5 Common Microwave Oven Problems & their Fixes

We all love our microwave ovens. In fact, no modern kitchen is complete without this appliance to efficiently cook and heat food.

Put simply, with the convenience microwave ovens have to offer, we cannot imagine our lives when our microwave oven is not working.

Recently we were called by one of our customers in Melbourne, who was having a problem with their microwave turning off in the middle of cooking. So we decided to create a simple trouble shooting guide for our customers to understand what’s going wrong with their oven.

Microwave is Not Heating

Microwaves have heating components called diode and magnetron, which emits heat to the food. When burned out, your food won’t heat up and thus they need to be replaced with a new one to get your oven up and running once again.

Microwave Stops in the Middle of Cooking

When your Microwave shuts off in the middle of cooking, it’s probably a problem with the switchboard. A bad wiring connection heats up and causes the fuse to trip, and then cuts off the power.

Additionally, microwaves need a good amount of space for ventilation. Placing them in a cramped space may cause them to overheat and shut down in the middle of cooking until it cools down again.

Microwave Plate is Not Spinning

A damaged motor beneath the plate is the most probable culprit behind your microwave plate not spinning as it should. This can be easily replaced by your electrician. In case, it’s not a problem with the motor, the next thing you need to look into is the switchboard. Caution! Don’t try this yourself. Get a licensed electrician check it for you.

Sparking Microwave

Does it look like your microwave is enjoying some fireworks? Well it’s probably just another indication that your oven has a problem. Peeling off paint from the inside walls is one of the most common cause of this, as the microwaves instead of reflecting from a smooth surface begin to get absorbed and cause sparks. Also worth checking is the rack support for any damage and finally, look for the diode burn out.

No Light Inside

We all like to have a peek from time to time as our food cooks inside the microwave. But you feel blindfolded when the microwave lights are not working. This can be caused due a fused bulb, a faulty socket or a bad wiring. In case, all of the above are in good shape, next you need to check the switchboard to see if it is even sending the power to the bulb or not.

Conclusion

This is not an exhaustive list of problems that can happen with your microwave, rather some of the most common ones our customers frequently face and call us for help.

If you are having any of the above issues with your microwave oven or some other problem that you think you need an electrician to fix, feel free to call us.

Microwaves are great inventions and have simplified cooking and heating certain foods by the simple push of a button. Despite their simplicity, though, they can have faults, just like other appliances.

To know whether or not there’s an easy fix for your microwave problem or if you need to arrange for your microwave to be repaired, you first have to establish what the problem might be with it.

Here are five of the most common microwave faults:

Microwave sparking

Sparks in a microwave can be a scary sight, but generally it’s not a cause for worry, if the cause of the spark is remedied as soon as possible.

The most common reason for a sparking microwave is caused by the presence of a metal object which leads to the build-up of charged particles. The solution for this is simple. Avoid putting metal in the microwave, that includes foil and enamel coated crockery. And if you notice the sparking, remove the item to avoid excessive heat or damaging your microwave.

In rarer cases, a sparking microwave can be caused by a broken waveguide cover or faulty diode, both of which will require

Microwave is not heating food

If your microwave isn’t heating food, it’s likely that the magnetron in your appliance is broken.

Unfortunately, a burned-out magnetron can’t be repaired, it has to be replaced.

Other issues that can lead to food not being heated, includes a broken diode or a faulty door switch.

Microwave plate not spinning

The rotating glass plate in your microwave has two main purposes, which are evenly distributing heat and absorbing any excess energy the microwave puts out.

If the plate isn’t spinning correctly when operating, your food might be getting unevenly heated. This is most likely an issue with a broken motor, which can easily be replaced, and if it’s not the motor, it could be a problem with the microwave control board.

Microwave making noise

If your microwave is making a loud or unusual noise (buzzing, humming, scraping, static), there are a range of potential faults you’ll have to check for.

The drive motor that provides the power to rotate the plate might be faulty.

The magnetron might be defective, leading to an electrical humming or buzzing. The good news is that magnetron’s can be

The drive coupler or roller guide might be the problem, causing the rotating plate to make noise as it moves. Fix this yourself by inspecting the parts for dirt or food stuck to them.

The cooling fan at the back of the microwave can be damaged or obstructed, which can also cause a loud noise during operation

Microwave starts and then stops

If your microwave works when you first set it but quickly stops working after a few seconds, despite the time you’ve set it to heat for, there’s a good chance the door seal is broken. The door seal has to be triggered so that the microwave knows the door is closed in order for it to run

A broken seal can mean that the microwave still thinks it’s open, causing the operation of the microwave to stop. This is also a simple problem .