How to repair a microwave with their own hands
Repair of the microwave with your own hands is possible, but only for those users who are at least a little versed in electrical engineering and have experience with hand tools.
Content
Typical causes of problems
Microwave repair is easier to prevent. To do this, do not use the device in conditions that cause the critical modes of operation of its nodes. The documentation supplied with the microwave is described in sufficient detail. operating rules and cautions. For example, that you should not heat food in a metal dish, that you cannot turn on the device with an empty chamber, etc.
![Mica plate](https://techinfus.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/plastiny-mikrovolnovke_1.jpg)
Burnt mica plate
It is necessary to monitor the condition mica plate microwave, which closes the window of the waveguide, transmitting radiation into the space of the furnace. Regular cleaning will prevent the repair of microwave ovens, which is caused by burnout, as well as sparks and short circuits (for the replacement of a defective part, see the articlehow to replace a burnt mica plate in the microwave).
The microwave should not turn on if there is nothing inside. This causes a critical mode of operation of the radiator and reduces its service life. This effect has a negative effect on the state of the magnetron, and this detail is almost like the microwave itself.
It is not necessary to operate the device if sparking, violation of the integrity of the mica plate is observed (this indicates that the elements of the magnetron are damaged or it is operating in non-standard mode), the transformer buzz, malfunction of the control electronics. In this case, if there are no skills in working with equipment, it is better to call a qualified specialist.
![Microwave elements](https://techinfus.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/mikrovolnovaya-pech-vnutri.jpg)
Basic elements of a microwave oven
How to cope with serious problems
Hors de combat magnetron - the cause of most breakdowns.In order to identify the fault, it is necessary to carry out the following operations:
- Disassemble the device. Disassembly of the microwave begins with the removal of the side cover or complete dismantling of the upper casing. Make it easy. The cladding elements are fastened with screws or bolts, usually they are not even hidden. The removal of the housing to access the electronic components can be seen in the video below. However, if we are talking about Panasonic microwaves, it is worth remembering: on one of the fastener elements there may be a seal, the destruction of which leads to the termination of the warranty.
- Remove the magnetron unit. It is fastened with four screws and removed easily.
- Carefully inspect the status of the node.
Do not rush to throw away the burnt magnetron, it may be subject to repair.
If the top cap has burnt out or is partially destroyed, the microwave cannot be formed in a controlled stable mode, which leads to an emergency situation and protection operation. Installing a new item (cap) refers to standard actions. If, after carrying out this operation, a broken magnetron did not work, it means that it has completely failed or does not form a sufficient emission.
Fully tidy up the microwave radiation unit as follows:
- Purchase a new magnetron from the corresponding microwave model. There are different delivery formats. In one configuration, only a magnetron is purchased, and in the other, a waveguide is attached to it.
- Install a magnetron suitable for the parameters. Pay attention to clear geometric dimensions and power. For example, Redmond uses various standardized series of emitters, so replacing the main, so to speak, heating element is not difficult.
![Magnetron](https://techinfus.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2M214-39F.jpg)
Microwave magnetron
The operation of the radiator is based on on electron emission. This is a tube technology. Therefore, the magnetron is constantly depleted, the emission rate decreases, and the heating rate of food decreases. You can manually prolong the life of the main element of the furnace by adding windings to the winding of the power transformer, which will increase the voltage on the radiator. This should be done carefully. The maximum voltage for which the magnetrons are calculated is 6.3 volts, the minimum is 3.15 V.
For Sharpe and Redmond microwave ovens, this limit must be exceeded with caution when winding half a turn of the winding.Products from other brands may increase the voltage on the magnetron. up to 7 volts. Through this method, you can not only repair the microwave, returning the previous performance, but also extend the service life of the radiation system up to 3 years.
Small faults and ways to eliminate them
One of the most common problems is damage or mica plate burnoutclosing the waveguide window. Such a malfunction can manifest itself in different ways, ranging from sparking in a chamber or an electronics unit, to refusal of the microwave to work in a given mode due to the activation of the protection automation. To fix the plate is very simple. It is enough to remove the damaged part and contact the service centers or specialty stores. There you will cut a piece of a suitable size from a large sheet of appropriate thickness, it will only remain to install it in a regular place.
Other problems and methods of neutralizing them look like this:
- Out of order fuse. This can occur due to a surge in the network or an internal system overload. Is required replace item at the same size and performance.
- The microwave does not work, the cable, plug and fuse are OK. The reason may be a breakdown of the transformer or its safety diode. It is difficult to give a clear answer what to do in this case, since systems from different brands have their own characteristics. If there is a suspicion that the furnace burned for exactly this reason, you should seek qualified assistance.
- The furnace is partially broken. The electronics works, the clock is lit, the modes are set, but the heating does not start. The problem may lie in the contact sensors that control the microwave door. They need to be cleaned, and then check the quality of closing.
- The heating process occurs intermittently. The oven turns on, turns off before the end of the mode time, turns on again. The reason is poor ventilation. You should clean the standard channels and cooling grids of the radiation system, check the operation of the fan, which is installed in models with a grill or in more powerful devices. If the apparatus repaired with the help of cleaning works strangely again, it is necessary to check the state of the magnetron cap and the cleanness of the waveguide.
- The plate turns unevenly, jerking. You should carry out a thorough cleaning, check the absence of debris under the plane, inspect the rollers separately, make sure that the grooves are clean. If the problem persists, it may be the cause of the plate drive engine. It must be replaced, the same action is produced if the plate does not move at all.
Bad operation of buttons or control panel is eliminated in two ways. If the oven is equipped with mechanical contact switches, they must be cleaned, check the connection contacts. If we are talking about a film control panel - perhaps the tracks have oxidized and collapsed with time. Repair of the film control panel of a microwave oven is made in the same way as repair of a computer keyboard. There are various conductive, silver lacquers, pencils for troubleshooting. In the simplest case, if the tracks are damaged very slightly, you can use a simple graphite pencil (for more details, see the articlewhat to do if the microwave buttons do not work).
Conclusion
Before you disassemble the microwave oven and check the status of its internal components, you should make sure that the power is available. The order of action is standard. The plug is inspected, the fuse is checked, it is necessary to make sure that there are no creases on the power cable, no abrasions, no visible fractures of the cores. Separately inspected places exit wires from the plug and enter it into the case.
Only after the availability of power, the integrity of the cable and fuse of the microwave oven checked, you can proceed to further inspection and repair. It should be remembered: accuracy, attentiveness and following the rule “from simple to complex” will necessarily lead to a good result of diagnostics and repair.