Kenmore freezer
showing Sb
On Kenmore 253-series freezers with an electronic control, Sb on the display means the control is in Sabbath mode.
Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm
- Mode, not a failure
- No repair needed
- Source: Kenmore
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What Sb
actually means.
On Kenmore 253-series freezers with an electronic control, Sb on the display means the control is in Sabbath mode. In that mode the interior light may stay off; holding the MODE and CONTROL LOCK keys for 3 seconds leaves it.
Kenmore freezer display · also shown as SB
What to do when Sb shows on the freezerKind of codeMode, not a failure
A setting the freezer was put into, often by accident or by the store it came from, rather than a part that broke: a showroom or demo mode that lights the display while the compressor stays off, a fast freeze left running for days, a Sabbath setting that silences the alarms, a control lock, a door alarm reminding you the door stood open. Nothing has worn out, and the freezer's own buttons or manual put it back.
Usually leads toNo repair
Press and hold MODE and CONTROL LOCK together for 3 seconds.
Shows up asFreezer Light Out
A freezer light not working leaves the cabinet dark when the door or lid opens, while the freezer itself may still hum and hold its cold.
MakeKenmore
Kenmore freezers repaired in the home, whether they defrost themselves or wait for you to do it.
SourceKenmore Use & Care Guide A01062001, 253-series freezers
Kenmore 253-series freezers (such as 253.22742 and 253.21042) with an electronic control; covered by use and care guide A01062001.
Before you book,
in this order.
Each step comes from Kenmore's own guidance for Sb on its freezers. Follow it to the end: the last card says whether this is a visit.
Press and hold MODE and CONTROL LOCK together for 3 seconds.
Open the door and check that the light now comes on.
If Sb returns without anyone touching the panel, book a visit.
Cleared?
The freezer is holding its temperature again and no part had to be replaced. If the same code comes back within a few days, or the packages start to soften again, book it as a fresh problem.
What not to do
Sb is a setting, not a failed part. A dark light while Sb shows is expected.
What you may
notice with it.
The freezer problems Sb tends to arrive with. Answer these at the freezer before anyone is booked.
All problems
No repair indicated
Nothing to repair.
A setting the freezer was put into, often by accident or by the store it came from, rather than a part that broke: a showroom or demo mode that lights the display while the compressor stays off, a fast freeze left running for days, a Sabbath setting that silences the alarms, a control lock, a door alarm reminding you the door stood open. Nothing has worn out, and the freezer's own buttons or manual put it back.
Kenmore
freezers.
Kenmore freezers repaired in the home, whether they defrost themselves or wait for you to do it.
Kenmore freezer repairMore Kenmore codes
Mode, not a failure on other makes
Upright freezer
A tall, freestanding freezer with one front door and shelves or baskets inside, the kind that stands in a garage, a basement or a pantry as the household's second place for frozen food.
Chest freezer
A low, wide box with a lid that lifts from the top, cooled by coils wrapped inside its walls, the long-term freezer of basements, garages and utility rooms.
In Kenmore's own words
mode (Sb is displayed
Every code on this site is taken from the manufacturer's documentation, never from a forum or a parts listing. Kenmore 253-series freezers (such as 253.22742 and 253.21042) with an electronic control; covered by use and care guide A01062001.
Kenmore Sb freezer repair,
where we come out.
The same visit in every metro below: the code, the model number, and a diagnosis before any part is ordered.
All service areasTampa BayFL · 31 areas
Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas
New York MetroNY · 75 areas
HoustonTX · 36 areas
ChicagoIL · 50 areas
Los AngelesCA · 95 areas
San DiegoCA · 31 areas
Questions
about Sb.
Can I clear Sb myself?
What does Sb mean on my Kenmore freezer?
Why is my Kenmore freezer light off with Sb on the display?
My Kenmore freezer has no Sb on the display but the light is still off. What now?
Back to your everyday
Still showing Sb?
Book with the code or the alarm pattern written exactly as the freezer shows it, the full model number, and whether the food is still frozen hard — when there is a code, that is where the diagnosis starts.