Microwave Power Gone?

Have a microwave that all of a sudden the power went out on it. No clock, control panel is dead. The fuse box did not trip so that was not the problem. Could it be a problem with the fuse box, something that needs to be replaced, or is there something in a microwave that is easily replaceable that causes this behavior. It is a combo GE microwave and oven in the wall, and the oven is working fine. Thanks.

Reply to
Albert
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Try unplugging it and re-plugging it. I had my GE go out like that after a power glitch. If that does not do anything, check t he circuit breaker.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

If all else fails, you can disassemble the microwave. Inside should be a last-resort fuse that can be replaced.

If, after replacing the interior fuse, the sucker blows it again, you'll need expert help.

Some would suggest replacing the fuse that blew with one of a higher amperage. Don't do this. Upping the fuse will probably work okay, but would not conform to the design characteristics of the manufacturer. They know best.

No, a twenty-cent fuse is no replacement for a $200 microwave oven.

Reply to
HeyBub

As others have suggested, there may be a blown fuse inside the oven. Check for that first.

I've also seen another cause of "dead oven" symptoms. The oven lamp is an ordinary incandescent bulb, and sometimes these end their lives with a bright flash instead of just going dark. That probably means that the filament failed, sagged, and touched something "live" inside the bulb, drawing more current (only part of the usual filament is across the line) briefly before overheating and failing open again. Now, when your table lamp does this, the wiring can easily handle the brief current surge and nothing is damaged. But sometimes the current for the oven light passes through PC board traces in a microwave oven (the lamp may be controlled by a relay on the timer board), and the current surge of a dying lamp may blow out a trace on the board. This trace may also provide power to the board itself (via a transformer), so a blown trace means everything goes dark.

I had one oven that did this. Finding the blown trace and soldering a bit of copper wire in to replace it restored the oven to normal operation. (It needed a new light bulb, of course).

Dave

Reply to
Dave Martindale

Some microwaves have a fuse inside, usually a ceramic version of the standard glass fuse, shaped like a little cylinder with metal ends, with a holder that has metal clips at each end. I have one now that actually has an intermittent problem with the fuse, sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. I keep forgetting to look for a new fuse.

The rating is on the end of the fuse -- says something like 7A or 13A

-- and probably on a piece of tape where the fuse is or in the wiring diagram which is probably glued inside the cover. Radio Shack has some values of this fuse, and autoparts stores shoudl have them too, although there I think they woudl be glass on not ceramic. I don't know what the difference is, but I don't think it could be much.

Just take off the cover, probably 4 screws.

Reply to
mm

The ceramic fuses can interrupt a high-current short circuit without risk of breaking a glass tube. They're better than the same-rating glass equivalent (except for the fact that you can't tell by looking when one is blown). But if you can't find the ceramic ones, a glass one of the same rating will work and is pretty safe.

On the other hand, make sure the fuse is rated for 120 V at least! The auto parts store will have fuses intended for auto use, generally rated for only 30 V or so. These are *not* appropriate for a microwave oven.

Dave

Reply to
Dave Martindale

There are a lot of resources out there with troubleshooting and repair guides for micro- wave ovens, here are links to several:

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Reply to
Uncle Monster

And may be rated for 32V. Check that.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

[snip]

The common fuse voltage ratings are 32V, 125V, and 250V.

BTW, I've found both 32V and 125V fuses in auto parts stores.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

Oops. Are they really only rated at 30? I guess I've never looked.

Thanks for correcting me.

Or maybe I have looked and happened to get 125V those times.

I wonder how much more it costs to make 125. Sometimes I think it's got to be more expensive to make two models of something simple, or something complicated like a tv, than just to make the better one over and over. But I've never run a factory.

Reply to
mm

=2E.

I would suggest that if that does not do it, it would likely be better to just replace it. They are cheap, the newer ones are better and repairs are expensive. Poor DIY repairs can be dangerous.

Reply to
jmeehan

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