Wine Cellar Ventilation

Following on from our previous blog on Subterranean Ventilation (https://www.vapourflow.com/cellar-subterranean-ventilation-guide/), the needs of a cellar to be able to store wine are more complex, yet very achievable with a change to our standard cellar ventilation system.

The storage of wine requires the control of two main parameters; the temperature and humidity. The ideal temperature range to store wine is 12-14°c, whilst keeping the humidity level between 50-70% Relative Humidity (RH). These parameters are easy to maintain within a normally dry cellar, hence why historically wine makers have used caves and cellars to store wine. In modern times, with the change of lifestyles and change of use of cellars, these parameters are an afterthought. This brings the need for the addition of a ventilation system to firstly dry out the fabric of the cellar, but also control the atmosphere.

The base system for cellar ventilation, as described in the previous blog, of crossflow ventilation is a perfect basis to build off, to control these parameters. The system will comprise of the following:

Warm Air Dehumidifier Inline (WAD Inline) (https://www.vapourflow.com/product/wad-warm-air-dehumidifier-fan-attic-whole-house/)

Externally vented Dryvent Inline (https://www.vapourflow.com/product/dryvent-inline-bathroom-extractor-fan/)

Internally vented Dryvent Inline (https://www.vapourflow.com/product/dryvent-inline-bathroom-extractor-fan/)

AutoStat X

The WAD Inline will draw in external air, tempering it when it drops below 14°C and shutting down when the incoming air temperature rises above 25°C. The externally vented Dryvent Inline will continually extract at low speed and switch to high speed during times of high humidity, expelling this to the outside. The Internally vented Dryvent Inline will be set to pull air from the main area of the property (either through the floor or wall if possible) and expel it into the cellar when required. The requirement of this function will be controlled by the AutoStat X, which will be set to Humidification, so that when the RH% drops below 50%, the Internally vented Dryvent Inline will turn on, and the naturally higher humid air from the property will boost the humidity levels. This will mean that this unit will normally lay dormant until required.

In the first instance, there will be period of this system drying out the fabric of the property, which will cause humidity level spikes, this should settle down after about 3 months; however, with this system running continually, the parameters we are aiming for should be more than achievable.