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West LA · ice makers

When the ice tastes of last week's leftovers

Ice is frozen water with nowhere to hide, so it drinks in whatever drifts through the compartment around it. In a crowded condo freezer that can mean garlic, fish, curry or coffee. Most of the time a scrubbed bin and a tidier freezer put things right. Sometimes, though, the smell starts in the water line, the filter or a drain, and that is where Brentwood Refrigeration Services comes in.

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Is it the freezer air, or the ice maker itself?

Two quite different problems end in the same complaint. Telling them apart first spares you a lot of pointless scrubbing.

The ice borrowed a smell

  • Cubes taste like the foods stored nearby
  • Freshly dropped cubes taste fine; the ones buried deep in the bin do not
  • Open packages, takeout tubs or fish sit close to the bin
  • The taste fades after a clean and a reshuffle of the freezer

The system is the source

  • Even the very first new cubes taste stale, metallic or musty
  • Dispenser water tastes off too, on models that have a dispenser
  • A dark or pinkish film in the bin or around the chute
  • A sour whiff from the base of the unit, or water where it should never be

Our readRecognize your kitchen on the left? Then the cleaning steps below will most likely sort it out. If even one point on the right fits, scrubbing alone will not hold for long, and a visit is worth booking.

Cleaning the ice bin properly

How the bin releases varies from one Sub-Zero model to another, so let the use and care guide show you that part. The sequence itself stays the same.

  1. Pause production

    Use the on/off control, where your model has one, to stop production so a new harvest does not tumble into an empty space halfway through.

  2. Empty everything

    Throw out all stored ice, clumps at the bottom included. Long-stored cubes are where most of the smell lives.

  3. Wash with something bland

    Warm water and a mild, fragrance-free dish soap are enough. Skip strong or perfumed cleaners; the next batch of ice will taste of them.

  4. Rinse, then dry by hand

    Droplets left behind refreeze into a thin film that clings to odors. Towel the bin dry and let it air for a while before it goes back.

  5. Wipe the neighborhood

    Clean the shelf and walls beside the ice maker and look for spills frozen into corners or under baskets.

  6. Restart and discard the first harvests

    Switch production on again and dump the first few loads; they push out water that had been standing in the supply tube.

When scrubbing is no longer the answer

Where freezer smells hide

With the bin out, work through the compartment and remove or seal anything on this list.

  • Meat and fish in loose or torn wrapping
  • Takeout tubs with lids that never quite snapped shut
  • Coffee beans or grounds kept in an open bag
  • Garlic, onions or spice blends in thin plastic
  • Forgotten ice packs and freezer-burned food pushed to the back
  • A spill that froze solid in a corner or beneath a basket
  • A water filter past the change interval in your guide, on models that use one
  • The refrigerator section next door, since on combination units its smells can reach the freezer

Why does my ice smell like the freezer?

Cubes take on whatever the compartment air carries, and the longer they wait in the bin, the stronger the taste. Open packages, long-stored ice and frozen spills are the usual sources. Empty and wash the bin, seal strong foods, and toss the first new batches. If fresh ice still tastes wrong, the filter or the drain is next in line.

Why freezers here trap smells so easily

These are everyday patterns in West LA kitchens, not claims about any particular building. If your ice maker has stopped making ice altogether rather than making bad ice, that is a different problem. Our ice maker troubleshooting guide and the main Sub-Zero ice maker repair page cover that side.

  • Condos near Sawtelle, Olympic and Pico

    Around Sawtelle, Olympic and Pico, many Sub-Zero owners live in condos and compact homes where the freezer carries far more than it ever did in a showroom. The neighborhood's food scene keeps a steady flow of leftovers, marinated meats, dumplings and sauces moving through it, and in a tight compartment there is simply no spot far enough from the ice bin to park the pungent items.

  • One freezer doing every job

    Small kitchens also mean nowhere else to put things. A larger house might keep a second freezer for bulk storage; here there is usually one, and the bin sits in the thick of everything. Households that use little ice suffer most, because cubes that wait for weeks soak up the most flavor before anyone drops them into a glass.

  • Building water shutoffs

    Building plumbing plays a part too. In condo buildings, water to individual units is sometimes shut off for work elsewhere in the building, and when it returns the first flow can carry sediment or a flat taste. Dumping the first few harvests after any building shutoff is a sensible habit. If the off taste lingers after that, the filter, on models that use one, or the supply line deserves a closer look.

How do you clean a Sub-Zero ice maker bin?

Stop production, lift out the bin and tip the ice away. Wash it with lukewarm water and a drop of unscented dish soap, rinse well and towel it completely dry. Wipe the surrounding shelf, refit the bin, restart, and pour out the first loads of new cubes.

Your questions about cubes that taste of the freezer

Will an open carton of bicarbonate cure ice that tastes like leftovers?
It can soak up a little odor, but it never replaces removing the source. Seal the strong foods and clean the bin first; treat the box as an extra, not a cure.
Can I just use the dispenser and ignore the bin?
No. On models with a dispenser, the ice comes out of that same bin, so if the bin smells, dispensed cubes will taste of it too.
How often should the ice bin be cleaned?
Whenever the ice starts tasting odd, and otherwise on whatever schedule the manual for your model recommends. Households that use little ice should empty the bin more often, because long-stored cubes are the worst offenders.
Does the water filter change the taste of ice?
On models that use one, it can. A filter past its change interval may let tastes through. Replace it as your guide describes and discard the first ice made afterward.
Is ice from a bin with mold in it safe to use?
We fix refrigeration, so health questions belong with your doctor. The practical side we can speak to: do not use ice from a bin with visible growth. Throw it out, clean the bin, and if the growth comes back, have the source found.
Can the refrigerator and drawers be checked during that visit too?
Sure. One trip, one $89, however many Sub-Zero boxes we open. If the refrigerator compartment is acting up as well, see refrigerator repair in West LA; for drawers and small units, our undercounter page.
What will fixing an ice maker cost?
Coming out costs $89, and it is credited once you say yes to the fix. The repair price depends on the fault we uncover; you hear it up front, and no part changes hands without your nod. See how pricing works.

Who repairs Sub-Zero ice makers in West Los Angeles?

Brentwood Refrigeration Services, an independent Westside team, repairs built-in Sub-Zero ice makers in West LA condos and houses, whether the ice tastes wrong or has stopped coming altogether. Getting us there costs $89, credited against whatever repair you sign off on. Owners in the towers to the east can read our Century City ice maker page.

Fresh ice still tastes wrong?

Then the source is past the bin. Phone (310) 878-0630 at any hour or use online booking, and the taste gets followed back to its source. The neighborhood overview lives on our West LA page.

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Trip charge $89, counted per driveway and never per unit; it is credited in full once you approve the repair.