Timer beeper cannot be heard unless right next to it cannot hear timer beeper unless right next to it

I assume you are certain it isn't your hearing going bad - sometimes the high-pitched tones of beepers become inaudible without properly functioning hearing aids, or the ability to hear certain tones disappears altogether. This is easily checked by asking someone with known good hearing if the beeper is working. Hearing problems can occur at any age, so don't dismiss this too quickly.

If everything else works normally, it is either the beeper (usually a piezoelectric disc on the controller board or attached to the board with wires, but sometimes a small speaker) or a fault in the controller board's beeper circuit. The first thing I'd do is check the disk and any wires for cracked or loose connections. (CAUTION: unplug the oven before removing the cover.) It's usually located on or near the controller board behind the key panel. Generally, piezoelectric discs are about 1/2" to 2" in diameter, have a brass rim with a silver plated ceramic center, and may be enclosed in a drum-shaped black plastic housing with a hole in the center to let the sound out.

If the disk is connected to the controller with wires and a removable connector, unplug the connector, clean the pins and test it. Piezoelectric audio devices use very little current, but a dirty or oxidized connection will still keep them from working. It is possible that the disk itself has mechanical (spring) contacts, and the silver electrode plating at the contact is tarnished. In that case, gently clean the silver with a soft white pencil eraser. Do not over-polish; the silver film is very thin.

Is is possible, but difficult, to repair a cracked solder connection on the disk. You must use an acid-free solder flux and silver-bearing solder (3% silver recommended), and you must work quickly using an iron at the correct temperature for the solder or you will completely detach the silver film from the disk.

If necessary, you can find replacement disks at electronic component vendors such as Mouser Electronics. The primary specification is the frequency (musical pitch), given in Hz or kHz (Hertz or kiloHertz). If you don't have that number, getting a disk of the same diameter will probably be close enough. You'll want one with wires or PC leads already attached. piezoelectric Audio Devices Mouser

On some models, yes. Simply refer to your owner's manual to see if that feature is available on your model.

Otherwise, see this YouTube video.

I would need a full model number and more detail to help you on this.

I'm wondering if you mean that the keypad is not responding to input, or the beeper is not working when you press a key or when it's done cooking.

If the former, then you have a failed membrane keypad. We can help you with more information with the full model number and detailed symptoms.

If the latter, the beeper may be turned off via the control panel. You'd have to consult your owner's manual for information on whether it ahs that feature, and how to activate and deactivate it.

Feel free to contact me for a free estimate or DIY info, including part help.

If the microwave is used rather often,the circuit board for the beeper does have a tendency to overheat ,what was once a "high pitched beep"is now a "low pitched beep".nothing can really be done to correct this.If the microwave is still covered by factory warranty,contact the factory.

According to the owner's manual (available here), there is a beeper volume on some models in this series. If yours has one, press it and then press 0 to 3 to control the volume (0 mutes the beeper and 3 is loudest).

If your model doesn't have the beeper volume control it's just that the beeper is going bad. They sometimes do that, getting faint or quitting entirely. You can't get a replacement beeper from GE, only the entire control circuit board.

The beeper is a piezoelectric type. Radio Shack sells a variety of beepers. If you know someone who can replace electronic components, they may have one that could be used on the board. Changing the beeper for one not the same as the original would not affect the oven's operation or safety, so that's an option. I'd do that myself if I were repairing this for a friend. But you might not be able to get a professional service shop to do this because of liability concerns. They would most likely replace the entire board.

With luck, your oven just has the volume down. Hope this has helped, and thanks for using Fixya!

Sorry, but it does not have this feature.

That and the quiet beeper are two big complaints on this model.

The beeper sound level can be adjusted.

Press the "BEEPER VOLUME" pad on the keypad, then select 0–3 for mute to loud.

Your owner's manual is here.

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I have Kenmore microwave model 721.61820100.
It has an "Option" button. Press it. The display say "NUMBER"
Then press "1". The display should say "SOUND" and then "OFF".
Press "Start" and that beast turns silent, well not really, but the beeps are goooone.

If for some reason you don't like it this way repeat the sequence and the sound this time will turn "ON".

The beeper sound level can be adjusted. Press the BEEPER VOLUME button, then choose 0–3 for mute, medium or loud.

If that doesn't work, unplug the oven a few minutes, plug it back in, then try again.

If you don't have your owner's manual you can find and download one here:

http://www.geappliances.com/service_and_support/literature/

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