Easy Tips for Troubleshooting Your Microwave Oven
Many families these days are extremely busy and for them, their microwave oven is a Godsend. If you fall into this category, it’s likely that you get a lot of use out of your microwave, which means issues are bound to pop up from time to time. These would be things like the light not turning on, it’s not heating very well or maybe there’s an odd odour. Most likely you’ll want to check these things out yourself.
Here are some tips on how you can troubleshoot common problems with built-in microwaves:
Carousel Won’t Spin
As you’re rushing to get ready for work you pop your coffee cup into the microwave to heat it up and although it sounds like everything is working, the glass plate turntable and carousel are not moving. Once you’re home for the day and have time to look into this, take the glass plate out and look at the carousel for any large crumbs or particles of food that may be preventing movement. Wash the plate and carousel thoroughly, closely inspecting the rollers, as that is where food can get trapped without being noticed.
Dry everything off, but before you replace it, make sure you clean the entire inside, closely inspecting the area beneath where the carousel and place lie. Once you’ve done this, carefully replace the carousel, making sure it’s properly aligned. Next, put the plate where it belongs on the carousel, lining up the grooves. If the problem persists and your carousel will still not spin, you may have a problem with the microwave’s motor or drive bushing. In this instance you should call Sparkle Appliance to have it repaired.
Buttons Don’t Work
There are a number of reasons why your microwave’s buttons may not be working properly. You will want to test out your control panel and touch pad first. Don’t forget that you should never run your microwave while it’s empty, so put a coffee mug filled with water inside for testing purposes. Once the door is closed, press each button one at a time. If some buttons respond and others don’t, you can have an electrician replace the control panel, unless you want to try fixing it yourself.
If you choose to fix it yourself, unplug your microwave before doing anything else. On the top you will find some screws, usually near the fan guard. These screws need to be removed in order to remove the fan guard. Now you should be able to see the touch panel, which is usually screwed down. Be very careful here since the control panel board might shock you because it is still active.
Carefully disconnect the wires, gently tugging the ribbon cable. Then, very carefully put the parts back together. This should solve the control panel issues so the display and buttons go back to functioning properly. If they don’t work, just swallow your pride and call Sparkle Appliance to come out and take care of it.
Light Doesn’t Turn On
The light should come on automatically when you open the door and remain on while the microwave is heating up your food or beverage. If the light inside does not come on you may have blown a bulb. But, before checking this, unplug your microwave. If the bulb has blown, determine the type of bulb it is and replace it with a new one.
If you’re still having problems with the light not coming on, use a multimeter to determine if the bulb is connected to the voltage. If the connection to the voltage is faulty, you will probably need to switch out the control board. If the issues persist, it may be a problem with the socket, which you can test with the multimeter.
Food Doesn’t Heat Up
You come home exhausted from work and grab a plate of leftovers from the refrigerator and put it in the microwave, hitting “3” and three minutes later you hear the familiar beep tone on your microwave. You remove the plate only to realize it’s as cold as it was when it came out of the refrigerator.
A microwave not heating could be caused by a number of different things: Your diode could be burnt out or just malfunctioning. The diode converts A/C power to D/C power, which doubles the voltage. When the diode burns out, your microwave is essentially not getting enough voltage to work. Another thing that could cause this would be the high voltage transformers and capacitors being burnt out.
Another cause might be that the thermoprotector could be overheating, which would happen if it were tripped. You can use a multimeter to test this theory out. This device calculates the amount of current or electric voltage. If the test shows instability, then your thermoprotector probably needs replacing. It would be best to call Sparkle Appliance to have a professional take care of this for you.
There’s an Odd Smell
If you’re using your microwave a lot, you need to clean it at least once a week and certainly if you’re smelling unpleasant odors. Wipe everything down inside and out, thoroughly cleaning all the components and if you still smell a strange odor, your microwave might have more serious issues.
Does it smell like something is burning or is your microwave making any odd sounds?
If so, you may have faulty wiring within the control panel. This is not something you should try repairing yourself unless you are trained and certified to make these repairs. Call an electrician or go shopping for a new microwave.
Microwave ovens are an amazing convenience. Although many of us would run out and buy a new one at the first sign of trouble, by taking good care of your oven it should last for many years. Here are a few reminders:
- Keep your microwave clean inside and out
- Do not run it empty without at least a cup of water inside
- Do not put anything unusual inside
- Never attempt to repair it without making sure it is unplugged
When all else fails, you can call your friendly electrician or the professionals at Sparkle Appliance.
