I was heating water to soften splatters on the inside. I had been cleaning it on and off. While it was running, I was washing the outside of the door. Next thing I knew, the power went off (I checked the kitchen lights and they were off) and the microwave went dark. The breaker had tripped so I reset it. The lights came back on but the microwave didn't. This is 20 years old, but in very good condition and have never had any problems. I hate to let it go after all these years. Can it be fixed or must I replace it?
You would be better off replacing the microwave oven, it is at the end of life.To replace parts would easily cost more than a new item, plus prices have dropped considerably over the years.
SOURCE: No power from Whirlpool.
The problem was a defective switch. There are 3 switches on mine. 1 on the top door latch, and 2 on the bottom. one of the switches on the bottom connected the power and neutral together, unless it was activated at the same time as the other 2, causing the breaker to trip or the internal fuse to blow. When unhooking the wire going from this switch to the other switch, everything works great now. Though I still need to replace the switch.
And for Basic 1. Yes my microwave did have a fuse in it it's ceramic, I got a pack of them at Radio Shack 4 for 3$ 250V 20 Amp. There should be a wiring diagram inside the microwave, mine was inside a black bag, so it may be hard to see.
Mine was up top next to the fuse behind the Plastic Grill and then a small metal grill. Some are behind the control panel, to fix this remove the screw at the top and then slide the control panel up and it should unhinge.
SOURCE: A circuit breaker tripped and
Our frigidare microwave was working fine and then it stopped the breaker was checked is there a reset button on the back of the built in units?
SOURCE: Microwave won't come on after circuit tripped
We see (and repair) this a lot. The problem is on the control panel, which
we regularly repair nationwide by mail for $39.95 postpaid in about a week.
At
our Web site, we have a video available showing how to remove a typical
over the range control panel assembly in under 5 minutes.
There
should also be a "mini-manual" (tech sheet) hidden inside the unit behind the
control panel or hidden on the left side behind the grille, which is
very helpful when troubleshooting, testing, and locating components.
Once you remove the control panel assembly, the fuse is located in a holder behind that area toward the top. The tech sheet shows part locations.
But you'll almost certainly need to have the control board repaired.
This light failure often occurs when a bulb goes out and the filament
shorts, or when the bulbs are removed or installed without first
unplugging the oven from the power line. Either can cause such a
failure on the controller.
This can often also affect the exhaust fan operation, too. The lights and fan can be inoperable or stuck on too.
Details of our service and critical safety information and disassembly information is at our site, and our link is at our listing here on FixYa.
Feel free to contact me directly (and please remind me of your full model number) for more information & help.
We're happy to help you with free advice and we'd appreciate your thoughtful rating of our answer.
William E. Miller
[email protected]
http://www.microwavedisplay.com
SOURCE: microwave went dead
Hi
If your microwave oven doesn't seem to work at all, check these:
Fuses
Usually, when your microwave oven doesn't work it all, the internal fuse (thermal fuse) is blown. This fuse protects both you and the oven. When it blows, you need to have a qualified appliance repair technician replace it.
Door switch
If the fuse isn't the problem, check the door hooks and the door-release button. When these are broken, the door switch doesn't activate, so the oven can't work.
Please do rate the solution as FixYa and revert for further assistance.
Thanks
Rylee
SOURCE: microwave won't heat
Sorry my Clarification Request came out as a single blob of a paragraph.
That's not how I typed it. I never write that way!
So I've pasted it here, but as a solution.
Magnetrons generally should last about 2000 hours, but several factors can shorten that.
If it's not OVER ten years old (from the purchase date or the date on the tag inside the unit) then the magnetron is still under warranty.
From the owner's manual:
"For the second through the tenth year from the date of original purchase
"The magnetron tube, if the magnetron tube fails due to a defect in
materials or workmanship. During this nine-year limited warranty, you
will be responsible for any labor or in-home service costs.
"For the above limited warranty: To avoid any trip charges, you must take the microwave oven to a
General Electric Customer Care® servicer and pick it up following service. In-home service is also
available, but you must pay for the service technician’s travel costs to your home."
GE Customer Service is here, and you can verify the warranty status and find your nearest authorized servicer.
If you're sure the magnetron's bad, it's still under warranty, and you or a friend are handy, they will
send you the magnetron to do it yourself. Call them at 888-239-6832.
Be persistent. You may have to speak with a supervisor.
It does sound like the magnetron overheated and the magnetron's thermostat opened until it cooled down.
An overheating magnetron can be due to:
Since yours is a counter top model, there are less of those factors to worry about.
When you hit Start to
microwave, do the inside light, cooling fan, and turntable all come on?
Any unusual noises? Is
it louder or quieter than usual?
We have a sound clip of what a microwave should sound like when the cooling fan and high voltage section are operating here.
You can find
helpful exploded view diagrams and order parts if needed by entering your full
model number from the tag on the oven here.
Let us know what you find out or decide.
We're
happy to help you with free advice and we'd appreciate your
thoughtful rating of our answer.
If you find the fuse blown or circuit breaker tripped, unplug everything from the circuit to which the microwave is connected (keep in mind that other outlets may be fed from the same circuit). Replace the fuse or reset the circuit breaker. If the same thing happens again, you have a problem with the outlet or other wiring on the same branch circuit. If plugging in the microwave causes the fuse to blow or circuit breaker to trip immediately, there is a short circuit in the power cord or elsewhere.
The microwave oven may be powered from a GFCI outlet or downstream of one and the GFCI may have tripped. (Removing a broken oven lamp has been known to happen.) The GFCI outlet may not be in an obvious location but first check the countertop outlets. The tripped GFCI could be in the garage or almost anywhere else! Pushing the RESET button may be all that's needed.
Next, try to set the clock. With some ovens the screen will be totally blank following a power outage - there may be nothing wrong with it. Furthermore, some ovens will not allow you perform any cooking related actions until the clock is set to a valid time.
Assuming these are not your problems, a fuse has probably blown although a dead controller is a possibility.
While you can do some repairs on your microwave, what you don't know can kill you... even on an unplugged microwave, so make sure you understand the dangers and how to reduce them before you try anything inside a microwave. If you want to do more yourself, go to the link at the top of this post.
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