Stop 3 of 14 From the house
The Water Filter, and Running Without One
| Blamed | Found |
|---|---|
| The ice maker, a few days after a new cartridge | A cartridge that stopped short of locking into its manifold, so no water gets past it. |
| The dispenser valve, because it spits and sputters | Air left in the lines after the change; the Classic guide has dispenser models run water for two minutes. |
| The filter, on a unit that never had one | An in-line filter on the house supply, clogged and cutting the flow; Sub-Zero neither sells nor supports those. |
When the complaint is no ice, or a dispenser that spits, in the days after a new filter, what we usually find is a cartridge that stopped short of its locked position, or air still sitting in the lines. Less often the unit has no internal filter at all and an in-line one on the house side has clogged. Sub-Zero Repair Bothell looks there before anywhere else, (206) 202-2799.
- Water filter and bypass, in one line
- The cartridge some Sub-Zero models carry to clean water for the ice maker and dispenser; on the Classic it sits behind the grille. Sub-Zero Repair Bothell checks it before any part further in.
- Filed
- Written by
- Marta Fennimore
- Works on
- ice systems and water supply
- Years at it
- 12
- Holds
- EPA 608 certified
Which units have one
Sub-Zero’s own list of filtered models runs to the Classic series, the Designer tall and column models, the Designer IW-30CI wine unit, the PRO 36, the PRO 48 and the 648PRO, and the UC-15I ice machine. Most 600, 500, 200/300 and 700 Series units have none inside, and nor does any other wine storage product, so any filtering happens on the house supply, and a clogged in-line cartridge starves the ice maker just as an internal one would.
Why a new cartridge can stop the ice
On the Classic the cartridge sits behind the grille, which lifts from its bottom edge. The new one turns clockwise until it stops; if it stops early, water never passes the manifold and the ice maker goes quiet through no fault of its own. Even a well-seated cartridge leaves air in the lines for the first while.
Check it yourself, or call
| Check | Who | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Reseat the cartridge with the unit switched off | You | Sub-Zero's own step for twist-in and push-in filters. On the Classic: a quarter turn anticlockwise out, clockwise in. |
| Clear the air: dump two containers of ice, or run water two minutes | You | The Classic guide's way to clear the air: ice-only models discard, dispenser models run glasses. |
| Water reaching the valve with the cartridge in, and with it out | Technician | Separates a blocked cartridge or manifold from a fault further along; it needs the supply watched at the unit. |
| Anything behind a panel, and any wiring | Technician | Stop there and call Sub-Zero Repair Bothell on (206) 202-2799. |
What it costs
Service call, including the diagnosis $89
$89 gets a technician to the unit and pays for finding the fault; agree to the repair and that $89 is taken back off its price.
Questions about the water filter and bypass
- Can a Sub-Zero run without its water filter?
- On the Classic built-ins, yes. Taking the filter out puts the unit in bypass mode, and Sub-Zero asks for it to be removed when a reverse osmosis system feeds the unit. That guide mentions no separate plug. If the ice stops once the filter is out, Sub-Zero Repair Bothell can look, (206) 202-2799.
- Can a filter be added to a Sub-Zero that came without one?
- Not inside the unit. Sub-Zero says an internal filter cannot be added to models built without one, which covers most 600, 500, 200/300 and 700 Series units. A home in-line filter can go on the supply instead, though Sub-Zero neither sells nor supports them, and it must keep pressure within the model's range.
Where this repair is filed
- Repair Sub-Zero Ice Maker Repair in Bothell
- Repair Sub-Zero Refrigerator Repair in Bothell
- What it costs The $89 no-ice visit
