You don’t need anyone to tell you how important your microwave is. But since this is one of the most useful kitchen appliances, everyone can understand your frustration when it breaks down. Don’t you just hate it when this happens? No doubt you do and so it will be helpful to learn a few microwave troubleshooting tricks or at least the reasons why your favorite appliance has given up on you!

Beware though: microwave repair is not an easy task. Nor a safe one. The truth is that most problems can be fixed. After all, what causes problems other than damaged parts? So it’s only fair for you to assume that by replacing the worn components, you’ll be all set to run the microwave. No doubt it will but only if the job is done correctly. So here are a few tips to help you understand some of the most common microwave oven failures and how they can be fixed.

Microwave is sparking

That’s not good news but still not one of the most difficult microwave oven repairs. It often occurs when the appliance is running and this indicates that the waveguide cover is defective. Remove it to see if the appliance works. Sometimes, it gets burned and in this case, it should be replaced.

But wait! The microwave also sparks when the paint of the rack supports or of the internal parts of the appliance is chipped. When this happens, the metal surface of the microwave is exposed and as a result the appliance sparks. One solution to this problem is to detect the chipped paint, clean the area, and repaint with a special microwave safe paint. If the paint of the rack supports is chipped, it is often best to replace them.

Microwave won’t work

Dead microwave, ha? That’s bad news but don’t replace the appliance just yet. It often takes replacing the line fuse to fix this problem. The fuse blows if excessive current passes through but check its continuity with a multimeter to make sure this was the culprit. But keep in mind that replacing the fuse will not solve the problem for good. You also need to find out why excess current passed through in the first place; otherwise, the new fuse will blow again.

If the fuse is okay, test the continuity again to see if the thermal fuse is defective. This fuse also blows when the appliance is overheated. Once more, you don’t need to replace the bad fuse but also fix the problem which makes the appliance to overheat.

Let’s say both fuses are alright. What can cause the problem? The main control board. You just need to replace it.

Microwave is noisy

Microwaves often make loud noises when the magnetron is worn or burnt. Under normal conditions, they just hum. This component will make noise even if a diode is bad. But noises are also emitted by a defective exhaust fan motor. The best way to determine if the problem stems from there is to remove the motor and turn the blades of the fan manually. They don’t run? The motor is tested and doesn’t run although it has power? The solution is to replace it. There is also a possibility that the stirrer motor is worn and naturally must be replaced.

Microwave turntable won’t turn

The turntable stops turning when its motor is burnt. Check its continuity and replace it if it is not good anymore. You should also check the drive coupling by gently pulling it off the motor. Replace it if it’s broken or worn. But also the support of the glass tray can become damaged causing the turntable not to move. You still need to pull it off the motor shaft and replace it if it’s broken.

Always remember that the assistance of a licensed appliance technician is necessary when it comes to such repairs. Why? Because even if you are handyman, microwaves store electricity and can be potentially dangerous when they are unplugged too. So, it’s good to know what caused problems but it’s best to call a microwave service pro for you to be safe.