Rookie Installation Mistakes – Wine Cellar Cooling Units
Even the most experienced wine cellar cooling engineers can make rookie mistakes. Being methodical when installing refrigeration equipment can save you time and
Summer time is the busiest time of the year. Old jobs need maintenance or need emergency service. New jobs need started and finished before the holidays begin. Everything is urgent. This is when strictly adhering to good procedure pays off the most. It is tempting to skip steps and double-checks to save a few minutes here and there. In the long run it is rarely worth it.
We recently had a refrigeration contractor in Memphis installing an LPQ 4600 wine cabinet cooling unit into a lovely glass cabinet with metal racking. It was an important job so he sent his “best” guy, knowing he is by far the fastest on his crew. He could send the others out on service calls. The technician installed the refrigeration system on his own in about 3 hours. Not a record, but certainly impressive. With 20 years’ experience it’s to be expected.
He pulled a vacuum found no leaks and charged the cooling unit up. A few minutes later the head pressure began to rise dramatically while the suction dropped. The technician spent the next 3 1/2 hours trying to find what could possibly be the problem. As a last resort he called our tech line. He was instantly on the attack, wanting a new refrigeration system shipped out overnight.
With some discussion and letting him ‘cool’ off a bit we asked him to check the most basic thing, were the lines reversed at the coil. He was offended at first, naturally, and hung up. No one likes to have their expertise questioned.
A little bit later he called back humbled and grateful for the suggestion. The lines were in fact reversed. The cooling system was running perfectly and he could not believe how easy it was to make such a rookie mistake.
This was a learning moment. We are always here to help, not just as a last resort.
Always follow good procedures. https://www.winecellarrefrigerationsystems.com/wine-cellar-cooling-units-diagnostics-standard-form.aspx
5 minutes spent double checking the most basic details can likely save you five hours of frustration.