Common Microwave Problems and Solutions

The microwave has become an indispensable assistant in the kitchen and in the offices. It allows you to save time when heating ready meals and defrosting semi-finished products. We are so accustomed to the existence of the microwave oven, that we start to panic instantly if there are any difficulties in its work. Let's try to figure out what faults can occur in a working microwave, and what ways to fix this problem exist.

The device of the microwave oven and its principle of operation

Before trying to find a fault yourself, you should study the device and understand how it works. A microwave consists of: a chamber, a door with a compactor, a magnetron responsible for generating energy, an energy converter - a transformer, a diode, a capacitor, a fan. Auxiliary microwave elements are grill and tray lamps, fan and pallet motors.

Products in the microwave are heated by high-power electromagnetic radiation.

Waves penetrate the contents of the chamber and affect the molecules that, due to such penetration, begin to shift towards the lines of the electromagnetic field. The movement of the molecules provides heating of the products outside and inside (for more details see the articlehow does a microwave oven work).

A magnetron is a diode that provides the generation of electromagnetic waves when a stream of electrons interacts with a magnetic field. In the center of the copper anode in the form of a cylinder is located a core cathode with a channel filament, it is he who releases electrons.The standard power delivered by the magnetron is 800 watt.

Due to the fact that the magnetron generates a lot of heat during operation, its body must be placed in a plate radiator, constantly blown by the air coming from the fan. Also, due to protection considerations, the magnetron is supplied with a special thermal overheating prevention switch.

Another important component of any microwave is fan. The fan creates a blowout of the magnetron, the grill, the chamber itself, from which, thanks to the action of this device, air and water vapor are released. With the help of air ducts located inside the furnace, air is circulated, which is received by the fan from the outside.

Any stove has shielded cameraprotected by a metal housing that prevents radiation from penetrating to the outside. The metal mesh on the glass door of the microwave is also not accidental - it does not let the rays of 2450 Hz. The door itself should be very close to the body, it is important to exclude any even the smallest distortion of it. In the naturally formed gap, which preserves the geometric shape, the so-called standing wave of electromagnetic pulses is formed, it takes a value equal to 0, it is here, and this prevents the penetration of radiation beyond its limits.

The control unit is designed to maintain the set power and turn off the device after a set time. These are the two main parameters of the functional. In modern models, however, the functionality of the unit has expanded significantly, and now in the microwaves there can be an embedded clock, a power indicator, standard cooking or defrosting programs, an end-of-work signal and some other functions.

The reasons

So, the main faults microwave considered:

• lack of mains voltage or its failure;
• the oven door switch has failed;
• a mains, high-voltage or transformer fuse is blown;
• doubler defective;
• lack of interaction between the transformer and the control panel - no voltage is applied;
• magnetron malfunction.

Troubleshooting Methods

Consider ways to solve the most common breakdowns of the microwave oven.

The device does not turn on

First of all, check the power cord and the fit of the outlet, after - the condition of the fuses. The fuses are burned when short-circuiting or abrupt voltage drops.If replacing the fuse did not give anything, then most likely the reason lies in the closure of the transformer or diode (for more details, see the articlewhat to do if the microwave is not turned on).

Microwave fuses can be changed independently, it is desirable to coordinate the elimination of other faults with experts.

Periodic on / off of the furnace

Most likely, the matter is in the fan - either the relay is broken or the ventilation holes are unavailable. Need to change the fan.

Light termination

Microwave backlight located inside turns on when the device door is opened and during the work itself. The standard reason why this does not happen is to bulb replacement. Less often, the reason lies in the backlight faults. The lamp inside the microwave is quite capable of replacing yourself, in other cases it is better to contact the experts.

Sparks and smell of burning

The point is the mica plate, burnt from dirt or improper use. The plate is punched due to strong fat deposits, as well as with abundant washing of the oven chamber with water.The use of dishes with a metal "shiny" coating will also almost certainly disable the microwave. If not replace plate on time and continue to use the stove, you can "wait" for more serious damage, which will be difficult and costly to fix. More detailed information is provided in the article.why microwave microwave inside).

Defects of enamel

They can appear both in the chamber itself and on the microwave door. Associated with either a factory marriage, or with the careless use of the device. Without eliminating such defects, you cannot continue to use the stove.

No warm up

Maybe it's the fuse that burned out as a result of the circuit. magnetron or a transformer, or a broken capacitor (all the reasons are in the article why doesn’t heats the microwave). The magnetron has its own definite useful life due to the gradually decreasing possibility of the cathode to be emitted; this period is also reduced by unstable voltage. All manipulations with the magnetron are recommended to be carried out in a specialized service center.

The display does not work

Signs on the display of the microwave are issued "ragged."Typically, this means that the processor is damaged. Probably, there was contamination of the loop contacts or the loop itself went off. In case of damage to the board, similar symptoms are also possible. It is recommended to contact the service.

The pallet rotates jerky or not spinning at all

During normal operation, the pan in the microwave oven should rotate very smoothly, if this does not occur, then the grooves are dirty. It is quite possible to cope with this breakdown by cleaning them, and at the same time the video itself. If you ignore this problem, then over time there is a failure of the motor coil, since, with a difficult rotation of the shaft, the load on the coil increases significantly.

Microwave buttons do not work

In this case, you need to check the entire circuit with a tester, replace the failed buttons and solder the contacts in the right places. Most often, it is necessary to replace the entire touch panel / control panel, sometimes the cable leaves the board (for more details, see the articlewhat to do if the microwave buttons do not work).

Excessive noise, hum during operation

Oven is buzzing due to ventilation problems, resulting in overheating.It happens that moving away from the place of fastening the fasteners of the fan or under the wheels that set the pallet in motion, dirt gets in, as a result they create noise. If neither one nor the other is relevant, then the case in the magnetron - it needs to be repaired.

The device does not turn off

It is necessary to replace the supply relay, which is probably out of order. However, do not forget that most models have the function of removing excess moisture from the fan, which runs from time to time. In practice, this means that the microwave continues to operate in the ventilation mode, heating does not occur, and then turns off on its own. This is not a malfunction, but an ordinary technical necessity.

Thus, the list of possible malfunctions that can befall your microwave oven is quite extensive. With some breakdowns you can handle by myself and without much effort, and the failure of individual elements, the repair or replacement of which is fraught with risk and with a certain complexity, requires the attention of professionals. A microwave oven can serve you for many years if you use it properly, observing all the rules, and in time to pay attention to the slightest disruptions in the system.