Over-and-Under Units: the Freezer Drawer (BI-30U / BI-36U)

One drawer, two baskets

The freezer on a BI-30U or BI-36U, and on their current Classic counterparts the CL3050U and CL3650U, is a single drawer across the base of the cabinet. Inside it an upper basket runs on side rails and a lower basket sits in four corner retainers; on ice maker models the ice bin lifts out of the same drawer once it is pulled to its stop.

Sub-Zero builds these as two separate refrigeration systems, one for the refrigerator and one for the freezer. That is why the fresh-food section can stay perfectly cold while the drawer below it warms, and why one side can be switched off without touching the other.

Why the drawer seal wears first

The freezer drawer is the part of this unit that gets nudged shut with a knee or a foot, often while someone’s hands are full. Its gasket runs the whole width of the cabinet, and a corner that has been knocked out of its channel or flattened lets damp kitchen air reach the freezer. That air turns to frost along the inside of the drawer front and on the slides. A new seal is priced on the drawer gasket cost page; the drawer’s alignment is checked before one goes on, because a drawer sagging on its slides only moves the gap somewhere else.

When the drawer stops short or goes soft

A drawer that no longer closes flush is usually riding on ice rather than on a bent slide, and a drawer that stops closing flush explains how that loop begins. If the drawer shuts properly but the food in the baskets is soft, the fault lies in the freezer’s own system: its evaporator fan, its defrost parts or, less often, its sealed side. Which band that turns into is laid out under a freezer not holding 0°F.

The drain pan that collects defrost water on Classic units sits behind the kickplate at floor level, well away from the drawer itself.

Asked about this unit

My over-and-under shows two dashes where the freezer reading should be. Is it broken?

Not necessarily. On these Classic units either section can be switched off on its own from the control panel, and the display then shows double dashes for it. Repeating the same button sequence brings it back. If the dashes stay after that, book a visit with Sub-Zero Repair Kirkland, (425) 699-2400.

Where does the ice come from on an over-and-under unit?

The ice maker fills a bin inside the freezer drawer; pull the drawer to its stop and the bin lifts out. When no ice appears, the guide's checks are the ice maker indicator on the display, a full day since it was switched on, a freezer near 0°F, a seated bin, the arm down and water reaching the unit.