Common Microwave Faults and How to Fix them

A microwave oven is one of the most used appliances in the modern kitchen. Unlike other cooking appliances like gas stoves, microwave ovens are faster, and they are also easy to use. Again, most of them are equipped with unique features which allows you to prepare different meals and reheat cooked food easily.

However, they break down just like other appliances which means that you need to know how to troubleshoot them when problems occur. You don't have to look for a technician to help you solve most of the microwave oven problems.

While it is important to purchase a quality microwave oven in India, it is equally important to know the basic troubleshooting techniques to fix the minor problems yourself. In this guide, we shall take you through on how to solve various microwave oven problems.

1. Unresponsive buttons

Microwave buttons allows you to set your preferred cooking temperatures when preparing different meals. However, this is not possible if the buttons are not working as required. This normally happens when the switch membrane is damaged due to continuous use. It also happens in case there is a problem in the control board.

If the oven was shipped to you, there are high chances of loose connections. This means that you should check the wires that connect to the control panel. In case some buttons are working while others are not, you should check the membrane switch using a multi-meter. This will allow you to analyze the ohms reading of resistance. You may also need to check the main control system to confirm that there is a proper supply.

2. Sparkling Inside the Oven

Sparkling inside a microwave oven means that there is a problem. The first thing you should do is to plug off the machine from the main power supply. After this, you can now try to determine the cause of the problem. Some of the things that might lead to this are;
• Paint peeling off inside the unit- This happens when the microwaves get reflected by the wall cavity. To solve this, you should apply a layer of paint to prevent the reflection.
• Damaged waveguide cover - The waveguide cover ensures that the microwaves remain safely inside the oven cavity. Damaged waveguide cover may lead to sparkling. You can also replace the waveguide with a new one.
• Some vegetables- Some vegetables contain minerals which reflects the microwaves. This reflection may lead to sparkles and when this happens, you should turn off the oven immediately.

3. Stopping suddenly when heating - One of the most frustrating things that can happen in the kitchen is when the oven stops working suddenly. This can lead to food and time wastage. It normally occurs when the transformer gets damaged due to high voltage. It can also happen due to a damaged motor, door switch or touchpad. Therefore, you will need to replace any of the parts in case it is damaged.

4. Microwave Noise - There are several things that can cause the microwave oven to be noisy. The first thing you should do when troubleshooting this is to check the plate. In case there is a rattling noise around the plate, you should check the guide roller or the coupler. If the problem is in the magnetron or drive motor, you may need to look for a technician to help you in the repair. The problem might also occur due to a high voltage diode.

5. No heat production - The diode and the magnetrons are the major heating components of a microwave. These components allow the microwaves to pass through the food when heating. In case any of the two components is not working, it means that heating will not take place. The only way you can solve this is by replacing the damaged diode or magnetrons.

6. Microwave light bulb problem - Inside the microwave oven, there is a small bulb that lights when the microwave is in operation. If you find that it is not working, you need to check if it is fused. This problem also occurs due to bad wiring or faulty bulb socket. If the control board is damaged, it won't send the voltage to the bulb socket.

7. Microwave plate not spinning - A microwave contains a motor that spins below the plate. This motor allows the plate to rotate and this ensures that the food is heated uniformly. In case the plate does not spin, chances are that the motor is burned or worn out. If the motor is in good condition, chances are that there is a problem on the main control board but if the control board s fine, you may need to check the control panel or the touchpad.

8. Problems with the display - This normally happens when turning on the unit and it can happen when the circuit board is damaged or when there is a power supply problem. To solve this, you should restart the unit for 2-3 minutes or connect the plug into another socket. In case this doesn't solve the problem, you should fix the circuit board by replacing the faulty capacitor.

9. Taking a lot of time to cook - This might not be a serious problem since it usually happens when you have placed a lot of food in the oven. Therefore, you should always put small amounts of food. You can also try to check if there is microwave leakage using microwave level indicator.

10. Door not closing - If you are using an old microwave oven, you might experience this problem frequently. It normally happens when the springs or hinges becomes loose. This is a serious problem because heat and smells can easily escape from the microwave. Therefore, you should check the hinges and the door latch assembly to ensure that they are in good condition. You should also tighten all the loose screws and replace all the damaged parts.

Final Verdict

Knowing how to solve various microwave oven problems is a very important skill if you rely on these appliances for cooking. You will also find that most of the problems are not difficult to solve. With this guide, we hope that you can now solve any microwave oven even without hiring a professional.

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