To preserve the quality of wine, certain conditions are necessary: stable temperature, clean air, protection from ultraviolet radiation and condensation. It is difficult to provide all these conditions at home, so manufacturers create special wine cabinets that are ideal for storing and aging wine.
Haier FWC49GA is a compact yet spacious wine cabinet. It has the ability to adjust the temperature for optimal wine storage. The cabinet supports various types of bottles thanks to its adjustable wooden shelves. The capacity of the cabinet allows you to place several dozen bottles depending on their size. Wooden shelves are used to prevent vibrations and maintain proper ventilation inside the cabinet. To prevent unauthorized access to the collection, the cabinet may be equipped with a lock or other security mechanisms.
Characteristics
| Manufacturer | Haier |
|---|---|
| Model | FWC49GA |
| Type | single temperature wine cabinet |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Guarantee | 1 year |
| Life time * | 7 years |
| Capacity | 49 bottles |
| Temperature zones | 1 |
| Temperature Range | +5...+20 °C |
| Humidity range | 50%—70% |
| Total useful volume | 116 l |
| Control | sensory |
| Display type | LED |
| Air filter | carbonic |
| Lighting | LED, multi-point |
| Number of shelves | 4+1 |
| Shelf material | beech tree |
| Door coating against UV rays | There is |
| Reversible door | There is |
| Door opening direction | to the right |
| Compressor with vibration protection | There is |
| Childproof lock | mechanical |
| Energy efficiency class | A |
| Annual energy consumption | 135 kWh |
| Noise level | 37 dB |
| Climate class | SN/N/ST |
| Refrigerant type | R600a |
| Weight | 39 kg |
| Dimensions (W×H×D) | 497×820×585 mm |
| Length of network cable | 2.5 m |
* Contrary to popular belief, this is not a period after which the device will necessarily break down. However, after this period, the manufacturer ceases to bear any responsibility for its functionality and has the right to refuse to repair it, even for a fee.
Equipment
The wine cabinet is supplied in a package made of durable brown cardboard and protective foam, reinforced with nylon slings. There is a minimum of information on the packaging: in addition to the manufacturer’s logo and the name of the device in several languages, only transportation instructions are presented.
Manufacturer and model information is located on a separate sticker on the side. Having opened the box, inside we found:
- the wine cabinet itself with installed shelves
- set of two keys
- door hanging kit
- user guide
- service book
- energy efficiency sticker
At first sight
The Haier FWC49GA wine cabinet has a simple design. The design of the body and door is dominated by black color, setting a serious mood.
The metal walls of the case are covered with matte black paint. They are protected from the vicissitudes of transportation by a plastic film, which should be removed before use.
A double-glazed window with protective coating protects the wine collection from ultraviolet radiation, which can negatively affect the contents of the bottles and damage the appearance of the labels.
The cabinet is designed, of course, for horizontal storage of bottles. They can be placed on four shelves made of unpainted beech wood. Wood does not accumulate condensation, which prevents damage to labels and corks.
At the bottom of the container there is a tray made of the same beech, also intended for storing bottles.
The wine cabinet comes with a door hung on the right side. However, the design of the device allows it to be hung to the left: everything necessary for this is included in the kit.
Beech slats are not coated with paint, stain or varnish — there will be no foreign chemical odors in the cabinet.
The shelves rest on projections in the side walls. The top three have a fixed location, and the bottom can be installed in two options — higher and lower.
There is a large LED light on the ceiling of the chamber, with a ventilation hole next to it. The same lamps, but smaller, are also on the side walls.
At the bottom of the chamber there is a “step”, behind which there is a refrigeration unit. In the round hole in the lower left corner there is a cylindrical filter with activated carbon filler, which is designed to eliminate unpleasant odors.
To remove the filter cartridge, turn it clockwise by the handle.
The contents of the cabinet are protected from children mechanically: it is locked with a key. The lock does not have any signs of a secret mechanism, so it can be opened by adults without any problems. Its task is to prevent children from accessing the collection.
The front legs of the cabinet rotate, which allows you to adjust its horizontal position and ensure silent operation. There are casters on the back, making it easy to move the device when tilted slightly backwards.
The back wall is made of unpainted metal and has ventilation holes. There is also a nameplate with brief technical information, a sticker with serial numbers and information about the refrigerant used in the design.
Instructions
The user manual is published in the form of a 32-page A5 brochure on thick white paper.
The instructions are compiled in three languages: Russian, Kazakh and Ukrainian. It contains detailed information about preparing the device for operation, operating the wine cabinet and servicing it. Also included are recommendations for proper storage of different types of wines and tips for caring for the device.
The documentation set includes a service book and a mandatory sticker with information about energy efficiency.
Management
The wine cabinet's touch control panel is located on the top of the door. In normal mode, it displays only a line with the symbols “+” and “−”, as well as the power button.
When you touch any of the sensors, the panel is activated: the digital display shows the current temperature inside the cabinet. Additional buttons appear to the right and left of the numbers:
- “Light”: turns the backlight on and off.
- “°C/°F”: switches the temperature display between Celsius and Fahrenheit.
- “Mode”: allows you to select one of three cooling modes: “Red” (for red wine), “White” (for white wine) or “Sparkling” (for sparkling wine).
When you select one of the automatic modes, the device maintains the optimal temperature for each type of wine: from +13 to +20°C for red wine, from +9 to +12°C for white and from +5 to +8°C for sparkling wine.
The user can adjust the set temperature values using the “+” and “−” buttons, in the range from +5 to +20°C in 1°C steps.
The button with the image of a lock activates the child lock: to unlock you need to hold your finger on the sensor for 3 seconds.
A long (5 seconds) press on the “Power” button turns the device on and off.
The digital display shows the current or set temperature. To the left of the numeric value is the name of the selected mode, and to the right is the icon for the selected temperature scale.
