Haier Wine Cooler

E

edisonbird

SilverBack
I got tired of trying to keep the house down around 72 degrees and finally went out and got a wine cooler. Down here in South Florida I will probably run it all year long. Lowes just had a sale on the Haier 42 bottle cooler for $329, combined with a remote digital hygrometer from Radio Shack and one AC computer fan, a Cigar Oasis, and one pound of 65% Climaxx beads. I've had it running for about a week now, and it holds pretty steady between 66 to 68 degrees with 65 to 66% RH. I keep the remote hygro in an empty box so it isn't so sensitive to the tempurature change and it gives me a good reading of what the stogies in the boxes are being stored at. Looks like it will hold around 40 boxes. I have the small computer fan programed with a 7 day 94 event timer to run for 10 minutes about every 1 1/2 hours blowing the air up from the bottom. So far it has worked great. I couldn't afford a Delta T unit, but for under 500 this is great. Now I have kewl smokes!!
 
Rick,

That sounds really cool. I too live in Florida, which is why I am so intrested in your setup. Can you post photos of your new rig?

-Justin
 
I have the same fridge with a similar setup, but my fan does not have a timer. Please post more info about it. Thanks.
 
[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-03-02 AT 03:56 AM (CDT)]You can pick up a 120 volt computer fan from radio shack for 19.95, I think it is 32 cu ft per min, I hung it from the first rack up from the bottom pointing up. I used 4 plastic quick ties to mount it directly under the first rack up from the bottom facing up. I does a great job of circulating the air and eliminates any condensation from the back wall. I placed the cigar oasis on the opposite side of the bottom (right) and turned it down by 1/2 a turn counter clockwise to reach the 65% range. Since any condensation will be eliminated by the fan you can run all your wiring out through the drain hole in the back. I picked up a 7 day 94 event digital timer at Home Depot for about 15 bucks and plugged the fan into that, it runs for 10 minutes every 1 1/2 hours. I then plugged up the rest of the drain hole with putty to make it fairly air tight. I placed one pound of 65% climaxx beads into two rubbermaid containers, place them on two different shelves. The only cedar that I use is the boxes the cigars are in. Put your remote hygrometer inside an empty box and you are ready. It works great!! Pictures later today.






 
[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-03-02 AT 07:10 PM (CDT)]Not really a good pic, but I had to limit it to under 100kb. In this pic there are 20 boxes in the cooler. Fan is on lower left, cigar oasis on lower right. Climaxx beads in the two rubbermaids.
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I just ran a search on www.lowes.com and could not come up with any Haier's Wine Coolers??? Any suggestions for sources--I need one here in middle Georgia. Also, your model is too big for me--40 boxes--Wow! Thanks for the info--looks like just what I need.

Dan

Fast Smoker--12.532 sec. in the 1/4 mile@108.31mph--2001 F150 Lightning Truck
 
I can't find it on the net at lowes, but they do have them in the stores. They have a smaller 30 bottle wine cooler by Haier for 197. Try calling your nearest lowes and check in the appliance dept. They also carry them at Best Buy.
 
[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-05-02 AT 11:29 AM (CDT)]Edisonbird; Thanks again. I did call my local Lowes and they have a 20, 30, and a 40 bottle in stock. I plan to go by after work and get a 30. I already have a Cigar Oasis and 3 table-tops. Do you think it would work(hold 70 dgrees) in my non-airconditioned garage in the summer(90+)?


Dan

Fast Smoker--12.532 sec. in the 1/4 mile@108.31mph--2001 F150 Lightning Truck
 
I don't have any idea if it would work in the garage, mine is in my house which I keep at 76, the unit cycles maybe 2 or three times a day at most. I have mine set at the warmest setting, 65. Good luck, I am sure you will have a good time setting it up, run the wire for the oasis first, as you can't get it through the hole if you already have a wire for the fan in it.
 
Ok, I bot a 30 bottle Hair Wine Cooler this afternoon from Lowes. I put it in my computer/bedroom instead of the garage. Man, it was cooling at 61* after just a 1/2 hour after turning it on!

I haven't put the fan or beads in it yet as I put my 3 desk-top humidors in it instead of cigar boxes. The 'dors have their Credos and hygrometers still in each one. I have a Cigar Oasis in the "Cuban" 'dor.

Question: Can the cigars be too cool? It's keeps dropping to 60* even after I used the 'set' control and set it at 66*. Is 60* too cold or is it OK if the RH is kept at 63-65%?

I gotta quit reading these threads--I'm spending soooo much money.

Dan

Fast Smoker--12.532 sec. in the 1/4 mile@108.31mph--2001 F150 Lightning Truck
 
I keep my hgrometer in an empty box so it isn't as sensitive the the temp changes as it would be if it were just out in the open. I have a remote read out unit(from Radio Shack) Before putting it in the empty box the air would go from 55 to 68, after putting it in the box, which is where the cigars are, it goes from 65 6o 68, the humi from 65 to 68 also, working perfect. don't go by the digital readout on the front of the cooler, it isn't exactly right, the book says it could be off as much as 5%. Try a remote unit in a box.
 
I have a Haier setup in South Florida and would like to make a few suggestions. You don't need the oasis - that wine cooler unit is so airtight, that you'll find that your cigars will be too wet. Once the beads absorb all that humidity, the cigars will start absorbing more. As far as the fan, I let mine run constantly to circulate the air. The cost is nil to run that fan. Even though you'll get different ph/temp readings in different areas of the Haier, the ph/temp in the cigars remains very consistent. Just my opinion, based on speaking to a lot of other Florida herfers using this setup. :sb
 
Hi guys

I am thinking about picking up a wine rack my self

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=171952-13247-HVFM20ABB&lpage=none

Haier
20 Bottle Wine Cooler (Color: Black)

Item #: 171952 Model: HVFM20ABB
$158.00

Any how i was reading the setups some people have.

Seems most of you just put the cases into the wine rack

Hay anyone put in spanish ceader shelfs?
I would be intrested in how that turned out.

Also does anyone notice a diffrence in taste or smell because it is refregirated?
 
I have a med. size wine cooler. I think it is quite a bit bigger than what you guys are talking about because it is a eighty bottle cooler. I have posted way too much about my personal probs., but I would recommend that you put the coolr in the coolest room. This will lower the cycling rates. When the condenser turns on (that it is what I have gathered is happening from what I have learned here at CS) the humidity will drop some. If you are putting boxes inside the cooler I don't think it will make much difference.

I have a dozen trays thathold 30-40 cigars each. I have a Daniel Marshall 125 humi on the bottom rack. I have 5 25 count boxes and still have room for 4-5 more.Hven't had any probs. using trays and they really allow me to pack in more smokes. I just can't do the kind of handy things that I read about here. I think if you use a lot of heartfelt beads (I use a ton, because the RH where I live is always over 80%), and have them on different levels of your cooler, I think you can get by without the fan or cigar oasis. But, I sure admire the guys who can put that kind of stuff together. The beads react fast when you have a lot of them and the trays look really good, too.
 
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