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Estimated Costs to Repair Wine Fridge: Most Common Problems

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Wine coolers are one of the best inventions for suburban wine collectors and restaurants that do not have the luxury of an underground wine cellar. However, not every wine cooler is good quality and can stop working at any moment. Some common problems can cause the need for repairs.

The estimated cost to repair a wine fridge can range between $50 and $500, excluding the shipping costs for online purchased parts. If a fridge can be repaired at home, it will be cheaper than sending it to a service center. A technician can charge a minimum of $100 per hour for labor.

Wine Cooler PartCosts Products on Amazon
Compressor$100 – $600Best Compressors
Thermostat$5 – $30Best Thermostats
Start relay$7 – $16Best Start Relays
Condensor motor$30 – $250Best Condensor Motors
Overload protector$5 – $10Best Overload Protectors
Cooling fan unit$10 – $25Best Cooling Fan Units
Control board$60 – $250Best Control Boards
Temperature switching PCB$30 – $50Best PCBs
Thermal plate$30 – $50Best Thermal Plates
Estimated Costs to Repair Wine Fridge

When repairing a wine fridge, labor costs may cause the unit’s value to be inflated. Spare parts like compressors and condensers are expensive to replace outside the manufacturer’s warranty. Taking good care of your wine cooler may help prevent common problems that create the need for repairs. Let’s look at the estimated costs to repair a wine fridge.

Can Wine Coolers be Repaired?
Can Wine Coolers be Repaired?

TIP: If you want to check out the best refrigerator for wine storage, I recommend trying out the Avation (18 bottles) compressor refrigerator with Wi-fi smart app control cooling system. You can find this refrigerator by clicking here (Amazon link).

Can Wine Coolers be Repaired?

Wine coolers that overheat or fail to reach the desired temperature to keep the wine cool can be repaired once a troubleshooting exercise is completed. Depending on the type of wine cooler, troubleshooting should be simple.

Certain components in a wine fridge can be replaced with minimum effort and usually do not require a qualified technician. If the fault is more complex or electrical, you may need to call in a technician to collect the wine cooler for an inspection.

The main issue is to ensure that repairing the wine cooler is not more costly than simply replacing it with a new unit. If the wine cooler is under guarantee, then the supplier should be able to fix or replace it free of charge.

The main components in a wine fridge that can be replaced are the fan, compressor, thermostat, aluminum cooling unit, motherboard, and fuse. These components are readily available from most online and physical hardware stores. 

Recommendation box: Everything you need to enjoy your wine as much as possible. All recommended products are personally tested and regularly used by experts from this website (Amazon links):

> Ivation Wine Cooler Energy-efficient wine cooler for 18 bottles with Wi-fi smart app control cooling system.
> Wine RackBeautiful, elegant wood rack for up to 7 bottles and the choice of vertical or horizontal storage.
> Durand Wine OpenerClassic vintage wine opener (we like all these classic staff).
> YouYah Iceberg Wine DecanterThe most beautiful and handy wine decanter we personally use.
> Bormioli Rocco Wine GlassesA set of eight elegant and traditional wine glasses made in Italy.
> Vintorio Wine AeratorSimple but really useful wine aerator for a reasonable price.
> The Original Vacu Vin Wine SaverThe best wine saver on the market in a package with two vacuum stoppers and two wine servers.

And if you want to become a true connoisseur of wine, we recommend reading the book Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine (Amazon link), where you will find all the information you need about winemaking, wine varieties, flavors, and much more.

Common Problems With Wine Coolers 

A wine cooler is designed to work constantly for several years. Under rare circumstances, a wine cooler can stop working and may need repairs. The following issues are common with both types of units;

Common Issues With Thermodynamic Wine Coolers 

Thermodynamic coolers are sensitive to room temperature and must be positioned away from walls or confined spaces. Common problems are:

  • Room temperature fluctuations
  • A defective fan 

Common Issues With Compressor Wine Coolers

Compressor wine coolers have more components that can cause faults. Common problems with compressor coolers are:

  • A defective internal or external fan
  • A faulty thermostat
  • A malfunctioning evaporator
  • A malfunctioning compressor
  • The capacitor fails to start the compressor

TIP: Many people worry if wine refrigerators are noisy and thus more appropriate for a garage. In this article, you’ll see that these concerns are mostly unfounded. To learn if a wine refrigerator is needed for ideal storage, check out this helpful article.

Is It Worth Repairing A Wine Fridge

Before rushing off to buy a new wine cooler, if your unit suddenly stops working, consider if it might be worthwhile to repair it. To start, you will need to assess the damage if it can be repaired, and if it will be very costly. 

Typically, a wine cooler unit can last between 5 to 10 years, depending on how you take care of it, its location, and the brand. A new wine cooler can cost between $188 for an entry-level 18-bottle cooler to $2300 for a 220-bottle capacity wine cooler. 

TIP: If you want to learn how cold a wine refrigerator can get and why it is important for wine storage, you need to check out this article I wrote. To learn my proven 8 steps for long-term wine storage, you must read this article.

A wine cooler that costs less than $300 might not be worth repairing if the parts are very expensive or if the cooler is older than 2 years. The parts may not be too expensive, but sometimes the shipping costs end up being the same price as the parts.

On average, a mid to top-priced range wine cooler should last at least 10 years, and for the first 2 to 5 years, there should be a limited product warranty. This warranty will protect you in the unfortunate event that the wine cooler malfunctions. 

