Panthaire guide · Canada
Wine cellar cooling in Canada: what a Montreal team changes
A Canadian wine cellar lives in a basement, goes through five months of heating season and, more and more often, sits behind a glass wall. This guide explains what that demands from a cooling system, and what Panthaire, in Montreal, does before the order, at assembly, and after installation.
Written and reviewed by
Panthaire HVAC Engineering Team, Montreal · Licensed HVAC · Wine Cellar Cooling Specialists
The team that engineers APEX is the team that assembles it, ships it, and answers the phone.
Last reviewed · September 2026
Which cooling system for a wine cellar in Canada?
Panthaire is a Canadian company based in Montreal that designs, assembles, and tests the APEX series, fully ducted wine cellar cooling systems. APEX 3500, 5000, and 7000 cover cellars up to 900, 1,200, and 2,000 ft³ (25, 34, and 57 m³) insulated to R-20, hold a 13 °C (55 °F) setpoint, and install in an adjoining mechanical space kept between 10 and 25 °C (50 °F and 77 °F). In Canada, they are sold through authorized retailers, sized before the order by the Montreal team, installed by a licensed HVAC contractor, and covered by a 2 years warranty administered from Montreal, in English and in French.
Key takeaways
- 1A Canadian cellar is sized for two seasons: the humid summer and the heating-season winter. The envelope (R-20, warm-side vapor barrier) is what separates the two.
- 2The mechanical space must stay between 10 and 25 °C (50 and 77 °F) year-round. A garage or an attic qualifies when that range is held and the space is ventilated: in winter, the heat rejected by the unit helps warm the space; in summer, the space must be vented.
- 3Panthaire returns a specification review within two business days from the room's measurements, before the purchase.
- 4Every APEX unit is assembled and tested in Montreal by the team that designs it and then answers installers and owners.
- 5In Canada, APEX is purchased from an authorized retailer, in Canadian dollars, with no cross-border shipping.
A Canadian cellar is not a California cellar
Most wine cellar cooling guides are written for single-storey houses in mild climates. The typical Canadian cellar is somewhere else: in the basement of a house in Laval, Mississauga, or Calgary, against a foundation that stays cool, under a home heated to 21 °C from October to April, or behind a glass wall in a Montreal or Vancouver condo. Three consequences for cooling.
Winter does not cool the cellar; it dries it.
Central heating lowers the home's relative humidity, and a cellar whose envelope is not sealed follows the home. Panthaire APEX controls temperature. Humidity is maintained by the envelope: continuous R-20 insulation, a warm-side vapor barrier, sealed penetrations, a gasketed door. A cellar built this way holds its humidity band through the heating season without an additional appliance.
The mechanical space has seasons too.
A ducted system rejects the cellar's heat into the room where the unit is installed. That room must stay between 10 and 25 °C (50 and 77 °F) year-round. A mechanical room, a basement closet, or a heated laundry room holds that range without effort. A garage or an attic also qualifies, on two conditions. The air at the unit does not drop below 10 °C in January: the heat rejected by the unit helps warm the space, and if the space still drops below 10 °C, the condenser intake is ducted from inside the house with an insulated duct of 25 ft maximum. The air at the unit does not exceed 25 °C in July: the space is vented with louvered grilles, or the condenser intake and exhaust are ducted, so the unit does not recirculate its own hot air. The Owner's Manual, Section 15.4, details both arrangements.
Glass changes the math.
A glass door adds about 15% to the cooling load; a glass wall adds more. Dual-pane Low-E glass in a thermally broken frame is the minimum standard for a cellar in Canada, and the glass area is entered in the BTU calculator before the model is chosen.
What the Montreal team does before the order
A wine cellar cooling system is sized equipment. The room decides the model. The retailer sells the unit and the contractor installs it; Panthaire is the only party whose role is to confirm that the unit matches the room.
Before any order, Panthaire receives five measurements: the room volume (length x width x height), the glass area and type, the insulation R-value, the mechanical space and its summer and winter temperatures, and the duct and drain runs. With three photographs (the cellar or the plan, the mechanical space, the drain path), the team returns a specification review within two business days: the model that fits, notes on the mechanical space, ducts, and drain, and the installation requirements that keep the warranty valid.
The public tools do the same work upstream: the BTU calculator, the Before You Build checklist (30 items, before drywall), and the APEX Owner's Manual, which details insulation standards, ductwork, drain, electrical, and maintenance. Designers, architects, and HVAC contractors also have the Panthaire Pro portal: cut sheets, dimensions, duct diagrams, and a specification paragraph ready for the bid set.
Specification documents support the buyer and the design team. Final sizing and installation are confirmed on site by the licensed HVAC contractor.
Assembled and tested in Montreal, by the people who answer
The APEX series is designed by an HVAC engineering team based in Montreal. Every unit is assembled and tested in Montreal before shipping: the R290 refrigerant circuit charged and sealed at the factory, the wired control panel, the coil sensor installed and calibrated. No refrigerant work is required on site.
The same team answers afterwards. An installer with a question about a duct run, an owner reading a code on the control panel, a designer preparing a bid: the answer comes from Montreal, in English or in French, from people who know the unit because they assembled it. The 2 years warranty is administered from Montreal; claims are submitted in writing to info@panthaire.com with the proof of purchase, the serial number, and the proof of professional installation.
