While the microwave has only been a staple appliance in the home kitchen for a fraction of the time that the fridge and stove have, most families use it several times each day. Busy adults use microwaves to make a quick cup of tea or coffee, kids can safely warm up a slice of pizza or a snack, and even infants get that middle of the night bottle of formula more quickly due to the convenience provided by the microwave oven.
While proven to be safe and dependable, microwaves can occasionally malfunction and need to be repaired. If you microwave is not working correctly, here are some possible reasons and what you can try to remedy them.
When the touch pad isn't working
While some microwaves still have a simple rotary control dial, most now use a touch pad to both select the cooking time and choose specialized cooking functions. If your appliance's touch pad fails to operate suddenly, resetting it may restore it to function. To do this, unplug the microwave from the electrical supply, wait a moment or two and then plug it back in.
If resetting the touch pad in this manner does not restore proper function, the main control board for the appliance may have become faulty and professional microwave repair may be required in order to restore function.
When the microwave doesn't start
In order to be safely used, microwave ovens are designed to only operate when the door is properly sealed and latched. Over hundreds of uses, wear and other issues can develop that can interfere with the latch or door seal that may cause the appliance to refuse to start even though the door appears to be closed.
If this problem occurs with your microwave oven suddenly, the problem may be due to a bit of food or debris that has settled in the latch opening or become stuck on the door seal that runs around the perimeter of the door. Removing any visible dirt and obstructions and then cleaning both the door and the latch area thoroughly may be all that is needed to restore function.
If cleaning the latch and door seal does not restore proper function, one or both may need to be replaced or the door may need to be realigned in order to restore it to safe working condition.
If you are struggling with these or other issues with your microwave oven, contacting a reputable appliance service to repair it is the best way to return it to service in your busy kitchen.
Share10 October 2019
My father worked as an appliance repair technician. I was always fascinated by his job, and I learned a lot just listening to him talk about his days at work with my mother. While he retired years ago, and I decided to not to follow in his footsteps in my career choice, I am still fascinated by how appliances work and especially how they have changed over the years. However, I have noticed one trend I don't like, and that is that too many appliances are thrown out when all they need is simple, quick fixes. I don't think that today's generation really knows when appliances can be fixed instead of replaced and how much money they are throwing away by not knowing! I decided to create a blog to share my tips with everyone, and I hope I can play a part in teaching young people today about appliances.