling unit will draw more amperage than the
GFI will allow.
Upon plugging the unit in (QT series) and turning it on
(WhisperKool series), there will be a five minute delay before
the unit starts. This is based on the function of the
thermostat.
Purchase a surge protector or power conditioner to plug
your unit into. As with any sensitive electrical equipment, the
unit’s circuitry may be damaged by power surges and spikes.
Power surges and spikes are not covered by the warranty.
Transportation
of the Cabinet
-5-
TRANSPORTATION OF THE CABINET
Your unit has been shipped from the factory utilizing a
qualified moving company. This company has been chosen
based on their experience in handling quality furniture
products, which are heavy but require a delicate touch. The
unit comes with specific instructions for the installers to follow
to assure they understand all variables associated with
handling this product and meet the expectations set forth. Their
instructions include the following:
1. Inspecting the unit.
2. Unpacking the unit and cleaning up the debris.
3. Placing the unit in your home in the correct location.
4. Leveling the unit.
5. Removal of protective panel from rear of unit (QT series
only) (Do not remove on front venting units).
6. Adjusting the doors.
7. Attaching the door handles.
Inspection
of the Cabinet
INSPECTION OF
THE CABINET
Every Vinothèque unit is inspected for quality
and carefully packaged for shipment at the
factory.
When the moving company arrives to install
the unit, take a few moments to inspect the
packaging before it is removed.
Look for any marks, tears or damage,
which may affect the unit within. If any
potential damage is noted, have the
packaging removed and inspect those areas
closely.
Specifically inspect the compressor pan on
the QT series cabinets. It is located at the
bottom rear of the unit. Note if any oil has
leaked into the pan. Note on paperwork in
the event that oil is in compressor pan.
Any damage must be noted by yourself and
the installation crew on the shipping
receipt, which you and they will be required
to sign.
This notation will assure that damage
claims may be filed with the moving
company for damage in transit.
-6-
Designating the Proper Location
-7-
DESIGNATING THE PROPER LOCATION
FOR PLACEMENT
capacity weight of bottles
unit size empty weight of bottles (x3 pounds per bottle) = total weight full
150 213lbs 144 432lbs 645lbs
Mignonne 200lbs 220 660lbs 860lbs
320 237lbs 288 864lbs 1101lbs
500 298lbs 440 1320lbs 1618lbs
550 369lbs 468 1404lbs 1773lbs
700 421lbs 572 1716lbs 2137lbs
Credenza 400lbs 252 756lbs 1156lbs
As you can see, the weight load on the flooring can be significant. Be sure the area is sturdy
enough to handle this weight.
TABLE 1. WEIGHT LOAD FACTORS
Designating the proper location for your unit
is important. There are several considerations which need to be made in order to
receive the best performance results from
your unit.
A. Weight factor.
You will need to take into account that the
weight of the unit fully loaded with wine can
be substantial. The chart above specifies the
approximate weights of the units empty and
filled with wine.
B. Ambient temperature factor.
The cooling system in the cabinet has the
ability to cool a maximum of 30°F below the
ambient temperature in the room. Therefore
you want to place the unit in a room which
will not exceed 85°F. Otherwise the unit will
not have the capacity to keep the wine at a
desirable 55°F.
On the other hand, you want to make sure
the temperature in the room does not fall
much below 55°F. The unit only has the
capacity to cool the wine inside and cannot
exceed the ambient temperature of the
room. In addition, the unit is designed only to
cool to a minimum temperature of 50°F.
C. Ventilation factor.
Ventilation is an important factor to consider
when choosing the correct location. The
compressor motor will give off heat, which
will need to dissipate away from the unit. If
the unit is located within a restricted area
and ventilation is not available, then the
ambient temperature of the room will
increase and thus will prevent the unit from
cooling adequately. Be sure to find a location
with good ventilation. The rear of the unit
should be placed approximately 2 inches
away from the corresponding wall. In
addition, there should be approximately 12
inches of clearance above the top of the unit
and 6 inches on each side. This will assure
adequate dissipation of heat.
D. Noise factor.
At Vinothèque, we believe that our QT
system is the quietest refrigeration system
available in a wine storage cabinet. However, these units are motor driven and do
produce a nominal amount of noise while the
compressor and temperature equalizer fans
are in operation. The noise is comparable to
the noise of a refrigerator when it is running.
The unit will run continually during the
initial cool down period when the wine has
first been introduced to the cabinet. After
that time, the unit will run as needed in
order to maintain relative humidity and
precise temperature tolerances. The amount
of time the unit will need to run is based on
the ambient temperature of the room. Front
venting and WhisperKools are louder due to
design.
If the unit is placed on a hard surface such
as tile or hardwood floors, it is recommended that you consider installing a small
piece of carpeting underneath the unit to
prevent the unit’s operating noise from
echoing against the hard surface.
E. Humidity control.
The cabinets are designed to maintain
Leveling the Unit
-8-
relative humidity between 40-70%. This is
accomplished through the design/engineering
of the cooling unit. There are no special
controls for this function. As the cabinet
begins to cool, the relative humidity in the
cabinet will begin to rise, creating the ideal
environment for aging wine.
Note: The unit does not create humidity. If
you live in a dry climate, you can add to the
humidity of the cabinet by placing a sponge
in a small container of water at the bottom
of the cabinet. This will help to create the
necessary humidity needed.
LEVELING THE UNIT
The Vinothèque wine cabinets are equipped with
leveling guides (legs) which can be adjusted up or
down with a wrench (
provided with unit
) as
needed. There are two primary reasons for
leveling the units. The first is to assure that the
unit stands solidly on the floor without rocking
back and forth. The second is to adjust the doors,
to assure that they are flush and provide a tight seal.
The leveling units are pre-adjusted at the factory. However,
your specific location needs may be different and thus
adjustments may be required.
To level the unit, slowly
adjust the legs using the
wrench provided. Work in a
clockwise motion, making minor adjustments. It may require
you to make several complete rotations around the unit
in order to complete the needed adjustments. Do
not attempt to level cellar with a leveling device.
The unit is designed to stand slightly off plumb,
tilting backwards so the doors will close firmly.
This will compensate for the weight of the doors
(see illustrations).
Once you have completed the leveling process, check the unit to determine whether the
doors are flush and sealing properly.
lengthen the leg
shorten the leg
correct
incorrect
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