Our microwave is less than 3 years old. It's a big fancy GE profile Spacemaker XL that came with our brand new house. All of a sudden this weekend it stopped working. If I put anything in it to heat, the light glows, the plate rotates and it makes all noises just as if it's working but Nothing is heating up inside. I have no clue what's going on inside. Can anyone please suggest what I should do? I just can't throw this away. Thanks.
Check your owner's manual to see how long the appliance is warranteed for. If you're still covered by the warrantee period, find your nearest GE service center (either from the manual or any other paperwork that came with it, or by contacting GE customer service) and either take it in or box it up and ship it.
Or if your tank's running a bit low on Christian morals and scruples, you can just do what every other American consumer resorts to in such a situation: Go to the nearest department store, by another brand new one that's the exact same model as yours, then put the dead one in the box (make sure you've cleaned it up absolutely impeccably put any stickers and stuff from the new one on the old one, too -- it's supposed to be a brand-new microwave, you know) and return it for full refund because it doesn't work. Decline an exchange on grounds that if GE can't seem to make a microwave that works right out of the box, you have no faith in GE products. You can even appear to be incredibly annoyed for optional returning-merchandise effect.
AJS
snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (ted) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:
I just can't
Why not? Price up what a service call costs. Add a few bucks for parts. Price up what a new microwave costs. If it's not under warantee, junk it.
My microwave started putting out bright orange flashes, loud HUMMMMs and odd smells a few months ago. I could have replaced the Klystron (though I've been rather skittish about high voltage supplies ever since I put a finger on the 1200 volt plate supply of a photomultiplier tube), but for $40 I bought a new microwave. They're cheap.
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: snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com (ted) wrote in :news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com: : : I just can't :> throw this away. Thanks. : :Why not? Price up what a service call costs. Add a few bucks for parts. :Price up what a new microwave costs. If it's not under warantee, junk it. : :My microwave started putting out bright orange flashes, loud HUMMMMs and :odd smells a few months ago. I could have replaced the Klystron (though :I've been rather skittish about high voltage supplies ever since I put a :finger on the 1200 volt plate supply of a photomultiplier tube), but for :$40 I bought a new microwave. They're cheap. : :_______________________________________________________________________________ :Posted Via Uncensored-News.Com - Accounts Starting At $6.95 -
: I think it's call the magnetron, the thing that puts out the microwave energy and it's probably gone bad. Maybe it was defective, maybe you ran the thing empty one too many times or maybe you make a lot of microwave popcorn - not good to run the MW without reasonably substantial contents that will absorb the energy (popcorn doesn't do a good job of this).
Anyway, maybe your tube is guaranteed for 5 years, a good chance. In that case, you can have GE replace it.
Take the cover off, disconnect the wires to the klystron, take the silvery-looking case out by taking the four screws out, pop the case, go into its innards, and find two truly excellent circular magnets. Take them out, throw the rest away.
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Bad idea, there is lots of other good stuff in there. #1 always take the power cord, it has 1000 uses. The transformer can be reworked into a battery charger (actually a lot of work). The bare oven itself makes a pretty good EMP shelter if you are worried about that stuff. I found the klystron itself was an excellent art object to give to my daughter. I told her it was something she used every day and she could not figurte out what it was!!
:Take the cover off, disconnect the wires to the :klystron, take the silvery-looking case out by taking the four screws out, :pop the case, go into its innards, and find two truly excellent circular :magnets. Take them out, throw the rest away.
I take it that this is presented merely as a great source for excellent magnets. Thanks! Maybe that's where I got a powerful magnet that I screwed to my oven that holds the oven door closed. I had no idea where it came from. It IS circular.
:> I just can't :> > throw this away. Thanks. :>
:> Why not? Price up what a service call costs. Add a few bucks for parts. :> Price up what a new microwave costs. If it's not under warantee, junk it. :>
:> My microwave started putting out bright orange flashes, loud HUMMMMs and :> odd smells a few months ago. I could have replaced the Klystron (though :> I've been rather skittish about high voltage supplies ever since I put a :> finger on the 1200 volt plate supply of a photomultiplier tube), but for :> $40 I bought a new microwave. They're cheap. :>
:>
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If that's an OTR (over the range) model, GE has had some problems which need a repair kit to correct. I suggest you get the complete model and serial number off it and contact a local GE authorized factory service depot or GE themselves to see if your model is affected and to have it fixed.
Depending on its age, there may be some cost involved. The magnetron tube itself should be warranted for 5 years from date of purchase (labout excluded) but will fail again if the problem isn't corrected which is what the 'kit' is for.
If they're not willing to do anything for you under warranty, you can get the repair kit yourself from the following link for around $100 if needed to correct the design flaw problem which effects the magnetron tube (the heart of a microwave oven) and sometimes the capacitor and/or diode.
Repair Kit for G.E. OTR microwave models JVM1630, 1631, 1640, 1642, 1650, 1651, 1660, 1661
- Appliance411.com
"(none)" wrote in news:Xns9491990F383ADnone@129.250.168.16:
OTOH,my 20 yr old Sharp made a loud snap two years ago,and I opened it up,replaced the open fuse,shorted HV cap and rectifier diode for $26.00,and it's been working fine ever since.And it's one of the old LARGE cavity MW- ovens,not those sandwich warmers sold today.Now if his MW is one of those little jobs,then yes,get a new one.
I'd hand-carry it into a local appliance repair shop(not a TV repair shop,an APPLIANCE repair shop;check your Yellow Pages),and see what they have to say.
Just maybe the best - certainly funniest - advice on servicing microwaves I've ever read! ROTFLOL
Hi,
Model#?
A copy from the FAQ sections....
Q - My microwave is running and sounds like it is working but will not heat up anything.
A - Many thing can do this but, common things are....loose high voltage wire.....poor solder joint on board.....magnetron.....power relay.....
The big ticket item ( Magnetron ) has a 5 year parts warranty, check with local GE warranty depot to have them check it out for you....it is cheaper to bring the unit into thier shop than it is to have them come to your home to check the microwave.
jeff. Appliance Repair Aid
McGyver!!! We've all been missing you since your show went off the air.
AJS
I had the same problem with my microwave. I opened the case and checked the fuse inside. Fuse was good so I disconnected all the wire plugs inside and reconnected them. Put the case back on and it has been working fine ever since. Must have been a loose connection somewhere. If you are comfortable taking things apart I would suggest checking all connections (and the fuse) inside before deciding to scrap it.
GE General Electric sucks
I bought an emerson for 60 bucks ten years ago. It was manufactured outside the US. I repainted it twice. American products stink.
Sucka
... laughing at you.
Vote for Bush again.
Call up American Moving Company
Store it.
voodoo disease 666
I have seen this problem on that model in subdivisions where the GE truck was very busy keeping up with all the repairs. The magnetron is the heart of the appliance and should last for many years. They seem to be going bad on this model and GE has been replacing them with in-house service FREE. Start with a complaint. I was fortunate enough to be able to check the magnetron myself so I knew what the service man would find, if he was honest, and he was.
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