Even top-of-the-line refrigerators can produce bad-smelling ice from time to time. What can you do when Sub-Zero refrigerator ice smells or tastes bad? Checking for tap water issues can determine if your water supply, and not the refrigerator, is the problem. Learn why Sub-Zero refrigerator ice tastes bad with these troubleshooting tips.
Help! My Sub-Zero Refrigerator Ice Smells Bad!
In most cases, a simple adjustment or DIY fix can solve the problem when your Sub-Zero refrigerator ice smells bad. Here’s how to pinpoint the reason and solution for bad-smelling ice.
Bad-tasting Tap Water
Why it’s a problem: If the water that supplies your refrigerator tastes bad, it will likely produce ice with a bad smell or taste. Hard water or certain impurities can result in strange tastes and smells.
How to fix it: Try freezing an ice tray filled with tap water. If the Sub-Zero refrigerator ice smells or tastes bad, you’ll know your tap water is the problem. Having your water supply evaluated or installing home water softening or filtration may improve its quality.
Stale Ice Cubes
Why it’s a problem: Like food, ice that sits unused can become stale. When this happens, ice tastes freezer burnt or has a strange smell. If the unused ice comes in contact with stray food or dirt particles it can also start to develop mold. When this happens you may find that the ice bin or ice maker smells like mildew as well.
Image Courtesy of Sub-Zero
How to fix it:
- Dispose of the stale ice.
- Remove the ice bin and wash in warm, soapy water. Dry the bin thoroughly before replacing it.
- Wipe down the ice maker with a cloth dipped in warm, soapy water and dry completely. Our ice maker cleaning tips suggest doing this every 6 months to prevent odor.
To prevent ice cubes from becoming stale, dispose of any unused ice after one week. If you know you won’t be using ice for a week or more, turn the ice maker off to stop ice production.
Ice Absorbed Food Odor
Why it’s a problem: Ice can easily absorb odor from the food around it. When exposed to odor from spills or insufficiently wrapped items, Sub-Zero refrigerator ice smells or tastes bad.
How to fix it: Dispose of the existing ice and remove the ice bin and all frozen items. Wipe down the freezer, bin, and shelving with a clean cloth and a solution of warm water, dish detergent and bleach. To avoid bad smells, make sure that stored items are properly wrapped or contained and clean the freezer on a monthly basis.
Dirty Refrigerator Water Filter
Why it’s a problem: A dirty Sub-Zero water filter is unable to screen out contaminants from your home water supply. Consequently, these contaminants remain in the ice maker’s water, resulting in bad-tasting ice.
Image Courtesy of Sub-Zero
How to fix it: Wondering how to fix bad-tasting water from refrigerator? Changing the water filter should do the trick. Refer to your user manual to determine how to change the filter on your model refrigerator. Replacing a Sub-Zero refrigerator water filter every six months can ensure that it functions properly.
Does your ice still have a bad smell or taste? It may be time for an ice maker service to assess the problem. The Sub-Zero experts at DeserTech can provide a professional evaluation, resulting in better-tasting ice.
