Microwave not getting as "hot" popcorn not poping properly, heating a /cup of water to boil taking twice as long. Is this condition repairable and how? Thanks

THE MICROWAVE

sounds like its not on high power.. Some microwaves have a popcorn button..This is usually automatically a high setting.Try putting your water in then hit popcorn...If the water heats up faster then your power settings are set wrong. You just need to change them. Your not set on high power..

Is it still heating food properly? You can perform a basic test with a microwave safe mug or plastic cup of water. It should be boiling or too hot to touch within 1 to 2 minutes. Be careful not to overheat the cup if plastic and use extreme caution when touching or removing it from the microwave.

If it is not heating properly then the magnetron may be faulty and unit should be replaced.

Can you tell what specifically is speeding and slowing? Is it the turntable or the humming sound of the unit itself? Many microwaves vary their intensity in order to heat/cook evenly and that will vary the pitch of the sound you hear and sound like it is speeding up or slowing down. If the turntable is slowing and speeding up then there may be a bad motor and the unit should probably be replaced.

If the unit is heating adequately and the turntable speed is uniform then what you may be hearing is simple power cycling and/or fan noise.

Only trained and certified technicians should attempt repair of microwaves due to the hazards of high voltage and microwave radiation leakage if parts are not replaced properly. Although you can have a microwave repaired the cost may be equal to, or higher than, the cost of an equivalent new unit for a 900w microwave.

follow this steps and fix it. God bless you

1. Check the power diodeThis electronic component is responsible for transmitting current in one direction. If the diode becomes defective it will cause your microwave to not heat. Test the diode and replace it if necessary.
   
2. High voltage capacitorResponsible for storing electricity, this part is a key component in any microwave. Remove, discharge, and test the capacitor to determine if it requires replacement.
   
3. Damaged magnetronResponsible for generating waves and producing heat. When your microwave is no longer heating properly, replacement will be required.
   
4. Thermal CutoffsExamine the thermal cutoffs on both the magnetron and the oven itself. Take off one of the leads and using a volt-ohm meter on RX1, check the terminals. If you get a result other than zero, replace the thermal cutoffs.
   

Here is a simple power test.
Place a measured cup of water into the microwave. Run the micro for 2 minutes. A 1000 watt micro will boil a cup of water in 2 min. Check the power output of your machine. It will be found on the model number tag. A 700 watt micro will take about 3 minutes. If this occurs, the machine is working properly.
Otherwise, check the outlet voltage, should be 110 or higher.
Outside of this, you could need a high voltage capacitor or magnetron.

Hello Case_reimus,

Problem is... (as an old radio-man sees it)
There is NOT a lot more "things" than the
MAGNETRON... to work with...!!

The sole source of ENERGY in the basic Microwave
is the MAGNETRON and if you are in love with the
idea of melting single pats of BUTTER... your NEW MAGNETRON will soon be the "problem"
again ... (excluding convection heat sources).

The nature of the high frequency is such that
less than an approximate cup of water... standard
measurement
TAKING 3 MINUTES to boil... !!

Will allow EXCESS RADIATIONS to be re-absorbed
by the MAGNETRON itself... causing extended
cooking times and PRE-MATURE MAGNETRON failure.

There is no finer type of recycling than to keep a
worthy appliance working beyond it FULL LIFE-CYCLE.

FIND MAGNETRONs on eBay, AMAZON...
and on-line parts houses...

appliancepartspros.com
Search Over 2 1 Million Appliance Parts

partsselect.com
PartSelect Appliance Parts and Repair

Am I helping??

Carnac the Magnificent Help

thats normal water expanding and boiling off from the microwave boiling those tiny water pockets in food... sounds like popcorn sometimes.
Cover your food with a paper towel to avoid spatter on the ceiling of the microwave when this is happening.

Put in one cup of water at 2 1/2 minutes on high -- it should boil.

The fan slowing down is normal becaue the magnetron, which does the heating and, which pulls about 10 amps, will drop the voltage across the fan and slow it down.

What type of circuit was your old microwave using? Was it a circuit dedicated to the microwave?

Charlie

Hi Bob,
Chances are ..you have either a bad magnetron tube or the filament transformer that is failing and arcing. The replacement cost of the parts & then labor to diagnose and install is probably more than it's worth so I would suggest you just consider buying another one. Also, Microwave Ovens radiate RF and unless you are trained in how to test for that and verify the shielding hasn't been compromised during repair, I wouldn't try to fix it myself. As an added concern, there is also High Voltage in there as well.. Your call.. but I would probably discard it and consider another one.. Hope that helps..

Oh.. for a quick test, remove everything from inside the cooking compartment and place a cup of water in there.. turn the microwave on for ~ 2 minutes..does the water get hot? boil or stay cold? If it stays cold.. discard it.. If it gets warm, the magnetron is probably in the midst of failing but if it gets hot .. then you may only have a loose connection in the electronics compartment ( magnetron, transformer etc) Something to hope for.. :-)

Important: Does it sound any louder or quieter when cooking than it used to?

If the magnetron's getting hot, you're getting high voltage.

Chances are it overheated and the magnet cracked.

If the internal cooling fan (usually separate from the vent fan) fails, that will allow it to overheat, too.

If it's within the magnetron warranty period, Sears will cover the part, but not the labor to visit you or do the work.

We're happy to help and we appreciate your thoughtful rating of our answer.