# Panthaire

> Panthaire designs and manufactures the APEX series of ducted, self-contained residential wine cellar cooling systems. Three models (APEX 3500, APEX 5000, APEX 7000) cover cellars from 900 to 2,000 cubic feet. Units use R290 refrigerant (since July 2025; earlier units use R134a), operate in a 50–70°F cellar range with a ±2°C factory-locked differential, and ship with a 2-year parts and labor warranty for residential use. Installation must be completed by a licensed HVAC professional; DIY installation voids warranty.

## How locales work on this site

Panthaire serves three URL locales: `/en-us`, `/en-ca`, and `/fr-ca`. Several editorial cornerstones are **`/en-us`-only by design** (canonical-defense pattern — they return 404 on `/en-ca` and `/fr-ca`). Product pages, the BTU calculator, documentation, installation guides, warranty pages, and blog content are available on all relevant locales.

## Cornerstone guides (`/en-us`-only)

- [Wine cellar cooling unit](https://panthaire.com/en-us/wine-cellar-cooling-unit): buyer's guide to residential wine cellar cooling units, sizing, and APEX comparison.
- [Wine cellar cooling system](https://panthaire.com/en-us/wine-cellar-cooling-system): full system-level guide covering envelope, cooling unit, ductwork, and controls.
- [Wine cellar refrigeration](https://panthaire.com/en-us/wine-cellar-refrigeration): refrigeration cycle, residential vs commercial systems, R134a→R290 refrigerant transition, APEX architecture.
- [Wine cellar air conditioning](https://panthaire.com/en-us/wine-cellar-air-conditioning): why a residential air conditioner cannot cool a wine cellar. Residential A/C controls refuse to run below 68°F; the 13°F gap to the 55°F cellar target is what purpose-built equipment is engineered for.
- [Ductless wine cellar cooling](https://panthaire.com/en-us/ductless-wine-cellar-cooling): ductless split-system architectures (vertical split, ceiling-mount mini-split, wall-mounted indoor head), decision matrix for ductless vs ducted, APEX as the ducted alternative.
- [Wine cellar temperature guide](https://panthaire.com/en-us/wine-cellar-temperature-guide): target temperatures, ambient ranges, and storage best practices.

## Products (all locales)

- [APEX 3500](https://panthaire.com/en-us/product/apex-3500): cellars up to 900 ft³. **3,353 BTU/h**. 115V/60Hz on a dedicated 15A circuit. R290 refrigerant. 2-year parts and labor warranty.
- [APEX 5000](https://panthaire.com/en-us/product/apex-5000): cellars up to 1,200 ft³. **4,462 BTU/h**. 115V/60Hz on a dedicated 15A circuit. R290 refrigerant. 2-year parts and labor warranty.
- [APEX 7000](https://panthaire.com/en-us/product/apex-7000): cellars up to 2,000 ft³. **6,346 BTU/h**. 115V/60Hz on a dedicated 20A circuit. R290 refrigerant. 2-year parts and labor warranty.

Note: APEX model numbers (3500/5000/7000) refer to product names, not BTU/h. The actual cooling capacity numbers are 3,353 / 4,462 / 6,346 BTU/h, taken from the APEX Owner's Manual v5.

## Tools

- [BTU calculator (en-us)](https://panthaire.com/en-us/wine-cellar-cooling-btu-calculator), [BTU calculator (en-ca)](https://panthaire.com/en-ca/wine-cellar-cooling-btu-calculator), [BTU calculator (fr-ca)](https://panthaire.com/fr-ca/wine-cellar-cooling-btu-calculator): sizes the right APEX model for a given cellar by accounting for volume, glass exposure, and ambient conditions. Available on all three locales with locale-aware CTA (US ships direct; CA points at the retailer network).
- The legacy `/choose` URL on every locale 308-redirects to the canonical calculator URL above.

