FIXED Sub Zero Drain Heater wire is stuck

[surfer349]

Model Number

Subzero 550

Brand

Sub-Zero

Age

More than 10 years

Looking for advice here.

I've got a 30 year old SZ 550 that is icing up in the freezer all the time. I've identified that the drain heater has failed and no longer has continuity. After pulling off the panels, I can see why. It was touching the main heating element and got fried. OK, so just pull it out and snake a new one, right? Well it seems to be completely stuck in the drain line. The metal braiding has frayed and separated, leaving the stretchy interior. Pulling on it is clear that its stuck in there. I don't want to give it a strong yank for fear of breaking it off.

Any advice? How can I fix this?

https://imgur.com/a/sntxyGw

 

[paulhl]

First the freezer has to be shut down for a minimum of 5 days, drawer open about 4".Then squirt a little liquid soap into drain along with some very hot water. Then try to remove it. If it won't come out, I leave it (no choice) and run a piece of old control cap tube down the drain and wrap it around the heater. The other solution is to replace the drain. I did one and will never do another. You must pull the unit and cut the side open to expose the copper drain and replace it. BTW that's not a factory installed heater, it is a SZ part to be installed when drain freezes. Originally there is an aluminum strap around the heater going into the drain.

 

[surfer349]

First the freezer has to be shut down for a minimum of 5 days, drawer open about 4".Then squirt a little liquid soap into drain along with some very hot water. Then try to remove it. If it won't come out, I leave it (no choice) and run a piece of old control cap tube down the drain and wrap it around the heater. The other solution is to replace the drain. I did one and will never do another. You must pull the unit and cut the side open to expose the copper drain and replace it. BTW that's not a factory installed heater, it is a SZ part to be installed when drain freezes. Originally there is an aluminum strap around the heater going into the drain.

the freezer has been off for a week, all dried out. The drawer is off.

yea, I tried soapy water and the wire is pretty well stuck.

So is this something I should call a certified SZ shop to repair?

I've seen some youtube vides about wrapping an aluminum wire around the main heater and sending 4 or 5 inches down the drain. uggg

 

[paulhl]

They will tell you what I already did or come out, collect the service call and then tell you what I did. Actually that drain tube is not even a listed part. I had to have SZ tech support send me one.

 

[surfer349]

so they won't do the labor or work?

 

[paulhl]

800-222-7820 they'll want your serial #, ask for tech support. They might refer you to a certified dealer or try to convince you to buy a new one. Then it's up to the dealer if they want to do the work.

 

[surfer349]

Update: I had a certified tech come out to look at it. He confirmed the wire is good and stuck in there. He later called me back after researching and said that because my unit is so old, SZ does not support and provide a part to cut and replace the drain tube.....my only option is to purchase a replacement unit, and I should do it ASAP before all the 134-A compressors are switched to R600 isobutane.

ugg..


So any advice? How hard is it to pull the unit and cut into the wall and replace the tube?

 

[paulhl]

Like I said earlier I did one and will never do another. It wasn't too difficult just nerve racking taking a saw to the side. If your serial # is below 830453 it does not have rollers so pulling it could be hard although it only has to come out far enough to cut where the drain is. The tube is copper, you might be able to reuse it after you disconnect it. If you plan on installing a new heater-4202160- I ran mine
into the new tube before it was installed. After all was in place I used that canned spray insulation, put the cutout piece back and aluminum taped it.

 

[surfer349]

serial # P1035377.

So the options are pull it out and cut/fix or pull it out and replace the entire thing.

So it seems its a sunk cost either way having to pull it out of the slot. I'm guessing mine doesn't have rollers. Any advice on lifting and sliding it out? just use a multi tool to cut the side panel?

 

[paulhl]

That ser# has rollers, just have to lower front legs onto the rollers. make sure there's enough slack in water line (lower left front) and roll it out. I used a Bosch jig saw up on a board to not cut too deep. Measure, measure and measure again.

 

[surfer349]

any advice for what to replace the drain tube with? SubZero has no part for it it...

 

[paulhl]

I told you earlier there is no part #, it's just a copper tube. If you cannot reuse it after taking it out you will have fabricate one, it only has one bend.

 

[surfer349]

looking for some fast feedback. Any recommendations for cutting this out? I guess there's no way to remove that whole panel? cut a large chunk out of the side?

Also, wondering if I should use a different tool than an oscillating multitool

 

[paulhl]

See post #10

 

[surfer349]

what size area did you cut out?

 

[paulhl]

From your 3rd pic {I'm assuming you measured the magic marker drawing} I went 2" on either side and across the bottom then lifted the cutout up. That gave enough room to access the drain to disconnect it.

 

[surfer349]

Well, that didn't suck as much as I thought it would. Was able to reuse the same copper pipe and then sealed it back up.

A jigsaw worked great! no risk of punching through. I just cut the entire rectangle out, then spray foamed and duct taped it back on.

 

[paulhl]

Nice! Hard to believe that heater fits isn't it

 

[surfer349]

also hard to believe that the heater wire needs to run the entire length of the tube....I would think you just need to heat the first few inches, where it connects to the drain spout.

Anyway, this seems like a real shit design and I'm real pissed off that the official tech response is: just buy a new unit.

 

[paulhl]

That's not an original. The original was an aluminum strap wrapped around the defrost heater and into the drain a few inches. Did you put another heater in?