Refrigerator repair
Not cooling, leaking onto the floor, frosting over, or the ice maker has quit. We diagnose the actual fault and fix it in one visit whenever the part is on the van.
Symptoms
Refrigerators fail in a handful of predictable ways. Recognising the pattern is most of the diagnosis.
Fridge warm while the freezer stays cold usually points to the evaporator fan or a blocked defrost system, not a dead compressor.
Almost always a clogged defrost drain or a split water line to the ice maker.
The defrost heater, thermostat or control board has stopped cycling.
Door seals, a dirty condenser or a failing start relay.
Water inlet valve, a frozen fill tube or the module itself.
Evaporator fan, condenser fan or compressor mounts.
How it works
Describe the symptom, or text a photo of the model sticker. We book a two-hour window, often the same day.
We find the actual fault rather than guessing at the most expensive part. Flat $115, and it is credited toward the repair if you go ahead.
You get the full number, parts and labor, before a screwdriver comes out. Nothing appears on the invoice you didn't agree to.
Most jobs finish the same visit. Every repair carries 60 days on parts and labor, in writing.
Pricing
Every job is priced after an on-site inspection, because the same symptom can mean a routine part or a sealed-system job. The technician checks the appliance and gives you the exact number before anything is opened up.
The $115 service call covers the visit and diagnosis, and it is credited toward the repair when you approve it. Contact us to schedule an inspection and receive an on-site estimate.
Built-in and high-end refrigeration
A freestanding refrigerator and a built-in Sub-Zero column look like the same appliance and are not. Built-in units run dual sealed systems, use vacuum panels in the cabinet walls, and rely on control boards that only respond to manufacturer diagnostics. General repair shops decline them for a reason, and when they don't decline, they often quote a full replacement because reading the fault properly takes tooling they don't carry.
We work on these constantly. In practice that means we can tell you within the first half hour whether the problem is a routine fan motor or a sealed-system failure that changes the economics of the whole repair. That distinction matters: a fifteen-year-old built-in is usually worth repairing, and a six-year-old freestanding unit with a dead compressor usually is not. You get that answer straight, including when the answer is that we shouldn't take your money.
The brands we see most in San Diego kitchens are Sub-Zero, Thermador, Viking, Miele, Monogram, Fisher & Paykel, Bosch, KitchenAid, LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, Maytag, Frigidaire and Amana. Wine coolers and beverage refrigerators from U-Line and Sub-Zero come up often too, usually as temperature drift or condensation rather than outright failure.
Two things are worth doing before you call. First, check the model sticker, usually inside the door frame or behind the lower grille, and photograph it. Knowing the exact model lets us bring the right part on the first visit instead of the second. Second, if the unit is leaking, pull it out and unplug it before water reaches hardwood or stone. We repair stone and floors as well, and the cheapest version of that job is the one that never happens.
We cover San Diego, La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach, Carlsbad and nearby areas. Call before noon and there is usually a same-afternoon slot.
Questions
Same day across most of San Diego County if you call before noon, and next morning otherwise. A refrigerator that has stopped cooling gets priority over routine jobs, because everything inside it is on a clock.
As a rough rule, repair is worth it when the fix costs less than half of a comparable new unit and the appliance is under about twelve years old. Built-in and high-end units shift that line a long way toward repair, since replacing a Sub-Zero column is a major job. We tell you which side of the line you are on before you commit.
Yes, and it is a large share of our work. Built-in refrigeration needs brand-specific parts, manufacturer diagnostics and sealed-system experience, which is exactly why general repair shops turn these jobs down.
Usually yes, and it is usually cheaper than people expect. Most ice maker failures are a water inlet valve or a frozen fill tube rather than the module itself, so the repair is often well under the cost of replacing the assembly.
Send the details and we'll confirm a time. Reply within the hour during business hours.