Air conditioning units can provide added comfort during the hot weather, but oftentimes require protection from the elements during the cold-weather months. The Duck® Brand Air Conditioner Cover seals out weather, dirt, ice, leaves, moisture and debris from damaging your window unit. This reusable, easy-to-install cover also seals out leaves and dust to keep your A/C unit in shape so you can use it for many seasons to come. Use together with other Duck® Brand weatherization products to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient all year long. Securing straps and fasteners included to keep cover secure throughout the year Heavy duty plastic cover for durable protectionI'm Dr. Vinifera, or "Vinny" for short. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the technical aspects of winemaking to the fine points of etiquette. I hope you find my answers educational and even amusing. Looking for a particular answer? Check my archive and my FAQs. You can also follow me on Twitter: @AskDrVinny.

Do you have a question for Dr. Vinny? I've heard that using a window air-conditioning unit as a cooler for a wine cellar is "not an option.” Compared to a through-the-wall wine cooler, they both use a condenser/evaporator refrigeration system and both have isolated inside-air and outside-air systems. A 1,500-BTU wine cooler costs $1,500. A 6,000-BTU window air conditioner costs $190. —Peter B., Walnut Creek, Calif. I know some people that have chosen an air conditioner for the purpose of refrigeration in their cellar, but there are some disadvantages that come with the lower cost. First off, air-conditioning units are typically only set to go down to about 62° F, which is a little off from the ideal 55° F target. Air conditioners also tend to cool in part by drying out the air—there’s a lot of condensation coming out of a window unit. While you’re right that there is sometimes some condensation with cellar-refrigeration units, it’s typically considerably less.

After all, cellar-refrigeration units are designed specifically to cool air down to 55° F and keep the humidity around 70 percent. change air filter ac unitWith an air-conditioning unit, you’re probably only going to get down to 62° F, with humidity around 35 percent.ac heater unit not working I know that some wine lovers question the necessity of humidity in a wine cellar. problems with hvac systemsI’ve always said that the most important thing about wine storage is a consistent temperature in the 55° F range, but I think it’s a good idea to take light, vibration and humidity into account. A healthy relative humidity can help keep corks from drying out, and dry corks can compromise the seal and prematurely age wine. If you’re not convinced about that, try leaving a bottle of wine in a refrigerator for a few weeks or months.