Topics:

• Refrigerator or freezer lights do not work
• Light terminator shut off lights
• Lights turned off while the door was opened for an extended period of time
• Why did the lights turn off when the unit was being cleaned or loaded with food?
• The door was open, and the lights turned off
• Why does the panel read L OC, LOC, L0C, L 0C with the lights out, and how to reset?
• Dispenser does not work when light is out
• Bulk ice not working, door left open
• If zone is turned off, will lights still go out if door left open for extended period?

Answer:

Initial Troubleshooting

• If the lights are out inside a refrigerator or freezer, see No Lights in Refrigerator or Freezer.
• If the light switch needs to be replaced, see Refrigerator or Freezer Light Switch Information.
• If the interior lights will not turn off, see Sub-Zero Interior Lights Do Not Turn Off.
• If the light bulbs inside a refrigerator or freezer need to be replaced, see Sub-Zero Light Bulbs.

Light Terminator Information

Light terminators are a safety feature that turns off interior lights when they have been left on for an extended time.

• This helps to prevent high temperatures in a unit, as lights can become very hot when left on for long periods.
• In most models with this feature, the control panel is disabled when the light terminator is active and will not respond.

Product-Specific Troubleshooting

For the most applicable information, first determine your product model by referring to the serial tag. To locate the serial tag, refer to Sub-Zero Serial Tag Locations.

500/600/700 Series and IC-27

1. If a door or drawer is left open and the light terminator reaches a high temperature, power to that section only is disabled.
   • Note that in the 650 model, the freezer section does not have a light terminator.
2. Close the door without opening it for 45 minutes.
3. When the terminator cools, the lighting and operation is restored.
4. Controls may still work with the light terminator active, depending on model.

Legacy Designer Products (IT, IC, ID)

1. If a door or drawer is open 10 minutes, power to both the refrigerator and freezer section LED lights are changed from 100% on to 30% on.
2. The lights stay off for 10 minutes after the door is closed, and all evaporator fans continue to run normally.
3. Bypass the 10-minute wait by powering the unit off either at the breaker or unplugging it and turning back on.
4. During the minimum off time, when the lights are on at 30% due to reaching maximum on time, a 10-second screen appears when opening the door showing “Lights temporarily disabled to prevent overheat, please wait 10 minutes.”
   • This screen will take lowest priority over any other splash screens for errors or alarms. 

Legacy Classic Series (BI)

Legacy Classic series (BI) Made before 12/18/2009

1. If a door or drawer is left open and the light terminator reaches a high temperature, the lighting in that section only is disabled. The unit will continue to run (compressor and evaporator fan will both run).
2. Close the door without opening it for 45 minutes.
3. When the terminator cools, the lighting will be restored.
4. If any control buttons are pressed with the lights out, they will not work; therefore, the unit cannot be turned off during this time.

Legacy Classic series (BI) Made from 12/18/2009 until 10/1/2012

1. If a door or drawer is open 15 minutes, power to both the refrigerator and freezer section lights is cut off.
2. The lights will stay off for 45 minutes after the door is closed, and all evaporator fans will run with the door or drawer open.
3. Close the door without opening it for 45 minutes, or bypass the 45 minute wait by powering the unit off either at the breaker or unplugging it and turning back on.
4. Pressing any keys on the panel when the lights are out will result in the panel reading L OC.

Legacy Classic series (BI) Made after 10/1/2012

1. If a door or drawer is open 15 minutes, power to both the refrigerator and freezer section lights is turned off.
2. The lights stay off for 45 minutes after the door is closed, and all evaporator fans continue to run normally.
3. Close the door without opening it for 45 minutes, or bypass the 45 minute wait by powering the unit off either at the breaker or by unplugging it and turning it back on.
4. Pressing any keys on the panel when the lights are out will result in the panel reading L OC.
   • L OC Indicator will disappear after 45 minutes.
5. The unit will show D OR, and the chime will go off, even if the ALARM feature is not turned on.

Legacy Classic series (BI) prior to Serial Number 4100000

• If a door or drawer is left open and the light terminator reaches a high temperature, the lights will be disabled. 
• During this time, the door dispenser will work, but bulk ice dispenser does not.

Legacy Classic series (BI) after Serial Number 4100000

• If a door or drawer is left open and the light terminator reaches a high temperature, the lights will be disabled. 
• The dispenser and bulk ice will work after the lights have tripped off.

Legacy Classic series (BI) Internal Dispenser Models

• If a door or drawer is left open and the light terminator reaches a high temperature, the lights will be disabled. 
• Internal dispenser will not work when light is out.

Note: On all series, disabling a zone will have no effect on the light terminator. The lights still go out if the door is left open as noted above.

Additional Information:

If these troubleshooting steps do not resolve the issue, service is necessary to expertly diagnose and repair the product. Contact Factory Certified Service to schedule an appointment for repair.

See also:

• Sub-Zero Door Ajar Alarm
• Circuit Breaker Tripping or No Power
• Sub-Zero Control Panel Does Not Work