When you turn on the device, the entire display is illuminated for a short time. The display contains “%” symbols and a “Wi-Fi” icon, although this model does not have wireless control or a built-in hygrometer. It is possible to use a standard display, which is used both in this and in more advanced models of wine cabinets from Haier.
Exploitation
Before using the wine cooler, you must completely remove it from the packaging, remove all shipping materials and remove the protective film from the body.
When choosing a location, you should take into account the need for free space for ventilation: there should be at least 10 centimeters between the cabinet and surrounding objects or walls.
If required, the door can be re-hung on the left side — all the necessary components for this operation are included in the kit, and detailed instructions are provided in the manual.
The cabinet should be installed on a flat and stable surface in a room where the temperature is between +10 and +38 °C. After installation, it is recommended to carefully level the cabinet horizontally using the adjustable front legs. A slight tilt back is allowed to make closing the door easier.
When the wine cabinet is opened, the backlight is gradually activated. Three built-in warm spectrum LED lamps, placed at different heights, ensure uniform illumination of all shelves.
The backlight turns off automatically 30 seconds after the door is closed. By pressing the corresponding button on the control panel, you can turn on the lighting when the door is closed and use the cabinet as an element of the interior. In this mode, auto power off is not activated.
The manufacturer warns that leaving the backlight on all the time can degrade the energy efficiency of the device, so you should use it wisely.
Now let's move on to filling the closet. It is designed to store standard Bordeaux bottles with a volume of 0.75 liters, with a diameter of 76.1 mm and a height of 300.5 mm. The dimensions of the shelves allow some deviation from the standards, which allows you to place bottles of Burgundy, Rhone, and champagne types with similar characteristics. This may slightly reduce the overall capacity of the cabinet, since the bottles are placed quite compactly.
The bottom shelf has a depth corresponding to the height of one standard Bordeaux bottle. The bottles are arranged on this shelf in three rows, on top of each other. The bottom row holds five bottles, the middle row holds four, and the top row holds three to five. One of the photos shows that one of the bottles turned out to be slightly larger than the standard one, which did not allow placing more than twelve bottles on the bottom shelf.
The depth of the remaining four shelves is designed to accommodate two rows of bottles. In this case, they are stacked “jack”: four — bottom to the door, three — bottom to the back wall (or vice versa).
The design of the cabinet allows you to slightly vary the location of the shelves. On one of the four (in our case, it’s the first one from the bottom), bottles can be stacked in two layers — that is, fourteen vessels.
On the other three shelves, containers are placed in one row — seven each.
Our wine cabinet provides the ability to store up to forty-nine standard-size bottles. The maximum permissible load on the shelves is up to 20 kg.
If the door is left open for more than a minute, an audible alarm sounds and stops when the door is closed. You can also turn off the alert by touching any button on the touch panel.
The temperature set by the user is stored in the device's non-volatile memory, which allows the cabinet to resume operation with the specified settings after a power failure.
The wine cabinet is equipped with a temperature compensation function: if the room becomes colder than necessary, it switches to heating the contents, ensuring optimal storage conditions for the wine.
Care
The wine cooler is designed to operate at temperatures above zero and does not require manual defrosting. According to the instructions, it automatically defrosts when needed.
Caring for the device does not require much effort: to clean its surfaces, just use a soft cloth, avoiding abrasive materials and aggressive chemicals.
Our measurements
The maximum power consumption of the wine cooler is up to 46 W according to our measurements.
The energy consumption of the device was measured in maximum power mode for 3 days. During this time, the device consumed 0.771 kWh, which corresponds to a daily energy consumption of 0.257 kWh.
The noise level during compressor operation does not exceed 36 dBA.
Refrigerator operation
To test the capabilities of this wine cooler model, we evenly loaded it with ballast in the form of 15 bottles of wine, installed five temperature sensors inside the chamber (one for each shelf) and turned on the device in maximum cooling mode (“Sparkling” for sparkling wines).
The temperature in the chamber smoothly decreased from room temperature to the set temperature, stabilizing 16 hours after the start of the test. The spread of average temperature sensor values was minimal: the difference between the warmest and coldest shelf was only about 1.3°C. This result is impressive considering that in typical household refrigerators the temperature difference between the shelves often exceeds 10°C.
The design of the wine cabinet uses a classic on/off compressor: the temperature inside the chamber is controlled by starting and stopping the engine. However, unlike conventional refrigerators, the periods of operation and stop of the compressor in our cabinet are very short, not exceeding five minutes.
This thoughtful operating scheme ensures minimal temperature fluctuations inside the chamber, which is especially important for maintaining the quality and taste characteristics of stored wines.
conclusions
The Haier FWC49GA wine cooler is a modern, technologically advanced device, ideal for storing a home wine collection of up to 49 bottles. Electronic control provides precise temperature control in the range of +5 to +20 degrees Celsius, while minimizing fluctuations characteristic of refrigeration equipment.
The Haier FWC49GA wine cooler is a stylish and functional device that will easily fit into any interior. Its UV-resistant door ensures the safety of wine and bottle labels. Wooden shelves not only prevent the formation of condensation and reduce vibration, but also do not absorb foreign odors, which is important for maintaining the quality of wine storage. The carbon filter keeps the air inside the cabinet clean by absorbing unnecessary organic compounds.
The cabinet is designed for 49 standard bottles of Bordeaux wine, which are conveniently placed on the shelves. It can also store bottles of other types and sizes, but in this case the passport capacity may be slightly reduced. However, this is a minor drawback, which depends on consumer preferences.
Pros:
- precise temperature maintenance and low temperature fluctuations
- convenient control
- attractive appearance
- beech wooden shelves
- UV protection of glass door
Minuses:
- not detected