EF42 is a Dacor built-in side-by-side refrigerator sold roughly 2007-2013 — a 42-inch luxury cabinet around 24 cubic feet with full-height doors. The BDCB version has through-door ice and water; the BNDB skips the dispenser.
These model numbers have been verified as belonging to the EF42 family. Small variations exist inside a family — your exact model is what ties recalls, known issues and repair guidance to your machine.
Living with an EF42 means two skinny columns you get to know well — the layout asks you to think in vertical space, and the through-door ice repays it. Dual-compressor cooling runs the fridge and freezer as separate systems, behind a stainless built-in front. From Dacor's independent era — parts route accordingly. Day to day, the routine is small: filter, coils, door gaskets — with the ice-and-water path being the part to watch as the years add up. Our data puts the ApplianceEdge Expected Lifespan at 11 years for this family. Treat that as the planning baseline, not the ceiling — well-maintained units regularly run past it.
ApplianceEdgeExpected Lifespan
11 yrsOur estimate for this family with normal use and basic care.
The ApplianceEdge Expected Lifespan is our editorial opinion, drawn from ownership patterns and market data. It is not a warranty, a prediction for your unit, or a substitute for an assessment of your machine’s actual condition.
Recall Information
No recalls on our record for this family. We watch official CPSC recall notices continuously to keep you protected — if anything ever changes, it will show up here.
Warranty Coverage
Full-size refrigeration sealed system
Dacor provides six-year parts-and-labor coverage on the sealed refrigeration system for qualifying full-size refrigeration.
Coverage varies by year and region. Confirm yours with Dacor against your exact model to be sure.
Recurring Issues to Watch For
No documented programs or service records are on file for this platform. These are common wear points for the category.
Dispenser Switch / Auger Motor
Ice or water dispenser doesn’t work
Ice Maker
Ice maker stopped making ice
Water Inlet Valve
No water at dispenser, or small hollow ice
Evaporator Fan Motor
Freezer cold but fridge side warm, or fan noise
Defrost System
Frost on freezer back wall, or fridge warms up
Main Control Board
Intermittent cooling, dead display, or error codes
Thermostat
Fridge side freezes food, or swings warm and cold
Condenser Fan Motor
Runs constantly, runs hot, or rattles in back
Door Gasket
Door won’t seal, or condensation at the opening
Compressor
Fridge and freezer warm — runs but doesn’t cool
Maintenance Habits
Clean the condenser area only when the owner manual identifies it as user-accessible.
Inspect yearly; clean every 3–6 months in dusty, greasy or pet-heavy homes — Dust and pet hair restrict heat rejection, making the compressor and condenser fan run hotter and longer. Some newer designs are sealed or service-only, so the model manual controls.
Keep the door gasket clean and confirm it seals evenly all the way around.
Wipe monthly; inspect whenever condensation or frost appears — A dirty, folded or loose gasket leaks warm humid air into the cabinet. That drives longer run times and can create frost or condensation that looks like a cooling-system failure.
Replace the refrigerator water filter on schedule if the machine has one.
Every 6 months, at the indicator, or sooner if flow drops — A loaded filter restricts water flow. That can produce slow dispensing, undersized ice and low ice production without any failed valve or ice maker.
Verify cabinet temperature and leave room for internal and external airflow.
Check monthly and after major loading changes — A refrigerator cannot stabilize temperature when vents are buried or the cabinet is packed solid. A thermometer catches a slow cooling decline before food loss or a complete no-cool event.
Habits like these tend to extend the useful life of the appliance. They are not a guarantee against failure.
Dacor service goes through authorized third-party specialists found via its locator. Parts for the independent-era machines are still out there, but the deeper the repair, the more this is a specialist's brand.
Dacor's ZIP-based locator is the practical path: it returns certified servicers, parts distributors, and installers for your area, and warranty work routes through that certified channel. For the legacy machines from Dacor's independent years, ask specifically about experience with the era — the older equipment has its own habits.
Repair Economics
Most-Common Repair
$100–$350
Dispenser Switch / Auger Motor
Common Repair
Typical Range
Dispenser Switch / Auger Motor
$100–$350
Ice Maker
$150–$600
Water Inlet Valve
$100–$300
Evaporator Fan Motor
$150–$400
Defrost System
$125–$450
Main Control Board
$225–$800
Thermostat
$125–$350
Condenser Fan Motor
$150–$350
Door Gasket
$100–$300
Compressor
$600–$1,500
Working On It Yourself
This platform is generally approachable for a confident DIYer. The repairs owners face most often here — Dispenser Switch / Auger Motor, Ice Maker and Water Inlet Valve — can typically be handled with basic tools and patience. The jobs that go deeper — sealed-system and compressor work — belong to a licensed technician; that work requires EPA certification and recovery equipment, and there is no homeowner path for it.
This page draws on the ApplianceEdge Registry — 2,640 appliance families connected to more than 18,200 verified models, independently researched. We don’t know everything about this family yet, and we won’t pretend to: finish records, parts availability, and filter and accessory cross-references for this platform are still being verified. We only publish what we can stand behind, and the gaps close as the Registry grows.
ApplianceEdge assessments — lifespans, repair values, and reliability notes — are our editorial opinions, built from documented third-party sources: owner reports, industry pricing data, manufacturer literature, and official records. They describe patterns across a product family, not any individual machine; your experience may differ. Recall information links directly to official CPSC notices. We accept no payment from manufacturers, and no brand influences what we publish.
ApplianceEdge is not currently compensated for referrals made through links on this site. Links to products, retailers, and service providers are provided for convenience only. Our recommendations are based on ownership experience, reliability considerations, serviceability, and household fit—not compensation. No manufacturer or retailer pays for placement or favorable coverage.
