Seawall Refrigeration — +1 (904) 867-2707 — independent Sub-Zero refrigeration service in Jacksonville Beach, FL.
Booking: +1 (904) 867-2707 (tel:+19048672707). Source: https://subzerorepairjacksonvillebeach.com/repair-or-replace/
Terms: Flat $80 diagnostic covering the visit and the full diagnostic sequence, credited toward the repair once you approve the work. You get a written estimate before any part is ordered or any labor is billed. 90 days on labor, 365 days on parts. Genuine OEM parts on every repair.

# Repair or replace

> When a built-in is worth repairing and when it is not, worked through with the published bands and the replacement figure.

The comparison is not a repair against a new appliance. It is a repair against a new appliance plus
the opening it has to fit, which is why a built-in is repaired far more often than it is replaced.

Repairing: $230–$2,380, the floor and the ceiling of every band published here.
Replacing: $11,600–$16,800 for a comparable built-in, appliance only. Panels and integrated
cabinetry are $2,000–$5,000 on top of that. A replacement wine or undercounter cabinet is $3,500–$5,500.
Knowing which: $80 flat for the diagnostic, credited toward the repair.

## When the repair is clearly worth it

- A door seal, a fan motor, a defrost component, an ice system or a control board — every one of those bands sits far below the cost of the cabinet it is fitted to.
- A fouled condenser, which on this coast is the most common reason a cabinet cannot make its last few degrees, and the cheapest line item on the table.
- Any fault at all on a cabinet whose joinery was built around it and is staying where it is.

## When it is a judgement call

Sealed-system work at $920–$2,380 is still well under a replacement cabinet, so the arithmetic alone
still says repair. Three readings decide it instead: how much fin material the condenser has left,
what the door hardware and fasteners are doing in salt air, and whether the opening itself is staying.

## When it is not worth it

- Fin material gone at the leading edge, a compressor already drawing hard, and hardware blooming at every fastener: that is the first of several repairs, not one.
- A cabinet whose opening has moved, where the door will not sit square again without a cabinetmaker.
- A kitchen that is being rebuilt anyway — the joinery argument disappears with the joinery.

A visit that ends with us saying the cabinet is not worth the part is not billed at all.

## The 50 percent rule on a built-in

The rule says replace once the repair passes half the price of a new machine. On a $11,600–$16,800
built-in, half is far above $2,380, the top of everything published here — before panels are
added to the replacement side. It answers "repair" almost every time on this equipment, which is why
the readings decide it here and the rule of thumb does not.

## What does each repair cost?

| Work | Typical range, parts and labor |
| --- | --- |
| Diagnostic visit | $80 flat, credited toward the repair |
| Door gasket or seal replacement | $230–$630 |
| Evaporator or condenser fan motor | $270–$590 |
| Defrost heater, thermostat or sensor | $240–$610 |
| Ice maker, water valve or supply line | $240–$660 |
| Electronic control board | $430–$790 |
| Compressor or sealed-system repair | $920–$2,380 |

Ranges, not quotes: the firm figure is written down after the diagnosis and before any part is ordered.

## What would replacing it instead cost?

| Instead of repairing | Typical range |
| --- | --- |
| A comparable built-in, appliance only | $8,600–$19,400 |
| Typical 36-42 inch built-in, the usual repair-or-replace comparison | $11,600–$16,800 |
| Custom panels and integrated cabinetry, on top of the appliance | $2,000–$5,000 |
| Replacement wine storage or an undercounter unit, appliance only | $3,500–$5,500 |

A comparable built-in refrigerator, appliance only — before delivery, installation, custom panels or cabinetry. Undercounter and wine units sit below this band; replacing a column pair is usually two purchases rather than one. Appliance pricing is national, unlike the labour above.

## After the repair

90 days on labor, 365 days on parts. Genuine OEM parts on every repair.

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Seawall Refrigeration is an independent appliance repair company. We are not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by Sub-Zero or its parent company. All brand names and model numbers are the property of their respective owners and are used only to identify the appliances we service.

Seawall Refrigeration · +1 (904) 867-2707 · Jacksonville Beach, FL