How to repair the cooling kit on a Thermoelectric wine cooler

The basic principle behind thermoelectric cooling is known as the Peltier effect. It occurs when you run an electric current through two electrodes connected by a semiconductor material, usually ceramic. The electricity creates a thermal imbalance within the device. One side gets warm while the other side gets cold. In a thermoelectric wine cooler, the Peltier device is housed in the cooling kit, a large device in the back of the cooler with a fan and aluminum fins. It acts as a heat exchange, pumping heat away from the unit while circulating the cold air inside. When this device breaks down, cooling stops, and temperatures in the wine cabinet steadily rise to room temperature. Because these devices are simple, with few moving parts, they only break down sometimes. The good news is that they’re easy to fix when they do. The whole process can be completed in under 10 minutes. Just follow these step-by-step instructions.

What You Will Need

To replace the cooling kit in your thermoelectric wine cooler, you will need:

A Replacement Cooling Kit
Electrical Tape/Heat Shrink & Torch
A Philips Screwdriver or a Drill With a Philips Head Attachment
Wire Cutter
18-Gauge Wire Strippers
Needle-nose Pliers

How To Begin

Unplug the unit, then unscrew the back panel of the wine cooler. The unit has 13 screws along the top, sides and bottom. There are also three screws at the back, underneath. Place the screws in a safe place where they will not roll away. For example, a Tupperware or coffee can. After removing the screws, remove the back panel. Plug the cooler in again and feel each cooling kit. The fan should be spinning, and the cooling kits should feel warm. It’s a malfunction if one kit is calm and still. Wait a few moments and then check again if neither kit feels warm. It may take some time for them to warm up. Lowering the temperature of the cooler can help speed up the process. After identifying the part that needs replacing, unplug it again before continuing.

The Cooling Kit Must Be Removed

You can unscrew two screws on either side of the cooling kit. They’re hidden among the aluminum flanges. If you can’t pull them out using your fingers, then use needle-nosed tools. Slowly pull out the cooling system from the wine cooler’s back. Make sure not to remove the cord. Unplug your cooling kit cord. Place the cooling set on a table. The kit will still be connected to the cooler by the four wires: the NTC1 cord, the fan wire, and the power wires. The zip tie will be used to bundle these wires. Cut the zip ties and unravel the cables. Unplug NTC1 as well as the fan cable. The power cables will be hardwired directly to the cooler.

Preparing the New Cooling Kit

Once you’ve separated the black and red power wires from the NTC1 and fan wires, cut them with the wire cutter. Set the old cooling kit aside and bring out the new one. Take the wire strippers and remove the plastic sleeves from off the ends of the power wires on the wine cooler and the unique cooling kit. Once the wires are exposed, you can insert the new cooling kit into the back of the cooler. Plug the wire on the back of the kit to the wire inside the cooler, which you unplugged when you removed the old cooling kit. Make sure the interior cables are safely tucked inside the unit and aren’t obstructing the fan, then screw the new cooling kit into place. Don’t tighten the first one down entirely until you’ve got the second one in, or you might not have an even field when you’re screwing in the second. Once the second is in, tighten as needed. You’ll be ready to splice the power wires when they’re secure.

Splicing Power Wires

The power wires should be twisted together in the same color: black to black and red to red. You can use electrical tape to cover the exposed metal wires. Heat shrink is a great option. Slide the heat-shrink cylinders on the cables above the exposed metal. Then, tie them together. Slide the heat shrink down to cover the exposed wires. The heat shrink will shrink when heated. Before moving on, make sure they are secure.

Checking the Cooling Kit

Plug the fan wire back into the bottom right corner of the circuit board, where it says “FAN,” and connect the NTC1 to the top left corner, where it says NTC1. The fan wire is red and black. The NTC1 wire is solid black. The new cooling kit is now set up. Before you reattach the back panel:

Plug in the wine cooler and make sure the kit’s working. The fan should be spinning, and the kit should feel warm.
If it does, screw the back panel back onto the cooler.
Don’t forget about the three screws at the bottom. When the panel is secure, your work is done.
Time to enjoy your wine!