BI Series
Sub-Zero BI Series Built-In
The BI is the Sub-Zero built-in generation that came before the CL models of 2022: over-and-under, French door, side-by-side and column units, all with a row of touch keys and an icon display in which a wrench signals a service problem. Model numbers start BI-. Sub-Zero Repair Redmond, (425) 905-2822, works from that tag.
Identify it
- A model number beginning BI- on the tag inside the door near the top hinge, such as BI-36U or BI-48SD.
- A row of keys labelled LIGHTS, ICE MAKER, MAX ICE, COLDER, WARMER, PURE AIR, ALARM and POWER.
- A display that lights small icons, among them a wrench, a bell and a water filter, next to the temperatures.
- A flip-up grille across the top that pulls out at its bottom edge, with the condenser and the water filter behind it.
- Widths
- 30, 36, 42 and 48 in.
- Standard opening
- 29 1/2 to 47 1/2 in. wide, 83 3/4 in. high, 24 in. deep
- Flush inset opening
- 32 to 50 in. wide, 84 in. high, for 3/4 in. panels
- Power
- 115 V, 60 Hz, 15 amp dedicated circuit
- Water
- 35 to 120 psi
- Door swing
- 110°; a 90° stop ships behind the grille
The models by shape
Over-and-under: the BI-30U and BI-36U, with the glass-door BI-30UG and BI-36UG. French door: the BI-36UFD and BI-42UFD, refrigerator doors above a freezer drawer. Side-by-side: the BI-36S, BI-42S and BI-48S; the BI-42SD and BI-48SD with an external ice and water dispenser; the BI-42SID and BI-48SID with the dispenser inside the refrigerator. Columns: the all-refrigerator BI-36R and glass-door BI-36RG, and the all-freezer BI-36F.
The number after BI- is the nominal width in inches, and the letters that follow name the shape.
Keys and icons
COLDER and WARMER move the setting one degree at a time from the factory presets of 38°F and 0°F; combination units have a pair for each compartment. MAX ICE raises ice production for a 24-hour period. ALARM arms a chime for a door left ajar longer than 60 seconds, and the bell icon shows that it is armed. POWER switches the unit off and the display then reads OFF; on over-and-under and side-by-side models one section can be switched off on its own, and double dashes take the place of its temperature.
The wrench is the one icon that means a fault. Whether it is lit steady or flashing, and what the temperatures read beside it, is what to have ready when you call.
What the unit expects from the house
A 115 V, 60 Hz supply on its own 15 amp circuit, and water between 35 and 120 psi, on the figures in the installation guide Sub-Zero publishes today for the Classic. Standard openings are 24 inches deep, with 3 1/2 inch finished returns left visible at the sides. Sub-Zero’s Dual Refrigeration design runs the refrigerator and freezer on separate systems, so a fault in one compartment is chased within that compartment’s own system.
Where a repair happens
The condenser sits behind the flip-up grille, reached by pulling the bottom edge out and rotating the grille up, and the water filter and the spare door stop live there too. Sensors, fans and the ice maker are worked from inside the cabinet. The BI-36F freezer column shares the controls described here; its freezer-specific faults are outside this page.
Asked on the phone
- What does the wrench icon mean on a BI?
- The wrench lights or flashes when the control finds a temperature or ice maker problem, or when the condenser behind the grille needs cleaning. Note whether it is steady or flashing and what the temperatures read. Sub-Zero Repair Redmond, (425) 905-2822, takes it from there.
BI Series that needs a technician?
Sub-Zero Repair Redmond · $89 service call, deducted once the repair goes ahead · on site 0800 to 2000 hrs, all seven days
- Checked by
- Dean Halvorsen
- Bench
- sealed systems and airflow
- Trade
- 19 yrs
- Card
- EPA 608 certified
- Revised
