Stop 1 of 14 From the house
The Supply Line, Saddle Valve and Shutoff
| Blamed | Found |
|---|---|
| A leak somewhere inside the refrigerator | A clamp-on tap weeping at the house pipe, or a fitting under the unit worked loose. |
| The ice maker, because output has dropped off | Tubing kinked behind the unit, or a shutoff left partly closed after other plumbing work. |
| The filter, because the cubes look blue or green | A copper supply line corroding, which Sub-Zero hands to a plumber to clean or replace. |
When the complaint is water on the floor in front of a Sub-Zero, or an ice maker slowed to a dribble, what we usually find sits outside the unit: a clamp-on tap weeping at the house pipe, tubing kinked when the unit was pushed home, or a shutoff only half open. Less often the line itself has split. Sub-Zero Repair Bothell traces it from the valve inward, (206) 202-2799.
- Supply line and shutoff, in one line
- The tubing that carries cold water from a house pipe to the back of the unit, plus the valve a plumber fits to close it. Sub-Zero Repair Bothell checks both before looking inside.
- Filed
- Written by
- Marta Fennimore
- Works on
- ice systems and water supply
- Years at it
- 12
- Holds
- EPA 608 certified
From the house pipe to the kickplate
A Sub-Zero cannot stop its own water. That is done at a valve on the house plumbing, which Sub-Zero wants somewhere the owner can reach, and from there one run of tubing goes to the unit and enters underneath, behind the kickplate.
For its UC-15I ice machine Sub-Zero’s installation guide asks for quarter-inch outside-diameter copper, braided stainless steel or PEX, rules out self-piercing valves, and advises against copper on reverse osmosis. That list is written for the ice machine; on a built-in the run is judged on its material and its condition.
What we repair, and what goes to a plumber
The tubing from the shutoff to the unit, and its connection at the unit, are ours: a kinked run replaced, a loose fitting remade, the flow proven at the ice maker afterwards. The house valve, the house pipe and corroded copper plumbing belong to a plumber.
Check it yourself, or call
| Check | Who | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Find the shutoff and close it if water is spreading | You | Try the cabinet beside the unit, the sink base close by, or the basement. There is none inside a Sub-Zero. |
| Shutoff hidden behind the unit? Close the house main | You | That is Sub-Zero's own advice when the valve cannot be reached during a leak. |
| Line and connection under the unit, behind the kickplate | Technician | That is where the supply enters the unit; it means the kickplate off and the fitting opened dry. |
| Anything behind a panel, and any wiring | Technician | Stop there and call Sub-Zero Repair Bothell on (206) 202-2799. |
What it costs
- Ice maker, water valve or supply line $290–$820
Parts and labour, as a range: the part your model takes and the work to reach it settle where inside it the job falls, and you get that one figure before anything is done. $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 supply line and shutoff
- Does a Sub-Zero have its own water shutoff?
- No. Sub-Zero builds no shutoff into the unit; the valve is one a plumber fitted on the house side, normally in the next cabinet along, below a sink close by, or down in the basement. If it is hidden behind the unit, close the house main instead. After that, Sub-Zero Repair Bothell takes calls at (206) 202-2799.
- Is a saddle valve on the water line a problem?
- Not always, but it is where we look first. The UC-15I installation guide tells installers not to use self-piercing valves, and the older clamp-on taps we meet on house pipes tend to weep or narrow the flow with age. Replacing the valve on the house pipe is a plumber's job; the line to the unit is ours.
Where this repair is filed
- Repair Sub-Zero Ice Maker Repair in Bothell
- Repair Sub-Zero Refrigerator Repair in Bothell
- What it costs Supply line repair
