| Wine coolers' refrigeration systems are usually | | | | - Thermoelectric coolers' solid state design allows |
| conventional compressor units or thermoelectric | | | | them to take up less floor space, plus they are |
| units. A conventional compressor cooling system | | | | more lightweight. |
| contains four fundamental parts - the | | | | - Thermoelectric devices do not cycle on and off |
| compressor, condenser, throttle valve and | | | | and have smaller temperature fluctuations and |
| evaporator. In simple terms, these parts work | | | | more precise temperature control (+/- 0.1 degree |
| together to circulate and heat up a refrigerant | | | | Celsius) |
| which is then condensed and cooled, with the heat | | | | - Thermoelectric coolers have high reliability with |
| rejected and evaporated and the now cold | | | | tests showing lives greater than 200,000 hours |
| refrigerant mixture lowering the temperature of | | | | (almost 23 years) |
| the enclosed space it is in. In contrast, | | | | - Thermoelectric works best with relatively |
| thermoelectric cooling systems are solid state | | | | steady state cooling temperature demands and |
| semiconductor devices without moving parts, | | | | where power is supplied to the unit on a uniform |
| fluids, chlorofluorocarbons or other chemicals or | | | | basis, like wine coolers. |
| gases. Put simply, electrons moving through a | | | | However, compressor based systems are more |
| semiconductor material absorb heat and move it | | | | efficient at cooling than thermoelectric units |
| to the hot, expelling end of the unit cooling the air | | | | (estimated at 4 to 12 times more efficient) and |
| in the enclosed unit. | | | | can withstand more adverse conditions. Thus, |
| Thermoelectric coolers have several advantages | | | | thermoelectric cooling units are generally used |
| over conventional compressor units including: | | | | more in environments where cooling demands are |
| - Thermoelectric units have no moving parts, | | | | not as onerous and where their solid state nature |
| which results in less vibrations, a more silent | | | | (no moving parts, quiet operation, |
| operation and virtually maintenance free | | | | maintenance-free) and smaller size outweighs pure |
| operations. | | | | cooling efficiency. Thermoelectric wine coolers are |
| - Thermoelectric wine refrigerators are more | | | | not meant for large cooling applications such as air |
| environmentally friendly because they do not | | | | conditioning units. Thermoelectric devices are best |
| release ozone depleting chemicals such as | | | | suited to smaller cooling applications, like wine |
| chlorofluorocarbons or other gases. | | | | refrigerators. |