8 Tips For Installing And Positioning Your New 24-Inch Wine Cooler

If you don't have the means to build something with the bottle capacity of a wine cellar, buying a new 24-inch bottle wine cooler is a huge accomplishment for any wine enthusiast. Whether you’re planning on storing your favorite wine bottles or just having a drink chilled to the perfect temperature, there’s no doubt that this little wine refrigerator will quickly become one of your favorites.

Unfortunately, it also comes with new challenges — especially since you’ll need to figure out where in your home to put your wine cooler refrigerator. As long as you approach installing and positioning your new bottle wine cooler with an open mind, it won’t be long before you see just how amazing a home addition it really is.

1. Decide Whether You Want It Built-In or Freestanding

While built-in and freestanding wine coolers have plenty of advantages, their installation and placement process is entirely different. Before you do anything else with your new 24-inch wine cooler you’ll need to decide where you want to install your wine fridge — and if you’ve purchased it already, you should look at the vent type to determine which type it is.

Freestanding wine coolers have ventilation on the sides, while built-in wine coolers are strictly ventilated from the front. The reason why is simple: once the built-in wine refrigerator is placed into a confined space, it will need to rely on the front vent to allow it to ventilate properly. The freestanding wine cooler, meanwhile, is designed to use open-air spaces for ventilation. This makes them prone to overheating if they’re placed in confined spaces.

2. Position Your Cooler Away from Heat Sources

Whether it’s your dishwasher or your oven that runs hot, one of the worst things you can do is place your new 24-inch wine cooler next to one of these devices. Exposure to heat can quickly cause your wine cooler to heat up unevenly. As your wines are exposed to the sporadic rising temperatures, they will age and develop unpleasant flavors.

As you’re positioning your new wine cooler, you should find a place outside direct sunlight and away from heat sources, including the sun's UV rays. This will ensure that your wine cooler can keep everything at the proper temperatures. As a bonus, correctly placing your wine cooler will save you money on your next electric bill because it won't work as hard to maintain the ideal temperature for wine storage.

3. Let the Cooler Sit for a Few Hours

Before you do anything else with your new compressor-based wine cooler, let it sit for at least a few hours. This will allow the coolant inside the wine cooler to settle, ensuring it can function optimally. You can skip this step if you’re installing a thermoelectric wine cooler.

4. Find an Electrical Outlet Nearby

As you’re finding the ideal spot to install your new 24-inch wine cooler, one of the most important things you can do is find an electrical outlet that directly reaches the wine cooler’s power cord. Extension cords aren’t recommended for use with wine coolers.

Unfortunately, the fact that you shouldn’t use extension cords does limit the number of viable placements within your home. Despite this limitation, finding a great spot for your wine cooler is possible as long as you’re imaginative about how to use the space you have.

5. Consider How the Door Opens

Before installing your 24-inch wine cooler and putting your favorite bottles inside, one of the most important things you should do is consider how the door opens. Depending on where you place the wine cooler, you may find that the tempered glass door swings out in a terrible position, making it hard to use or navigate around. Some options may have a reversible door, but you should only decide where to place your wine cooler after ensuring you’re happy with how the door will open from that position.

6. Place Your Cooler on a Hard Surface

Every home is different. While some homes are distinguished by their tile and hardwood floors, others are practically filled with carpet. Unfortunately, one of the worst places to install a wine cooler is on a carpeted floor. Because the carpet holds in heat and moisture, it can quickly begin to mold underneath the wine cooler — and by the time you notice, it will be a disaster to fix. You should only ever install a wine cooler on a hard surface, such as tile, wood, or at minimum, a rigid plastic tray.

7. Set Your New Cooler to the Right Temperature and Humidity

One of the most crucial steps to getting your new 24-inch wine cooler ready to store your favorite bottles is configuring its settings correctly. Regarding short-term storage, each wine has a different ideal temperature that you’ll need to be aware of. And as for long-term storage, you’ll need to make sure the humidity and temperature are correct if you want to make sure your wines won’t end up oxidizing or losing any of their best flavors.

As a rule of thumb, red wine should be served the warmest — around 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit is generally recommended. White wine and rose wines can be served at a cooler range of 50 to 60 degrees, while the perfect temperature for sparkling wines is as close to 40 degrees as possible. If you’re planning on storing your wine over the long term, you can reduce the serving temperature by around 5 degrees.

8. Find a Placement Where Your Wine Cooler Will Delight You

When finding the perfect place for your wine storage, it’s safe to say there’s no shortage of options. You can choose black stainless steel or a fancy French door and put it alongside the other appliances in the kitchen, make it the highlight of your dining room so your favorite wine is always within reach at dinner, or even make it the decorative staple of your living room with additional features like an LED light and wooden shelf. Wherever you choose to put your wine fridge, the most important thing you can do as a wine lover is find a place where it delights you to put it so you can look at your wine collection whenever you want.

Final Thoughts

While buying and installing a wine cooler is difficult, finding the proper placement can be even more challenging, especially considering constraints like electrical outlet access and heat exposure. As long as you can weigh out all of the factors, however, it won’t be long before you find the perfect placement for your new 24-inch wine cooler and enjoy your favorite wine bottles at the perfect temperature.