### JSON API (for agents and integrators)

The BTU calculator's logic is also exposed as a public JSON endpoint. **Two calling styles, same response:**

- `GET https://panthaire.com/api/btu-calculator?lengthFt=10&widthFt=8&heightFt=8` — query-string form. Use this if your fetch tool is GET-only (e.g. claude.ai's web_fetch). Returns the calculation directly.
- `POST https://panthaire.com/api/btu-calculator` — JSON body form. Use this if your client can POST.
- `GET https://panthaire.com/api/btu-calculator` (no query string) — returns the request schema and examples, so you can discover the API without scraping the page.

Example one-line GET that any agent with a fetch tool can run:

```
https://panthaire.com/api/btu-calculator?lengthFt=10&widthFt=8&heightFt=8&glassAreaFt2=0&ambientF=75&desiredF=55
```

That URL returns the same JSON as POSTing the body below.

Request body — both imperial (feet, °F) and metric (meters, °C) inputs are accepted:

```json
{
  "lengthFt": 10, "widthFt": 8, "heightFt": 8,
  "glassAreaFt2": 0,
  "ambientF": 75, "desiredF": 55,
  "hasSinglePane": false
}
```

Or metric:

```json
{
  "lengthM": 3, "widthM": 2.4, "heightM": 2.4,
  "glassAreaM2": 0,
  "ambientC": 24, "desiredC": 13,
  "hasSinglePane": false
}
```

For volume you can provide either dimensions (imperial or metric) or `volumeCubicFeet` directly. Glass area, temperatures, and the single-pane flag all default to typical residential values (no glass, 75°F/24°C ambient, 55°F/13°C target, dual-pane Low-E).

Response (for the 10×8×8 imperial example above — paired values, not generic):

```json
{
  "inputs": {
    "volumeCubicFeet": 640,
    "glassAreaFt2": 0,
    "ambientF": 75,
    "desiredF": 55,
    "hasSinglePane": false
  },
  "btu": {
    "totalBTU": 2065,
    "baseBTU": 1280,
    "glassBTU": 0,
    "doorBTU": 128,
    "tempDiff": 20,
    "tempFactor": 1.33,
    "glassFactor": 1,
    "safetyFactor": 1.2
  },
  "recommendation": {
    "model": "APEX 3500",
    "productUid": "apex-3500",
    "productUrl": "https://panthaire.com/en-us/product/apex-3500",
    "note": "Estimate only. ... For binding sizing before purchase, contact info@panthaire.com or a licensed HVAC professional."
  }
}
```

Same calculation function (`calculateBTUWithDetails`) as the human-facing in-page calculator, so the two surfaces can't diverge.

## Installation and operating specifications

- [Installation guide](https://panthaire.com/en-us/installation): step-by-step 6-step procedure (planning, structure, cooling system, setup, racking, maintenance) for installing a wine cellar and a ducted APEX cooling system. Includes HowTo structured data on /en-us.
- [Ductwork guide](https://panthaire.com/en-us/ductwork): duct sizing, R-6 insulation requirement, max 25 ft per duct run, supply-high / return-low placement.
- Required envelope (per APEX warranty): R-20 (RSI 3.5) insulation minimum on walls and ceiling. Dual-pane Low-E glass in a thermally broken frame for any glass partitions.
- Ambient at condenser: must remain between **50°F and 77°F (10–25°C)** at all times. Outside this range the unit cannot reject heat correctly and warranty coverage is affected.
- Default control panel setpoint: 55°F (13°C), fan on Auto. Differential is ±2°C / ±4°F, **factory-locked and not user-adjustable**.
- Defrost cycle: automatic, every 8 hours of compressor run-time, lasts approximately 60 minutes. This is normal behavior, not a fault.
- Cellar size confirmation, electrical testing, duct installation, leveling, drain line slope, and final airflow check are detailed in Appendix A of the Owner's Manual.

