Choosing New Appliances

If you use your microwave daily to prepare food, having a malfunctioning unit can be a nuisance. Being able to identify why your microwave is not working will allow you to either quickly repair it yourself or determine if you need professional assistance.

Way #1: It Is Sparking When It Is Operating

When you turn on your microwave, you shouldn't see any sparks coming from the main body of the unit. If you see sparks, you are going to want to turn the unit off. Once the sparks stop, you are going to want to unplug the unit as well.

Now that the unit is off, you can open the door and inspect the inside of it for a small piece of metal. For example, perhaps a small piece of aluminum foil got inside, or maybe you just scrubbed the inside with steel wool, and some small particles of the steel wool were left inside. Even the smallest piece of metal can create sparks inside of your unit.

If you clean the inside of your unit, and you still see sparks the next time you turn on the unit, the magnetron is probably damaged. The magnetron is what helps create the heat that warms up your food. This part can easily be swapped out and replaced.

Way #2: The Turntable Isn't Moving

For your food to cook properly inside of the microwave, the turntable needs to rotate. The first thing you should do is remove the turntable and make sure the turntable and inside of the unit are clean, and that no food particles are stopping the turntable from moving.

If everything is clean, check and make sure that the guides that the turntable is placed on are not damaged or bent. If the guides are damaged or bent, you will need to either manually unbend them, or replace them, in order to get the turntable rotating again.

Way #3: It Will Not Turn On

If your microwave will not turn on, you are going to want to start with some basic troubleshooting. First, you are going to want to make sure the unit is properly plugged in, and that the cord hasn't wiggled its way out. Then, you can check the circuit breaker for the microwave, to see if it is tripped. From there, you may want to change the unit that it is plugged into to make sure the outlet isn't damaged.

If your microwave will still not turn off after going through the above troubleshooting, an electrical component inside of it is potentially damaged. An experienced technician should be able to identify the damaged components, replace them, and get your unit working again.

If your microwave is not working properly, you can repair it yourself. Or you can hire an appliance repair specialist to quickly fix your microwave. You can either have the repair specialist come to your home, or you can bring your unit to their shop for repair. For more information about microwave repair, contact a local professional.