Is the Wine Safe After a Power Outage? Your Liebherr Wine Cabinet and Houston Storms

Houston storms can take out power for hours or days. A wine cabinet is well insulated, so a short outage usually does little harm, but a long one in summer heat is a different story.

During the outage

• Keep the door closed. Every opening lets warm, humid air in.
• Do not move bottles around to check on them.
• Note when the power went out so you can judge how long the cabinet has been warm.
• If a long outage is expected, move your most valuable bottles to the coolest, darkest interior room you have.

When power returns

Wait a few minutes before judging anything. Many cabinets restart on a short delay to protect the compressor, so silence for a little while is normal. Then check the display and let the cabinet pull down to its setting. This can take several hours, so avoid adding a lot of new bottles during that time.

A temperature alert on the display after an outage is expected. Once the cabinet is back in range, the alert should clear on its own or with a press of the control, as your manual describes.

Checking the wine

• Look at corks. A cork pushed up or leaking is a sign of heat damage.
• Check labels for seepage or stickiness.
• Smell and taste a bottle you can spare before opening anything special.
• Sparkling wine and delicate whites are the most sensitive to heat.

Protect the cabinet itself

Power returning in a surge can stress electronics. A quality surge protector, or a dedicated outlet checked by an electrician, is inexpensive insurance. Unplugging the cabinet during a lightning storm is another sensible habit.

If the cabinet will not restart, shows a code on the display that stays, or never reaches its setting, we can inspect it. Our wine cooler repair service covers Liebherr cabinets across our Houston service area, with a written price first and a 30-day warranty on our work.