Technicians may agree that it is cheaper to replace cheap wine coolers and cheaper to repair more expensive wine coolers instead of replacing them. Each time a wine cooler part needs replacing, the likelihood of it breaking again or another component failing increases.

TIP: Are you interested in buying a wine stopper? We’ve personally tried and recommend buying one of these wine stoppers (Amazon links):

  • The Original Vacu Vin Wine Saver: Our top choice. Very easy-to-use wine stopper/saver. You can enjoy a glass of fresh wine whenever you want without worrying about wasting any.
  • EZBASICS Wine Saver: Great alternative to Original Vacu Vin Saver. This wine stopper keeps the flavor of wine for up to one week.
  • Champagne Stopper by MiTBA: Wine stoppers for sparkling wines are different. This wine stopper seals your bottle and increases the pressure so your beverage’s bubbles won’t go to waste.

Costs To Repair Wine Fridge

Estimated Costs to Repair Wine Fridge
Estimated Costs to Repair Wine Fridge

The cost to repair a wine fridge will greatly depend on the brand or fridge and the component that needs replacing. While certain components, like a fuse or a fan, would be relatively cheap to replace, a compressor or thermostat could be much more expensive. 

The different parts in a fridge that could be replaced are:

  • Compressor
  • Thermostat
  • Start relay
  • Condensor motor
  • Overload protector
  • Cooling fan unit
  • Control board
  • Temperature switching PCB
  • Thermal plate

The cost of these individual parts can be broken down as follows:

Compressors 

Wine cooling fridges will have different size compressors depending on the liter or bottle capacity and range in price. You can expect to pay between $100 and $600, excluding shipping and labor. 

Thermostat

The average wine cooler thermostat is priced at under $10 but can be as much as $30. That cost will depend on the make and model and if you are buying genuine parts or generic ones. This price typically excludes shipping and labor.

Start Relay

A start relay for a wine cooler can cost between $7 and $16. It is a small replacement part and is usually easy to repair. This price excludes shipping and labor.

Condenser Motor

A new condenser motor can cost between $30 and $250. This spare price will depend on the size of the wine cooler. This price excludes shipping and labor.

Overload Protector

An overload protector is a small part and can cost between $5 and $10. This price will depend on the make and model of your wine cooler. The price excludes shipping and labor. 

Cooling Fan Unit

Typically cooling fan units can be purchased for between $10 and $25, depending on the make and model of your wine cooler. This price excludes shipping and labor.

Control Board

Control boards are more expensive parts to replace. You can expect to pay anything between $60 and $200 depending on the make and model of the wine cooler. These prices exclude shipping and labor. 

Temperature Switching PCB

A temperature-switching PCB costs between $30 and $50. This price excludes the shipping and labor costs. 

Thermal Plate

The average cost of a wine cooler thermal plate is between $30 and $50. This will depend on the make and model of the wine cooler. This price will exclude shipping and labor.

If you need to send your wine cooler to a service center for repairs, you should expect to pay for parts and labor. Labor is calculated per hour and can become very expensive. Sometimes labor can be as much as $100 per hour. 

If you consider that a repair job that needs a replacement part like a compressor and a few hours of manual labor can cost you almost $1000, it might be worth replacing the wine cooler instead. 

Wine Cooler PartCosts Products on Amazon
Compressor$100 – $600Best Compressors
Thermostat$5 – $30Best Thermostats
Start relay$7 – $16Best Start Relays
Condensor motor$30 – $250Best Condensor Motors
Overload protector$5 – $10Best Overload Protectors
Cooling fan unit$10 – $25Best Cooling Fan Units
Control board$60 – $250Best Control Boards
Temperature switching PCB$30 – $50Best PCBs
Thermal plate$30 – $50Best Thermal Plates
Estimated Costs to Repair Wine Fridge

TIP: A critical aspect of keeping wine for long periods is the correct temperature and humidity. Check out this complete guide on how to control humidity in the wine fridge and the most common reason why your wine cooler is not cooling in this article.

Wine Cooler Compressor Replacement Cost

A broken wine cooler compressor can be replaced. You can find reconditioned or repaired second-hand wine cooler compressors for as little as $29. Depending on your wine cooler brand, a new compressor can be as much as $220, excluding shipping. 

There are several brands of wine coolers you can choose from, like Frigidaire, Kalamera, NutriChef, Vinotheque, EdgeStar, and Eurocave. After two to five years, a no-name wine cooler will almost certainly need repair or replacement. A compressor is one of the first parts that fail.

TIP: Most wines go bad once you pop the cork within a day or so. But a Coravin Wine Preservation system (available for a great price on Amazon) can extend the life of your opened wine for weeks or even months. It is awesome. You should check it out to see if it fits your lifestyle.

To have a wine cooler compressor replaced by a professional technician will most likely be charged a minimum of $100 per hour. 

Conclusion

Wine coolers that cost less than $500 may cost more to repair than replace. It is a better investment to buy a more expensive brand of wine cooler that gives you a guarantee of 7 years or more.

That way, you are guaranteed part replacement under warranty, and should you need to pay for a replacement due to negligence, the repair price is validated.

TIP: Check out this page for a complete list of wine products and accessories I love. You’ll find my recommendations for wine refrigerators, decanters, and aerators and the best place to buy wine online. Click here to see the complete listing.