Wine Cellar Heat Load Calculator — BTU/hr + System Recommendation (Concept Demo)

Enter room basics and get a fast "good-enough + guardrails" BTU/hr estimate, suggested system type (through-wall / split / ducted), and placeholder product line mapping. Educational estimate only — confirm assumptions with an experienced refrigeration pro.

Length (ft) iInterior finished dimension. Use inside drywall/finish measurements.
Width (ft) iFor odd shapes, estimate an equivalent rectangle.
Ceiling height (ft) iVolume drives baseline load. Taller ceilings cost BTUs.
Build quality iRule-of-thumb baseline. Good = tight envelope + insulation + vapor barrier. Poor = leaky / under-insulated.
Glass area (sq ft) iTotal warm-side glass area facing warmer space. Glass can dominate the load.
Glass type iSingle pane is worst. Double pane helps. "None" means negligible / 0 sq ft.
Ambient temp (F) iTypical adjacent space temperature. Delta-T drives the load.
Target cellar temp (F) iCommon wine target: 55F. Warmer targets reduce load and cycling.
Ambient humidity (RH %) iHigh humidity adds moisture load. This v1 uses a conservative adder.
Air leakage (ACH) iACH = air changes per hour. 0.2 tight, 0.5 average, 1.0+ leaky. Leakage often breaks projects.
Door type iDoor leakage is a common failure point. Tight weatherstripping matters.
Internal loads (lights W / people / other BTU/hr) iWatts become heat (1W ≈ 3.41 BTU/hr). People add heat. Other = pumps/electronics, etc.
Noise sensitivity / Constraints iSteers system type choice (through-wall can be noisier; ducted/split can be quieter with remote components).
Fixed guardrail: adds +15% sizing margin and rounds to common nominal sizes.
Estimated load (BTU/hr) iTotal estimate including adders (glass/door/leakage/internal loads) and a +15% sizing margin.
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Includes +15% safety factor
Recommended nominal size iRounded up to common equipment capacity steps to avoid undersizing.
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Common sizing step
Room volume (ft3) iVolume = L × W × H. Bigger volume generally needs more cooling.
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Interior volume
Delta-T (F) iDelta-T = Ambient - Target. Larger Delta-T increases load and may require larger systems.
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Ambient - Target

Recommendation

System type + placeholder product mapping (edit the mapping in the code to match your catalog).

System type iHeuristic suggestion based on size, noise preference, and constraints.
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Suggested line/model (example) iPlaceholder mapping. Replace with real SKUs/lines after you choose a vendor catalog strategy.
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Guardrail status iFlags inputs that often cause undersizing, humidity problems, or noisy installs.
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Installer notes (fast) iQuick heuristics: what to double-check before ordering equipment.
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Recommended products (VintageCellars.com) iV1 note: This uses a small starter catalog embedded in the HTML for demo purposes. Your developer can expand it (or load a JSON export) so the recommendations match your live inventory.
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Browse matching products

Breakdown (what drove the BTUs)

Pre-safety subtotal + component contributions. Use this to spot obvious culprits (leakage/glass).

Subtotal (pre +15%) iSum of base + leakage + glass + door + internal loads (before safety factor).
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Safety factor iFixed +15% margin for v1 quoting (guardrail).
+15%
Component contributions
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Copyable quote summary
Use the button in the header to copy a clean text summary for an estimate email.

Simple guide

What this is: A fast estimator that converts room basics into a rough BTU/hr load and a practical equipment direction.

How to use (quick)

  • Enter dimensions and the target temperature (55F is common for wine).
  • Pick build quality and leakage (ACH). If you are unsure, assume Average and 0.5 ACH.
  • Add glass/door/internal loads if relevant.
  • Press Recalculate.

What usually breaks the install

  • Leaky envelope (ACH too high) and missing vapor barrier continuity.
  • Lots of glass or single-pane glass facing warm/humid space.
  • Oversizing leading to short-cycling and humidity control issues.

Reality check: This is educational. Confirm insulation/vapor barrier details, infiltration, condenser environment, and any duct/line-set constraints before purchase.

Disclosure: Educational estimates only. Exact results depend on insulation/vapor barrier quality, infiltration, condenser environment, equipment placement, duct losses, latent moisture handling, and usage patterns. Always confirm with an experienced refrigeration pro.