WineKeeper Regular Maintenance

The Male Quick Disconnect must be separated from the Stopper Faucet before removing the Stopper Faucet from the bottle. Depress the Faucet Lever, turn Stopper Faucet upside down and place the faucet opening under hot running water. This will force hot water backwards through your Stopper Faucet Assembly.

For detailed instructions, please refer to the WineKeeper Cleaning Instructions (pdf).

Remove the empty canister / cylinder from regulator, and attach new canister / cylinder securely to the regulator. Replacements available under Refills & Parts. Conserve gas by disconnecting and hand pouring the last one or two glasses of wine.

Inspect the latex washers on each stopper assembly and the white nitrogen pinch clamps for wear or splits - replace as needed. Use silicone lubricant or mineral oil applied to O-rings on the inlet and outlet sides to increase longevity, and replace when showing signs of wear or cracking. Clean all parts that come in contact with the wine every 4-8 weeks (cleaning kits available under Refills & Parts. Regular cleaning of your WineKeeper prevents wine from quickly spoiling.

Make sure there is adequate ventilation to the rear coils (12" above, 3-6" behind, 1-2" each side), the thermostat is set to a correct temperature (see specific unit manual for details), and ice is not building up on the cold plate. Check and clean the rear coils regularly.

On rear-venting units, check the air intake filter screen on the back of the cabinet. Remove the screen from its retaining clips, and clean in any conventional dishwasher. Allow the filter to thoroughly dry before re-installing.

Loosen the stainless steel hose clamp at the bottom of the clear wine tube and remove it. Carefully cut the wine tube off its white nylon barb with a sharp razor blade. Avoid cutting the barbed fitting itself. It is easier to remove the through-wall and tube from the cabinet before cutting off the old tube. Heat 1/4" of the end of the new wine tube in hot water, then quickly push the wine tube over the barb fitting. Mineral oil or food grade silicone lubricant will make this step easier. Purchase replacement wine tubing.

Pinch off the nitrogen pinch clamp, and release pressure from the wine bottle before removing the complete assembly from the cabinet by loosening the hose clamp using either a slotted screw driver, 1/4" socket, or nut driver. Pull the wine tube, with the hose clamp still connected, off of the stainless steel siphon tube that passes through the stopper assembly. Pull off the 1/4" O.D. nitrogen supply line from the brass fitting on the rear of the stopper assembly. Before replacing the tube on the brass fitting, it may be necessary to cut off approximately 3/8" for a tight connection. After having completely removed the stopper assembly from the cabinet, grasp the stainless tube at the bottom where it is bent, and pull it out of the stopper assembly. Insert the stainless tube into the new stopper assembly, and use a little water to lubricate the first 3-4". Reverse steps to re-install. Purchase replacement stopper assembly.

Remove the stopper assembly, and carefully cut away the old latex washer using a sharp knife or a pair of side wire cutters. Heat the new latex washer in hot water for 1-2 minutes—the water does not need to be boiling - quickly take the latex washer from the water, and set it on a table top while it is still hot and wet. Holding the stopper assembly in one hand, quickly push the assembly down through the hole in the latex washer. If this does not work within 10-15 seconds, place the latex washer back into hot water and try again. Do not use any form of lubricant to help with this step. Pop the latex washer into place using your fingers. Purchase replacement latex expansion washer.