Troubleshooting a Sub-Zero Ice Maker

Since 1945, when Westye Bakke founded his American-manufactured Sub-Zero appliance company, the company has had a track record of excellence. But with any electrical appliance comes the possibility that something could malfunction. When your Sub-Zero ice maker is a bit off-kilter, a closer look at the symptoms can help lead you to the solution. Using some Sub-Zero ice maker troubleshooting tips provided by the manufacturer will eliminate a lot of the guesswork if appliance repair is not in your wheelhouse.

If your Sub-Zero is new, and you've just turned on the ice maker, you should see the word "Ice" (600, 700 and PRO48 models) or an image of ice cubes (BI models) on the control display. But even when you see the correct word or image on the display, your ice maker may not actually begin to cycle and make ice cubes for 24 hours; this is normal.

If, however, you see the "Service Ice" light flashing (600 and 700 models), turn off your refrigerator and then turn it back on again to reset the ice maker. If you see "Single Cube" light flashing (BI models), press the "Max Ice" and "Ice On/Off" buttons simultaneously and hold for half a second to clear reset the system.

If the ice bucket does not make contact with the rear switches, the ice maker will not operate properly. Make sure the Sub-Zero ice maker control arm is in the "down" position. If it's up, this signals the ice maker not to make ice. The plastic sensing arm should be attached, but you'll need to reinstall it if it's not attached or replace it if it's broken.

If your ice maker is making small ice cubes or no ice at all, it may be because of a water supply problem. If your Sub-Zero is new, the water shutoff may not have been turned back on after installing your appliance. You'll find the shutoff valve behind the kick plate under the refrigerator, in a nearby cabinet, under the kitchen sink or in the basement.

You'll also need to change the water filters as directed in your user's manual, which typically is every six to 12 months. And if the water filter is not properly seated, you'll need to remove it and reinstall it to seat it properly.

If you have a reverse osmosis or well water system, you may need to add a regulator or pressure booster. Consult your reverse osmosis provider or a plumber to figure out if you need these.

A Sub-Zero ice maker fill tube that is frozen closed prevents water from reaching the ice maker, which means it cannot make ice. You'll have to defrost the freezer manually to thaw the frozen fill tube by turning the freezer off for four to six hours. A much quicker fix is by using a hair dryer on a low setting to melt the ice in the fill tube. Keep the warm air moving as you direct it at the fill tube for five to 10 minutes.

A Sub-Zero ice maker repair manual offers more troubleshooting tips that you can try in order to remedy a faulty ice maker. But if you still can't fix the problem, you may want to research the problem further by visiting the Sub-Zero website to find a service provider or by calling Sub-Zero product support at 1-800-222-7820.