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SZ intergrated 700 full refrig & full freezer, any feedback?

14 years ago

I'd like to get the SubZero 700 series full refrig and full freezer but am concerned about some negative things I have heard from a friend who has both and has needed to have them serviced quite a few times in the last few years. Has anyone had these for a few years and NOT had any service issues?

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Comments (16)

User
14 years ago
the 700 series has had a topsy turvy lifespan. When SZ rolled these out in the 90's they were the first of their kind and the early units were single compressor setups. They and these are middle aged now. They also had more defects/problems from units roughly 4-5 yrs ago when the production was shifted from WI to AZ. I think but don't quote me some of these units got produced with SZ's run of defective copper they got from a supplier which caused problems for some. They have been good at solving the issue from accounts I've heard.

We have not heard of a 700 series problem in the last 2 years on any of our projects. This is only a dozen or two units, but is real world data.
tex5
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the feedback antss. When you say "our projects" are you a kitchen designer? I am interested in these SZ's primarily because of the door configuration (I find it a "softer" look in an intergrated kitchen as opposed to a solid door on the 30 inch Mieles which I would have otherwise considered and still may as I have heard nothing negative about them so far).
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ulinesalesguy, 1.) not to nit pick but: If you add the icemaker option to your lower drawer you will lose that space for storing ,say icecream, but this it's a zero sum game when you add an icemaker to any freezer you have to give up storage space. This is not an advantage or disadvantage, or limited to your product only. Secondly, 2 cu. ft. isn't much and it's lees when you have an icemaker in there. Good for storing frozen drink mixes, a few mugs and some martini glasses, but hardly enough freezer space for a family's deep freeze needs. And, it's two tiered, again great for organizing bar stuff , not so good for everyday stuff. If it's 2 cf without the maker - I apologize, but the storage space is still limited for a family freezer. If your top drawer was a freezer too, you'd be in a better position. 2.) Re: the installation ease - the newer models are easier than the previous generation but on everything else you are either way biased or just plain wrong! 1. in order to level you units one must pull the unit out of the opening multiple times in order to get it level because you Do Not Provide rear leg adjustment from the front of the unit ! 2. Your toe kick vents do not allow cabinetry toekick to be placed in front of them for a fully integrated install. Even if we went to the trouble of milling vent holes in our kick lik shown in your after the fact toekick section, it would still be well to far forward to be of use. Toekick recess is typically 3-4" and with your set up 1 1/2" is about all you'll get at the end of the day. Furthermore, milling the slots in veneered toekick on either plywood or particleboard substrates leaves unsightly raw wood showing in the cutouts. This eliminates 99.5% of any euro cabinet makers from the game , most of who's customers are looking for a fully integrated look. 3. Your water hookup is at the rear - again the installer must have all the connections completed before the unit is placed back in the opening, and has to hope he doesn't kink the line while doing so. Our guys find that front hookups are much easier and less hassle. I agree this is personal pref., but I and my guys have put in everyone's units and we like what's easiest and are not wed to any particular brand out of necessity. 3. The overlay panels are still not as easy as a SZ or other brands that use a bracket system. First I have to disassemble the handle and gasket to get to the mounting fasteners. On the SZ, you just remove some tape and open a bag of screws that are provided. Secondly, we have to have a 1/4" backer panel made to a specific size that tehn must be attached to the 3/4" drawerfront and then slid in the track and then the plastic plug screwed on and then massaging the gasket back into place , which if done in a hurry or sloppy is going to cause an air leak and a service call. After that the panel dance starts: lining up the panels with their adjacent cousins is near impossible. If the installer wants to adjust it by moving the position of the 1/4" panel he gets to remove the gasket and the screws and repeat. He could also pull out the drawer and start fiddling with the drawer runners themselves, but that's not particularly easy and screws with the runner's geometry which isn't ideal either. On top of that, your standard gap between drawers is 1/2" ! No cabinet makers have a 1/2" between panels - it'd look ridiculous. 