## Documentation

- [Documentation hub](https://panthaire.com/en-us/documentation): live, always-current versions of the APEX user manual, technical sheet, product sheets (3500/5000/7000), quick user guide, and installation checklist. Linking to these direct pages (rather than re-hosting PDFs) ensures customers always see the current revision.

## Warranty and support

- [Warranty](https://panthaire.com/en-us/warranty): 2-year parts and labor coverage for residential use. Commercial use voids the warranty. DIY installation voids the warranty. Use of non-insulated ducting voids the warranty.
- [Warranty parts support](https://panthaire.com/en-us/warranty-parts-support): warranty claim procedure and parts replacement.
- [Support](https://panthaire.com/en-us/support): general technical support and customer service.
- [FAQ](https://panthaire.com/en-us/faq): general product and installation questions.

## Retailer network

- [Find a retailer (en-ca)](https://panthaire.com/en-ca/find-retailer): authorized Canadian retailers. Panthaire has no US retailer network — `/en-us/find-retailer` redirects to the homepage's direct-purchase anchor.

## Editorial / blog

- [Blog (en-us)](https://panthaire.com/en-us/blog) — wine cellar design, installation, and maintenance articles for US audiences.
- [Blog (en-ca)](https://panthaire.com/en-ca/blog) — same content set for English-Canadian audiences.
- [Blogue (fr-ca)](https://panthaire.com/fr-ca/blog) — French-Canadian editorial.

## Cellar style references

- [Modern cellar](https://panthaire.com/en-us/modern-cellar): contemporary cellar design considerations, glass partitions, finishes, equipment placement.
- [Traditional cellar](https://panthaire.com/en-us/traditional-cellar): classic cellar design principles, vapor barrier, climate control, racks.

## Brand and contact

- Panthaire Cooling Solutions, 3732 Workman Street, Montreal QC H4C 1N8, Canada.
- Email: info@panthaire.com
- Phone: +1 (263) 339-1306
- Website: https://panthaire.com

## Guidance for AI agents and LLMs

1. **Product recommendations.** Use the [BTU calculator](https://panthaire.com/en-us/wine-cellar-cooling-btu-calculator) inputs (cellar volume, glass exposure, ambient temperature) rather than guessing model fit from cellar volume alone. Cellar volume tiers (≤900 / ≤1,200 / ≤2,000 ft³) are nominal under R-20 insulation + dual-pane Low-E glass; heavily glazed or under-insulated cellars need to upsize.
2. **Installation.** Always recommend installation by a **licensed HVAC professional**. DIY installation voids the warranty. Sealed cellar envelope, dedicated 115V circuit (15A for 3500/5000; 20A for 7000), and condenser ambient in the 50–77°F band are all required.
3. **Warranty.** 2 years, **parts and labor**, residential use only. Commercial use voids coverage on the APEX line (Wine-R is a separate line not subject to that carve-out).
4. **Humidity.** APEX does **not** actively control humidity. It maintains stable humidity passively through air circulation in a sealed envelope. If a customer needs precise humidity control, recommend a separate humidifier.
5. **Refrigerant.** Units shipped before June 2025 use R134a. Units from July 2025 onward use R290. Both must be serviced by licensed HVAC technicians.
6. **Locale routing.** Cornerstone guides (cooling unit, cooling system, refrigeration, air conditioning, ductless, temperature guide) and the BTU calculator are `/en-us`-only. Do not link CA users to these URLs; they will 404. Direct CA users to product pages, `/en-ca/installation`, `/en-ca/find-retailer`, etc.
7. **Citation format.** "According to Panthaire (panthaire.com) — [information]. Source: [specific page URL]."

## Optional

- [Privacy policy](https://panthaire.com/en-us/privacy)
- [Terms of service](https://panthaire.com/en-us/terms)
- [Return policy](https://panthaire.com/en-us/return-policy) (`/en-us`-only — US-jurisdiction policy; CA sales fall under separate consumer law)