5 Most Common Problems with Microwave Ovens – and How to Fix Them

In this article, we are going to discuss some of the common problems with microwave ovens and their possible remedies.

As we all know, microwave ovens are an important part of any modern kitchen. We love them, we use them for all kinds of baking, heating, and cooking purposes, and the things that we can do with microwave oven cannot be achieved through other traditional means. Microwave ovens help us bake and cook food effortlessly with uniformed and precise heating. Put simply, microwave ovens offer us a lot of convenience and they are an essential part of any kitchen. When it goes wrong, it can create a lot of hassles.

Below is a list of the most common problems associated with microwave ovens and troubleshooting tips and remedies to resolve those problems.

Microwave not heating

Microwaves work on technologies based on Diode and Magnetron which work together to emit heat. That heat, in the form of micro-waves, surround the food and provide a uniformed heating. So, if your microwave oven is not heating, one of the major causes could be the diode and/ or Magnetron being burned out or gone bad. The best way around this problem is to get those items checked and replaced with a new one. In most of the cases, your microwave will start working as soon as the diode and magnetron are taken care of.

Microwave Keeps Shutting Off in the Middle of Cooking

Let’s say you just inserted your favorite dish into the microwave and left it for baking for the next 20 minutes. You are waiting for it to cook but you are disappointed to see that your microwave stopped and shut off in the middle of the process. This is probably due to a problem with your switchboard. Because the microwave was working when you inserted the food but went bad during its operation, it could be a problem with the wiring connection getting heated up and causing the fuse to trip. The fuse getting tripped is a safety feature and nothing much to worry about. The fuse trips and protects the circuit to prevent any further damage. The cause of this problem could high-voltage or fluctuation in voltage leading to high amount of current flowing through the switchboard.

To resolve this, make sure that your microwave is in a ventilated area and not cramped up in a corner where there is no breathing space. Make sure to leave at least one feet of distance from all sides. When you place a microwave oven in your kitchen in an open area, it will have enough space to blow out the hot air and ventilate itself from overheating. If the problem persists, you can just wait for the microwave to cool down before you can restart the process.

Microwave Plate Not Spinning

The main culprit behind this problem is a damaged plate beneath. The plates are driven by a motor which operates as intended most of the time, but due to some issues, the motor might have gone bad. This can be easily replaced by an electrician or repair professional. If the motor seems to be fine, then you can check out the switchboard as there might have been a fault with the switchboard not passing on the required electricity to the motor leading to the motor not working as intended. We would highly recommend that you hire an electrician or a qualified appliance professional to get this checked and repaired.

Sparking Inside Microwave

This seems like unusual, but it happens more often than you’d expect. Sparking inside microwave has been reported by people from across the world of all kinds of brands and make. The sparking inside the microwave is usually caused by the paint peeling off of the insides of the microwave. You may also want to look for loose metal parts or nuts inside the microwave. When a metallic object comes in contact with the waves inside, instead of reflecting the waves they start absorbing it. Keep it long enough, and it might start sparking inside the microwave. If you can remember, Tony Stark used this simple knowledge in Iron Man 3 to blow up one of his enemies during a scene where he was being chased by the extremis injected antagonists.

So, if you’re having sparking issues in your microwave, do a thorough check of the inside walls. If the problem persists, please avoid using it before getting it rectified through a professional. Additionally, you can also check the diode for a burn out. You could also have a look at the rack for any support damage causing the microwave to get unbalanced, causing some sort of sparking.

No Light inside Microwave

This is not a critical issue though we all love to have a look at the food cooking inside the microwave. When the food is cooking/ transforming inside, we also get the surety that the microwave is working as intended. If you insert the food and start the microwave but see no light inside, then it is most probably a case of fused bulb. You can easily replace the bulb to resolve this problem. If the bulb seems to be fine, please have the microwave checked for bad wiring or switchboard issues which may be interfering with the electricity and stopping the power to reach the bulb.

Even though the above problems are not an exhaustive list of the problems faced in a microwave, they are surely the most reported ones. We have compiled the list of these issues from people around the world who wrote to us requesting for their resolution. If you are not familiar with the functioning and troubleshooting of microwave ovens, it is best to hire a licensed electrician or an appliance repair professional to get your microwave checked. You can also call for authorized microwave repair professionals from our website or mobile app at http://www.mrright.in. We respond quickly and provide high quality workmanship to ensure that your appliance are back to working as good as new.