Common fault
Why is my Sub-Zero refrigerator not cooling?
Short answer
If the freezer is still hard frozen and only the refrigerator has climbed, the compressor is not your problem. These units run two independent sealed systems, so a working freezer proves the expensive half is healthy. What is left is air, and inland that list starts at the condenser: a grille packed with grove dust and driveway grit cannot reject heat, so the unit holds temperature on a cool morning and loses it through the afternoon. After that come the refrigerator section's own evaporator fan and a defrost fault that has iced its coil into an insulator.
The tell we listen for is timing. A fault that is worse in the afternoon and better by morning is nearly always airflow or condenser, because the unit is losing a race with ambient temperature and then winning it back overnight. A fault that is constant, in a fridge that never recovers at all, points instead at the evaporator fan or a defrost circuit that has stopped running entirely. Which of those you describe on the phone decides what goes on the van.
Two things are worth checking before you call and neither costs anything. Look at the freezer first, because a warm freezer alongside a warm fridge is a different diagnosis than a warm fridge on its own. Then look at the grille, top or bottom depending on the model, and see whether you can see daylight through it. If it is a felt mat of dust you have already found part of the answer.
What we will not do is guess. Temperature comes off a probe at the shelf rather than the display, fan draw is measured, defrost continuity is measured, and the fault is named with the reading behind it before any price is attached to anything. On this equipment the common failures are a short list and those parts ride on the van, so most of these are finished on the same visit.
If that matches what your appliance is doing, say so when you call — it tells us which parts to bring, and most of these are finished in one visit.
Reviews
Our Sub-Zero freezer stopped working overnight. We called and had a technician at our Fallbrook home within hours. The repair was fast and professional—saved our entire freezer contents!" - Jennifer M., Fallbrook
- ★★★★★
Excellent service in Valley Center. The technician quickly diagnosed a sealed system issue in our built-in refrigerator and provided a clear, reasonable estimate. Highly recommended." - David L., Valley Center
- ★★★★★
Booked same-day service for our wine cooler in Bonsall. The repair technician was prompt and efficient, fixing the temperature and humidity controls perfectly. Very professional experience." - Sarah P., Bonsall
Appliance down in North County San Diego?
Tell us the brand and what it is doing — we can usually name the likely repair before we arrive.