Every device with moving parts, or is used daily over a long time, is subject to breakdowns, in addition, to wear and tear. The cost to repair wine fridge exploration (including discounts) below will guide you on whether to call the technician, DIY or buy a new fridge altogether.
We have explored together the common cooling problems with a wine fridge and in this article, we will explore the cost of repairing or replacing the components that are affected. A wine fridge lasts for between 9 to 13 years. During this period, you will experience a number of problems with the wine fridge caused by several reasons.
The estimated cost to repair the wine fridge is between $50 to $600 depending on the type of repair being carried out but in some instances, it may cost more. The cost excludes a wine cooler narrow specialization technician who can charge a minimum of $100 per hour for the labor. You can aim to repair the fridge at home if the problem is not major because it will cost less. The cost of replacing the wine cooler can range from $150-$2000 thus if your broken wine cooler is repairable, we recommend a repair.
You should inspect the components that require repair and if you are confident and competent enough you can repair or replace them. However, we recommend calling a technician for these repairs but what does the refrigerator repair labor cost?
Cost to Repair Wine Fridge Estimates
The estimated cost to repair the wine fridge is between $50 to $600 depending on the type of repair being carried out but in some instances, it may cost more. The cost excludes a wine cooler narrow specialization technician who can charge a minimum of $100 per hour for the labor. You can aim to repair the fridge at home if the problem is not major because it will cost less.
The cost of replacing the wine cooler can range from $150-$2000 thus if your broken wine cooler is repairable, we recommend a repair.
The components that are repaired in a wine fridge and their costs excluding shipping costs if you are buying from online stores include the following:
| Wine Cooler component | Estimated Costs |
|---|---|
| Wine cooler compressor | $100 – $600 |
| Wine cooler condenser motor | $30 – $250 |
| Wine cooler control board | $50 – $250 |
| Wine fridge Cooling fan unit | $10 – $30 |
| Wine cooler thermostat | $5 – $30 |
| Wine cooler start relay | $7 – $20 |
| Wine cooler overload protector | $5 – $10 |
| Temperature switching PCB | $25 – $70 |
| Wine cooler thermal plate | $30 – $60 |
Wine cooler compressor replacement cost
Different wine coolers have different types and sizes of compressors. This depends on the size of the fridge, quality, and price of the fridge. The larger the wine bottle capacity, the more effective the wine cooler compressor should be. This means it can cost more.
You can easily do a wine cooler compressor replacement. On average, a wine cooler compressor will cost between $100 to $600 to buy in most online stores. A reconditioned or repaired second-hand wine cooler compressor will set you as little as $30 but we recommend getting a new component if possible.
However, the cost does not include the shipping costs which vary depending on where and how the shipping will be done.
Moreover, it is quite a specialized repair that will require a technician. And the cost estimate above does not include the technician labor charge.
The technician will recommend either repairing it in your home or delivering it to their repair centre. Moreover, the technician can advise you if the component is worth repairing/ replacing.
Wine cooler condenser motor
A Malfunctioning condenser fan motor is one of the main reasons why your wine cooler is not functioning. The component helps to cool the compressor and the condenser coils in the wine fridge cooling process.
Due to its moving parts, it is one of the common components that can easily cause your wine cooler not to work since it can be blocked, bent, broken down, or clogged with debris. The most common problem is oily debris build-up containing dust and other materials on the motor fan blades.
You need to replace the wine cooler condenser motor if it is not working and the reason for not working is not blockage/ clogs. A new one when bought from most online and physical shops will cost between $30 and $250 excluding labor and shipping costs.
The price of the wine cooler condenser motor is dependent on the size of the wine cooler and the type of condenser motor in use.
Therefore, if cleaning the stuck, not spinning condenser motor, does not work it might have obstructions which means you need to replace the motor. For replacement, you need to check the motor type and serial number for you to order a part that will work on your wine cooler.
Wine cooler control board
The control board functions as the main Central Processing Unit (CPU) of the wine fridge, meaning it is more expensive and delicate to replace or repair. You will need a technician to inspect if the cooler control board is working or not and then replace it in the following steps:
- Check the PC Board if it’s dead
- Remove the Dead PC Board
- Install a new control board New Board
- Splice the Cooling Kit Cables
A wine cooler control board will cost you between $50 to $250 to buy from an online or offline store excluding shipping costs for the repair. The labor charge for the repair is also excluded.
The cost of the wine cooler control board depends on the make and model of your wine fridge. Moreover, the capacity of the fridge in most instances determines how expensive the control board will be.
Temperature switching PCB
The PC board (PCB) is the part that distributes power and information between the different wine cooler components, such as the cooling fan & motor, cooling unit, compressor, and condenser among other parts.
The temperature-switching PC board will cost you between $30 and $70 depending on the make of the wine cooler and the model. However, the price does not include shipping costs if you are buying it from an online store.
This component is quite delicate to repair and we recommend getting a technician if you are not tech-savvy. This is because it is linked to different components of the wine cooler and any wrong move can damage more components.
Wine fridge Cooling fan unit
The cooling fan unit is one of the easy components to diagnose and repair. Moreover, most fan units are not quite expensive. However, the fan unit will be a bit different depending on whether your wine cooler is a compressor or a thermo-electric wine fridge.
You can expect to pay between $10 and $30 for the wine fridge cooling fan unit excluding shipping costs. The cost will also be dependent on the make and model of the wine cooler in addition to the cooling technology described above.
You can easily fix the cooling fan yourself or call a technician whose cost is not included above. To know if the cooling fan unit is the problem with your fridge not cooling, you can check if the condenser fan is running appropriately.
If it is not running as it should, clean up any materials – such as dust and debris that may be on the fan and check again. However, it is important to unplug the wine cooler from the power supply before removing any debris.
