Questions
The ones we get on the phone, answered the way we answer them on the phone. Appliance-specific questions sit on the appliance pages, where they belong.
The answers below are the ones given on the phone, in the same words, before anyone books a visit.
Getting us out
How do I book?
Call +1 (904) 659-6634 during business hours. Mon-Fri 8am-6pm. Sat 9am-4pm. Closed Sunday. There is no booking form on this site and no answering service after hours, because we would rather you spoke to somebody who can look at the diary.
Do you run emergency or 24 hour service?
No. We work the hours above and we do not advertise cover we do not run. If your refrigerator is failing, move the food and call at eight in the morning.
How far out do you come?
40 miles by road of Fruit Cove, St. Johns County. That is drive distance, not straight line. If you sit just outside it, call anyway and we will tell you honestly whether we can serve you properly.
What do you need from me on the phone?
The model number, what the appliance is actually doing, when it started, and your ZIP. The first three decide which parts go in the van. The ZIP decides the drive and which day we can slot you into.
Where is the model number?
On a range, usually on the frame behind the bottom drawer or on the left side of the door opening. On built-in refrigeration, the upper interior wall or behind the toe grille. On a dishwasher, the tub edge inside the door.
Cost, quotes and warranty
What does a visit cost?
$80 flat, any appliance, anywhere in the radius. That buys a technician on site, the fault proven, and the repair cost in writing. Approve the repair and the $80 comes off the bill.
Is there a trip charge on top?
No. No trip charge, no fuel surcharge, no weekend rate, no priority tier. One diagnostic fee and then a quoted repair you approve or decline.
What if I decline the repair?
You owe the $80 and nothing else, and you keep the written diagnosis. Some people take that to a second opinion. That is fine.
What is the warranty?
90 days on labor. 365 days on parts. Genuine OEM parts. Full detail, including what is not covered, is on the warranty page.
Do you take cards?
Cash, credit and debit, due on completion of the repair rather than in advance.
Age, parts and sealed systems
How old is too old?
Rarely as old as people expect. Viking built commercial-style equipment for houses, and units from the 1990s still take parts. We quote the repair against a realistic replacement cost and tell you when the numbers say stop.
Who owns Viking now?
Composition Brands, whose portfolio also includes AGA, Rangemaster, La Cornue, Lynx, Marvel and U-Line. It followed the transfer of Middleby's residential kitchen business to affiliates of 26North. Any site still calling Viking a Middleby brand is out of date.
Do you open sealed refrigeration systems?
Yes, when the fault is genuinely in the sealed system. EPA Section 608 certification is a federal requirement to do that and to handle refrigerant, and our refrigeration techs hold it. We prove the fault before we open anything.
Why does my ice maker keep failing?
Usually the fill valve rather than the ice maker itself. It meters a small charge of water every cycle, and when the metering drifts the cubes shrink, then come out hollow, then the mould stops releasing and the fill tube freezes. We measure fill volume and freeze time before replacing anything, because a mould heater or a chafed harness at the door hinge produces a very similar complaint.
My range died after a storm. Is that a coincidence?
Unlikely. There are around 68 thunderstorm days a year here and control boards usually fail in the days after a power event rather than during it. Tell us if the fault appeared in a storm week.
Who we are and are not
Are you an authorized service center?
No. We work for the customer who calls us rather than for a warranty administrator, we take no factory work, and we bill you directly. The notice at the foot of every page sets out our position on Viking in full.
Then why does it say Viking all over this site?
Because that is the equipment we work on, and naming it is the only way to tell you what we do. We use the name to identify appliances, never to imply a relationship. That is also why the word "Independent" is at the top of every page.
Does being independent change the repair?
It changes who decides. On a factory contract an administrator approves parts and the technician is paid a fixed rate per job. We bill you directly, so we can spend an hour proving a fault, and we can tell you when the answer is an electrician, a plumber or a new appliance rather than a part.
Where does the score on this site come from?
It is the plain mean of the comments printed on the reviews page, to one decimal, and nothing else. Every comment behind it is on that page in full, including the ones that mark us down for a second trip or a part that took too long. A page that shows no comments carries no score at all.
Do you sell appliances?
No. There is no sales floor and no commission. Nobody upstream of us benefits from you buying a new range, which is why "do not repair this one" is an answer we are free to give.
Questions about your machine
Each repair page carries its own questions, written against that appliance rather than against appliances in general.
| Appliance | Category | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Professional ranges | Ranges | 3 |
| Rangetops | Rangetops | 3 |
| Wall ovens | Wall ovens | 3 |
| Refrigeration | Refrigeration | 3 |
| Dishwashers | Dishwashers | 3 |
| Ventilation hoods | Ventilation | 3 |
| Outdoor grills | Outdoor | 3 |
| Wine cellars | Wine storage | 3 |
Book a diagnostic
Give us the model number and what it is doing. We quote in writing before anything comes apart.
- $80 diagnostic, credited
- 90-day labor
- 365-day parts
- Mon-Fri 8am-6pm. Sat 9am-4pm. Closed Sunday.