Answers · Ice that comes out wrong
Why Does My Ice Taste Bad?
The short answer
Bad-tasting ice usually comes from a spent filter, cubes left too long or smells from uncovered food, and each of the three is an owner fix.
Check in this order
- Change the water filter when its indicator shows, then discard the first ice it makes.
- Empty the bin, wash it with mild soap, water and a little baking soda, then rinse and dry it.
- Cover strong-smelling food, and leave an open dish of coffee grounds or charcoal briquettes in the freezer.
- If the taste persists, defrost the freezer and wash the liner with soap and water, never vinegar or alcohol-based cleaners.
Past this line it is a technician's job Sub-Zero Repair Tacoma, (206) 472-1140
Behind the answer
In Tacoma, the taste can be chlorine. Tacoma Water says it is most noticeable in late spring and summer, when it meets plant material from the Green River, and generally eases after September.
A Classic’s filter data sheet lists chlorine taste and odor among what the cartridge is certified to reduce. On a private well across the Narrows, the same sheet’s advice applies: have the supply tested before choosing any treatment.
Related questions
When does bad-tasting ice need a technician?
Rarely on its own. If a new filter, a washed bin, covered food and a full defrost have not shifted it, or the ice also looks discolored or shows flecks, something past an owner's reach is involved. Sub-Zero Repair Tacoma can look; call (206) 472-1140.
- Signed
- Marta Fennimore
- Role
- Refrigeration technician — ice systems and water supply
- In the trade
- 12 years
- Holds
- EPA 608 certified
- Checked
- Sep 18, 2026