Older-Unit Care

Looking After an Older Sub-Zero on Bainbridge Island

An older built-in on this island rarely fails because it is old. It fails because salt, storms and empty months each work on one part of it, slowly. Every page here starts with the condition, says what it does to the unit, and then gives the procedure in order.

1. 1

   Salt and damp on every shore

   No house here is far from the water. The air the condenser breathes carries salt, and the damp that comes with it works into gaskets and grille screws.

   • Salt Air and the Condenser: Clearing It Without Damaging the Fins
   • The Grille, Its Screws and Everything Salt Seizes
   • Old Door Gaskets in Damp Air: Cleaning, Testing, Knowing When They're Done
2. 2

   Wind, trees and overhead lines

   Winter wind brings trees down onto overhead lines. What you do while the power is out, and the order you do things when it returns, decides most of the outcome.

   • After a Windstorm Outage: Bringing an Older Unit Back Up
   • Running a Sub-Zero on a Home Generator
3. 3

   Houses shut for a season

   A house closed for the winter leaves the unit either running with nobody watching or switched off with the doors shut. Each has a right way to do it.

   • Closing Up a Seasonal House: Shutting a Sub-Zero Down Properly
   • Reopening After Months Away: The First Day
   • Musty Smell in a Unit That Sat Closed: Clearing It for Good
4. 4

   One boat between you and the parts

   Every visit starts with a crossing, so every diagnosis starts on the phone. The short answers about how that works are kept on one page.

   Island questions, answered short