Wine cooler thermostat
A wine cooler thermostat is one of the most important components in the functioning of the wine fridge. It helps regulate the temperature in the fridge by powering on and off the different parts of the wine cooler to cool the interior. The parts depending on the power supply regulated by the thermostat include the condenser, evaporator fan, and compressor among others.
If the part is malfunctioning, the temperature inside the wine fridge can turn out to be very cold or very hot without any regulation. Therefore, it is an important component to check for breakages if your wine cooler is malfunctioning.
The wine cooler thermostat will cost you approximately 10 Dollars but depending on the make and model, the price of the thermostat can be up to $30, but the two sets of prices exclude shipping costs. Moreover, you should ensure that you get a genuine part.
The defective thermostat repair is easy to do also if you have some basic knowledge of fridges. However, you can get a technician to help with the repair. The costs of the technician’s labor are not included in the price above.
Wine cooler start relay
A wine cooler start relay is a small component in your machine that is easy to replace and quite cheap to buy. You may need to swap the start relay with another to rule it out as the cause of the wine fridge not working.
Excluding shipping costs, a wine cooler start relay costs between $7 – $20 depending on the wine fridge make and model. Thus, you need to know the type of start relay even before ordering it.
You can replace the start relay on your own or engage a technician. The start relay and overload capacitor below may be one unit in modern wine coolers that is plugged directly onto the side of the compressor. To repair the wine relay yourself, you can follow the five easy DIY steps below:
- Power off the wine cooler by removing the power cable from the power supply.
- Unscrew the wine cooler access panel. This panel is located at the bottom back of your wine fridge.
- Then remove the cap that masks the two types of relays: The start relay and the overload relay.
- Remove the start relay from the socket and replace it with a new one. This process works if the start relay and overload relay are not combined into a single relay unit. The combined relay unit can easily overheat. Thus, our recommendation is to have separate relay units for your wine cooler.
- Finalize the process by returning the cap, screwing the access paned back, and finally powering on the fridge to see if the new part is working.
Wine cooler overload protector
The overload protector is also another small part of your fridge. The cost of the unit ranges from $5 to $10 in most online stores excluding shipping costs. This cost can go slightly higher depending on the size, make, and model of the wine cooler.
The overload protector and the start relay go together as described above and in most cases, they may be damaged together. The process of removal and replacement of the overload protector is the same as the start relay repair above.
Therefore, you can also easily replace the part or engage a technician to help in replacing the overload protector.
Wine cooler thermal plate
The wine cooler thermal place has a repair number but most people really do not see the need for repairing it. This is because it is large and heavy to take to a repair shop via mail and it’s not very expensive to buy.
It will cost between $30 – $60 to buy a thermal plate when excluding shipping charges. The cost will also depend on the size of the wine cooler, the make, and the model of the wine fridge.
Replacing the thermal plate on your wine cooler is straightforward and that prevents temperature spikes that can put your wine at risk.
Can Wine Coolers be Repaired?
You can repair a wine cooler once you have identified the cause of the malfunction. Most of the components in a wine cooler can be replaced with new components or reconditioned/ repaired second-hand components that are working.
Some of the components can be replaced easily without requiring a technician as described above while other components are a bit technical/ delicate to replace and thus will require a technician to repair.
If your wine cooler is broken or not functioning optimally (poorly functioning wine refrigerator) it can lead to the partaking of wine that is not in the best drinking condition thus a lackluster wine-drinking experience. Moreover, it can lead to losses, especially with opened wine that has been stored in the fridge for drinking after a short period of time.
For example, a faulty wine fridge can lead to either freezing the wine or storing the wine at higher than recommended temperatures.
You can easily buy the wine cooler’s fan, compressor, cooling unit, thermostat, control unit, and fuse in most online and physical stores for fridge repair. However, if several components are damaged, then we recommend getting a new fridge if the wine cooler is not still under warranty.
However, a fridge under warranty can be repaired by the manufacturer at no cost to you. Therefore, you can check the warranty period if your fridge is malfunctioning.
Conclusion
We have discussed the costs and ease of repairing the wine cooler by going through it component by component. Yes, you can repair the wine cooler but it depends on whether several components are damaged and if the wine cooler is still under warranty.
You can repair the wine cooler by incurring the costs below per component:
| Wine Cooler component | Estimated Costs |
|---|---|
| Wine cooler compressor | $100 – $600 |
| Wine cooler condenser motor | $30 – $250 |
| Wine cooler control board | $50 – $250 |
| Wine fridge Cooling fan unit | $10 – $30 |
| Wine cooler thermostat | $5 – $30 |
| Wine cooler start relay | $7 – $20 |
| Wine cooler overload protector | $5 – $10 |
| Temperature switching PCB | $25 – $70 |
| Wine cooler thermal plate | $30 – $60 |
Therefore, you need to confirm if any of the components can be repaired or if you will have to replace them with a new one. This helps in determining the route that you will take as you repair your wine cooler.
Sources:
https://www.mrappliance.com/residential-services/kitchen/wine-coolers/
Fridge Fix of NJ is your Sub Zero, Viking, Wolf & Cove repair specialists. Fridge Fix is a Sub Zero Factory Certified installer. Sub Zero can repair, restore and install all makes of built in refridgerators and wine coolers.
The amount you will spend to repair a wine fridge in the United States can vary widely depending on the specific issue, the brand and model of the appliance, and the service provider. On average, basic repairs such as fixing a thermostat or replacing a faulty fan can range from $100 to $300. However, more complex issues like compressor or refrigerant problems may incur higher costs, potentially exceeding $500. It’s advisable to obtain quotes from reputable appliance repair services in your area to get a more accurate estimate based on the specific issues your wine fridge is experiencing. Additionally, some repairs might be covered under warranty if the appliance is still within its warranty period.