3mm (1/8") is what we typically use. The SZ by comparison can be level entirely from the front while the unit is in it's opening. The water hookup is in the front of the unit too, so the hose binding is not a problem and he can see what he is doing at all times and easily verify leaks. The panels uses two brackets the installer fastens to the drawer panel based on an included template, and the brackets mate to slots and screws that allow vertical and horizontal movement to align them with adjacent panels. No messing with the drawer runners is necessary. No additional backers are needed to attach the drawer panel to the unit. Installers don't need to think about or go looking for screws to attach the panel - they're all included. Lastly, and most importantly your units have NO ATTACHMENT provision! They are free standing which is fine - except if you are trying to fully integrate. Units that move lead to mis -alignment of panels which lead to unhappy homeowners and service calls for us. Doug - I'm not looking to slam U-Line or say it that the SZ 700 series is a better product, or pick a scrap here. I simply don't think you guys have a product to meet lalitha's needs IN THIS INSTANCE. I also don't think your units are easier to install than competitors, and I'm not alone in this regard. In this regard I think I/ we are in a good position to comment on this subject as we have and continue to use all brands so we have a good sampling out in the real world. It simply depends on the particular customer's need and the product itself with regard to ease of installation. I think U-line makes some very good products and I have one in one of my homes. I think their 2275 double drw wine captian is THE CAT"S MEOW. Also, the SZ drawers have limitations too! Only come in 27" which is a HUGE problem in many wet bars especially from a design perspective as nothing else is that size and it screws with symmetry. Their same mounting system that makes drawer panels easy at 27" becomes a hindrance when applied on the 36" model. The panel's size and weight become unwieldy for one man and cumbersome for two. BSH's and Miele's hanging bracket arrangement is much more installer friendly - though neither has all drawer models. todds - the FP drawer is a rare and quirky bird. Not a mainstream product and I have never been a fan of multipurpose machines - they never do anything well. Plus, what are you going to do with all the ice cream whn you switch it to a beverage drawer for the party??? These things sound good on paper but rarely work in practice. I have no long term experience with one so cannot comment with much depth or authority on it. I am glad it is in the marketplace though.
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Jenn, I have the 27" and I love it. We're a family of three. The separate fridge drawers are pretty much taken over by my son's yogurts, apples, carrots, milk boxes, and other snacks. Which is great because it frees up the space in the 700. We also tend to make short shopping trips several times a week, vice one long grocery shop once in awhile. So the smaller fridge totally works for us and there's plenty of space, it's rarely full. But, if you're a once a week shopper you might want to go with the 36" if you have the space. Ivette
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User
14 years ago
tex - done it all at some point. Designed, installed, troubleshot, expedited, managed, repaired, and counseled. Still do a bit of each.
gizmonike
14 years ago
We've had our 700 all-freezer running for 3 years & no problems. I really like the combination of a upper shelf section and 2 lower drawers for organization. Our previous house had a 600 series all-refrigerator that had shelves only, no drawers. We store food frozen flat in freezer bags upright like file folders in plastic bins in the shelf section--just pull out for access. This also works in the lower drawers. We did not order this freezer with an icemaker, since we have an undercounter ice machine, and I liked being able to have the choice and reclaim the space.

