The Issaquah owner's handbook
Water Filter Change Routine, Step by Step
Regimen checked byDean HalvorsenTradeRefrigeration technician — sealed systems and airflowHoldsEPA 608 certifiedDated
- 1Coil behind the panel
- 2Meter
- 3Bagged parts
| Trigger | Interval | Threshold | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| The calendar | Every 12 months | A year since the last change | Change it on the date, reminder or not |
| The panel reminder | When it lights, any month | Filter reminder showing | Change it; Snooze on Designer delays it 24 hours |
| Water pressure | Any month it drops | Dispenser flow noticeably slower | Change the filter before anything else |
| Ice quality | Any month it changes | Hollow or small cubes, bad taste | Change the filter, then watch the next batches |
| A long absence | Before switching back on | Unit powered off for an extended trip | Fit a new filter before start-up |
| Call when | a new filter is seated and reset, yet flow stays weak, the ice stays poor or water keeps dripping at the housing. Sub-Zero Repair Issaquah, (425) 272-6613 | ||
Start at the top row and work down; the first row that matches your kitchen is the reason to change the filter today. The lower rows are the unit asking early.
Where the filter is
On a Classic model the filter sits behind the grille at the top of the unit: pull out on the bottom edge of the grille assembly and rotate it upward. On Designer models it sits behind an access door that opens the same way, bottom edge out and up. If neither matches what you see, the use-and-care guide for your model shows the housing. A unit with no ice maker and no water dispenser has nothing to change.
The change, step by step
- Open the grille or the access door and lay a towel beneath the filter.
- Turn the old filter a quarter turn counter-clockwise, then pull it straight out. A few drips are normal; wipe them up.
- Take the new filter out of its packaging and remove the plastic cap.
- Push it into the manifold and turn it clockwise until it stops.
- Reset the reminder. On a Classic model, press and hold the water filter reset button for five seconds; on a Designer model, follow the instructions on the control panel.
- Close up and write the date down.
After the change: the first ice and the reset
The new filter needs to push air out of the system before the ice is worth keeping. Without a dispenser, throw away the first two full containers of ice. With a dispenser, draw several glasses of water over about two minutes. On a Designer unit the reset starts the filter’s year again; on a Classic unit the indicator stops asking once the button has been held.
Leave the filter out only on purpose. Removing it puts the system in bypass, which Sub-Zero describes for households that will not use the filtration, such as one already treating its water by reverse osmosis.
When a new filter does not help
If flow stays weak, the ice stays hollow or small, or water keeps collecting at the housing after the drips from the change are wiped, the cause is further along: the valve, the supply line or the ice maker itself. None of that is an owner job. Note what you see and call Sub-Zero Repair Issaquah at (425) 272-6613.
Owners also ask
Why does water drip when the old filter comes out?
A little water is expected. The manufacturer says a small amount will drip as the old cartridge is turned out, and to wipe it with a paper towel or cloth. Water that keeps coming after the new filter is seated is different, and that is the time to call Sub-Zero Repair Issaquah on (425) 272-6613.
Why throw away the first ice after a change?
A new filter has air in it, and the first water through helps clean the lines. Sub-Zero asks owners of models without a dispenser to discard the first two full containers of ice; on dispenser models, run several glasses of water over about two minutes instead. After that, ice and water are fine to use.
Is twelve months the limit even if we barely use the ice?
Treat twelve months as the outer edge. The filter is rated for 750 gallons or one year, whichever comes first, so light use does not stretch it past a year, and a busy household with a dispenser can reach the gallon rating sooner. Change it on the date, or earlier when the reminder shows.