The differences between a standard air conditioner and one suitable for a wine cellar are many.

1. Air conditioners are designed to achieve temperatures between 18°c and 25°c. Wine cellar conditioners are designed to achieve temperatures of 12°c to 14°c.
2. Air conditioners create approximate ambient humidity of 20%. Wine cellar conditioners must maintain over 50% relative humidity to help support cork integrity.
3. Air conditioners are typically split system requiring complicated installation. The majority of wine cellar conditioners are monobloc for easy installation.
4. Many domestic air conditioners only cool. Cellar conditioners need to heat in the winter and cool in the summer.
5. Air conditioners are not typically governed by volume. An ideal wine cellar should have a consistent and uniform temperature throughout the space. Wine cellar conditioners will match their capacity to cool with the volume of your wine cellar.