We chose the 600 series all-refrigerator (overlay) rather than the 700 (integrated) because we wanted a 36" wide unit & the 700 wasn't available in that width.
tex5
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the feedback, I'm happy to hear it. My friend's units actually are about 4 or 5 years old so maybe the problems she has encountered have something to do with what antss brought up. Gizmonike, you mentioned that your previous house had a 600 series all refrig, did you go with that again in your current house or did you choose another refrigerator?
User
14 years ago
My experience with the 700 fridge/freezer has been negative. I would not be quick to dismiss the negative.

Installed in 2004 it needed service out of the box for an unscrewed freezer drawer glide (which has never worked quite right) and a defective cooling fan (under warranty). In 2006, the fridge stopped working altogether which required the entire guts of the fridge section be replaced (just out of warranty but they covered it when I complained). In 2008, the circulating fan in the freezer stopped working. It was out of warranty and they didn't cover it but apparently the part was defective because the replacement part was a different design. That drawer with the bad glide appeared to be closed one day this summer but wasn't and the freezer defrosted and since then the freezer circulating fan isn't working right again - condensation froze in the works, just like the first one that it replaced.

What has been a big issue for me throughout was the lack of service options. In NYC at least, 2 companies have a monopoly - other companies provided by SZ will not come here. Both companies will only schedule service 9-3, Monday-Friday, will not schedule a time and will only provide a several hour window on the day of service. This in a big market. They ignore all info I provide when I schedule the call and come unprepared to fix the problem necessitating a second visit. Each of these visits requires me to take a vacation day from work - I'm not pleased.

I don't know what I would pick when I replace it. The built in aspect leaves me few if any other options. It's been an expensive mistake.
gizmonike
14 years ago
In our current house, we went with 2 SZ 600 series all-refrigerators. One is the main refrigerator, with a full overlay panel, positioned near the range, ovens, microwave & pantry, facing the island & prep sink. At the end of the refrigerator wall, around the corner, we have a coffee bar facing our family room. At this corner, we decided to position a second 600 all-R with a glass front & overlay panel for beverages, snacks, and party prep. This is a focal point during gatherings and helps keeps people out of the working end of the kitchen. Our previous kitchen had the 600 R & F positioned like a giant side by side, but in our current kitchen we separated the units by zone & function. Our 700 freezer is next to the wall oven stack.
gizmonike
14 years ago
We also ordered the door hinges positioned so that each refrigerator door opens for access towards the area that it serves; our handle pulls are on the outsides of the refrigerator wall & the hinges toward the center of the wall. When "all" units are positioned side by side, the hinges are usually on the outsides & the pulls are adjacent where the units meet.
tex5
Original Author
14 years ago
judeny, thx for the feedback. This is why I posted in the first place. Seems like some have absolutely no problems and others have quite a few. It's almost like gambling on whether you're going to end up with the problem free ones or as you put it, an expensive mistake. Gizmonike, your kitchen is fabulous! I love how you placed the "party frig" at the end of the kitchen and the glass front was the perfect choice for that!
59 Dodge
14 years ago
If you are a gambler tex , Here are the odds, (according to Consumer Reports) SZ failures 1 out of 4, Whirlpool made fridges, (Kitchenaid, Jenn-air etc etc) 1 out of 12.
Both are GREAT ODDS, even the 1 out of 4 means you have a 75% chance of no problems,one out of 12???? Too complicated to compute this AM!!!!
Good Luck with you decision!!!

Gary
bryce5
14 years ago
Three years ago we bought a SZ full refrigerator and have had no problems. I love this refrigerator!
tex5
Original Author
14 years ago
momintennies, which model SZ full refrig do you have? As for the odds Dodge, I might have to pass on those. Interesting info, I'll have to check out that Consumer Report.
User
14 years ago
folks - this shows how skewed CR dats is. I can guarantee you 1 in 4 subzero fridges don't have a problem. Our experience is something like 1 in 200 have any kind of problem, and this include acts of god and operator error.

One BIG factor in this rep is that if something does go amiss it costs a lot of money to fix usually. After spending 6k + on a high quality fridge some people expect to have no problems whatsoever or have the bill comped if they ever do.
gizmonike
14 years ago
Over the last 22 years, we have owned 3 homes that have/had a total of 11 SubZero products (an assortment of full size and under counter units). 6 of these are/were at the 19+ year mark. 2 needed the compressor replaced at age 19. 1 needed a door seal replaced at age 18. 1 had a warranty repair at age 1.

That's 3 repairs out of 11, but 2 were at an age far beyond what I'd consider to be a problem, and the units are still running very well. SubZero does a great job, IMO.
bryce5
14 years ago
tex5 ,
We have the 601R and it's been a great refrigerator for us. Good luck in your decision.
andyman
14 years ago
I have had the 736 fridge + freezer for a few years, as well as the 27" fridge drawers and I love them both.

I haven't had any problems, the only thing I seem to be having an issue with is that the ice in the icemaker tends to fuse together after a week or two. I'll post separately about this, I am not sure it is related to the fridge, or to how its used :)

Good luck,
Andy

Here is a link that might be useful: That Jew Can Cook (my blog)

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