Questions
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are actually asked on the phone in San Diego, answered the way we would answer them there.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Which parts of San Diego County do you actually drive to?
All of it. Coronado, Point Loma, downtown, Mission Hills, Hillcrest, La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Torrey Pines, Carmel Valley; the coast through Del Mar, Solana Beach, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside to San Clemente and Dana Point; inland through Rancho Santa Fe, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, Bonsall, Fallbrook, Valley Center and Pala. Between two of those, give the nearest and a cross street.
When is the phone answered, and how quickly can someone get here?
Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm, on (858) 683-1717, with same-day or next-day across most of San Diego and emergency slots when the day has them. What decides the timing is parts more than the calendar: give us the model number off the plate and the right component is on the van when we set off, not on order after we arrive.
What does the $89 cover, and how is the repair priced after that?
The $89 is a flat diagnostic charge, applied in full toward the repair if you go ahead. It buys panels off, temperatures taken with a probe at the coil and in the cabinet, not off the display, and a named fault. The repair is quoted afterward as one figure for parts and labor, agreed before a part goes in, and it does not change.
Will you have to pull my built-in out of the cabinetry to work on it?
Almost never. A Sub-Zero built-in is meant to be serviced where it stands: the condenser and compressor deck through the grille, the evaporator behind a panel inside the compartment, the controls without disturbing the installation. Dragging one out of a tight opening risks the surround, the flooring and the custom panel. Sealed-system work is the exception, and you would hear about it first.
How likely is it that the repair finishes on the first visit?
Good. Common Sub-Zero and Wolf failure parts ride as van stock: evaporator and condenser fan motors, defrost heaters and termination thermostats, thermistors, door gaskets, igniters and ice maker components. Anything outside that is OEM Sub-Zero or from an authorized supplier, named and priced before it is ordered. The model and serial number is what moves a job from two visits to one.
Is the work backed by anything, and what parts do you fit?
Most repairs carry a one-year warranty on parts and a two-year warranty on labor. Parts are OEM Sub-Zero, or from authorized suppliers when the factory part is unavailable, so the appliance stays at factory specification. If it is still inside its manufacturer warranty, call Sub-Zero, Wolf or Viking and use the coverage you paid for, since sealed-system cover depends on who does the work.
We are at the far end of the county, out toward Fallbrook or Valley Center. Does that change anything?
It changes how much the phone call is worth. A second trip out the 76 or up the 15 costs a day, so we ask more before setting off: model and serial number, which compartment is warm, whether the freezer is still hard frozen, any display code, and whether there is a gate or keypad at the drive. Same-day or next-day still applies.
Do you only work on Sub-Zero, or the rest of the kitchen as well?
The rest of it too, on the same visit where the schedule allows. Sub-Zero refrigeration is most of the week, Wolf ranges and ovens most of what is left, with Cove dishwashers, Thermador, Miele, Viking, Bosch, Asko and GE Monogram filling in the rest. Mention the second appliance when you book, because the ice maker nobody called about is usually the one starved longest.
Appliance down in San Diego?
Tell us the brand and what it is doing — we can usually name the likely repair before we arrive.