The APEX series at a glance
| Model | Cooling capacity | Rated volume (R-20 insulation) | Power supply | Ducts (supply / return) | Ambient at the unit | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APEX 3500 | 3,353 BTU/h | up to 900 ft³ (25 m³) | 115V/60Hz, 15A | 8 in / 8 in, 25 ft max per run | 10–25 °C (50–77 °F) | 2 years |
| APEX 5000 | 4,462 BTU/h | up to 1,200 ft³ (34 m³) | 115V/60Hz, 15A | 8 in / 8 in, 25 ft max per run | 10–25 °C (50–77 °F) | 2 years |
| APEX 7000 | 6,346 BTU/h | up to 2,000 ft³ (57 m³) | 115V/60Hz, 20A | 8 in / 10 in, 25 ft max per run | 10–25 °C (50–77 °F) | 2 years |
All models: R290 refrigerant, factory-charged, cellar range 10 to 21 °C (50 to 70 °F), setpoint 13 °C (55 °F), fixed ±2 °C / ±4 °F differential, wired control panel, only supply and return grilles visible in the cellar. Source: APEX Owner's Manual v5, Section 8.
After installation
The first 48 hours.
Inspect the carton and the unit before signing, or note any damage on the carrier receipt. Photograph the unit, the packaging, and the serial plate on the day of delivery. Report visible damage to the carrier within 48 hours and to Panthaire the same day. Do not disassemble; contact Panthaire first.
Commissioning.
Start at 16 °C (60 °F), lower to 13 °C (55 °F) after two hours. Stabilization takes 24 to 48 hours. The ±2 °C differential is fixed: at a 13 °C setpoint, the cellar cools to 11 °C, then drifts to 15 °C before the compressor restarts. This is normal.
Maintenance.
Every quarter, check the ducts and the control panel reading. Twice a year, rinse the carbon filter and flush the drain. Every year, clean the coils and replace the carbon filter. The full schedule is in the manual, Section 12, and the maintenance log in Appendix B accompanies any warranty claim.
Warranty.
Two years from the purchase date, for installation by a licensed HVAC contractor in a cellar that meets the published requirements. DIY installation voids the warranty. Returns follow the Panthaire return policy: 30 days, uninstalled unit in its original packaging, return authorization required.
Where to buy Panthaire APEX in Canada
In Canada, the APEX series is sold through authorized retailers, wine cellar specialists who deliver, advise, and coordinate installation with a licensed HVAC contractor. Prices are in Canadian dollars, at the retailer, with no cross-border shipping. For the nearest retailer, or for a specification review before the purchase, write to info@panthaire.com with the project city and the five measurements of the room.
Definitions
- Ducted cooling system
- A self-contained unit installed outside the cellar, in a mechanical space, connected to the cellar by insulated supply and return ducts. Only grilles are visible in the room.
- Conditioned mechanical space
- The room where the unit is installed, kept between 10 and 25 °C (50 and 77 °F) year-round, with published clearances, a dedicated circuit, and a drain. A garage or an attic that holds that range and is ventilated qualifies.
- Specification review
- A Panthaire review of the room's measurements, glass, insulation, and mechanical space against APEX requirements, returned within two business days. It supports the buyer; the licensed HVAC contractor confirms on site.
- Cellar envelope
- The walls, ceiling, floor, door, and glazing that insulate the cellar: continuous R-20, warm-side vapor barrier, sealed penetrations, dual-pane Low-E glass.
- Authorized retailer
- A wine cellar specialist that sells and delivers the APEX series in Canada and coordinates installation with a licensed HVAC contractor.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Panthaire a Canadian company?
- Yes. Panthaire is based in Montreal, Quebec. The APEX series is designed, assembled, and tested there, and technical support, warranty service, and specification reviews are provided from Montreal, in English and in French.
- Where are APEX units assembled?
- In Montreal, by the team that designs them. Every unit is tested before shipping, with its R290 circuit charged and sealed at the factory.
- Is support available in French?
- Yes. Technical support, documentation, and specification reviews are available in French and in English, from Montreal.
- Does an APEX work in a Quebec basement in winter?
- Yes, when the mechanical space stays between 10 and 25 °C (50 and 77 °F) and the cellar envelope is built to R-20 with a warm-side vapor barrier. A heated basement qualifies. A garage qualifies when the air at the unit stays within that range year-round: the heat rejected by the unit helps warm the garage in winter, and the garage must be vented in summer.
- Does Panthaire sell directly in Canada?
- In Canada, the APEX series is sold through authorized retailers. Panthaire provides the specification review, the documentation, and technical support, and identifies the nearest retailer on request at info@panthaire.com.
- Is the warranty administered in Canada?
- Yes. The 2 years warranty is administered from Montreal. Claims are submitted in writing with the proof of purchase, the serial number, the proof of professional installation, and the maintenance log.
- Does Panthaire APEX control humidity?
- No. Panthaire APEX controls temperature; it does not add or remove moisture. Humidity is maintained by the cellar envelope. If precise humidity control is required beyond what the envelope provides, a separate humidifying device is required.
- What cellar size does each model cover?
- With R-20 insulation and no glass wall: APEX 3500 up to 900 ft³ (25 m³), APEX 5000 up to 1,200 ft³ (34 m³), APEX 7000 up to 2,000 ft³ (57 m³). A glass door adds about 15% to the load. The BTU calculator, then the specification review, confirm the model.
References
- Panthaire APEX Owner's Manual v5, Sections 2, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, and 16.
- Panthaire Return Policy.
- Panthaire BTU Calculator; Before You Build checklist.
Request a specification review
Write to info@panthaire.com with the project city and the five measurements of the room, and the Montreal team returns a specification review within two business days.