Preparing Your Appliances for a Stress-Free Holiday Season

You take out a cold meal you’ve been saving in the fridge and decide to heat it. With a growling stomach, you start up your microwave, and suddenly…nothing. You could’ve sworn this thing was working just recently, so what’s going on?

1. Blown Fuse

When too much electricity passes through the fuse of a microwave, it immediately cuts the power off to prevent any incidents—this means that the fuse has blown. There are various reasons a blown fuse occurs: it could be that the voltage of the microwave and electrical outlet does not match, or there could be some issue with the wirings or the microwave controls.

You cannot tell a blown fuse just by looking at a microwave. However, if you do observe the fuse in detail, you may notice some charring on it. You should then call a professional as they have the proper tools to test whether the fuse is blown or not.

2. Broken Control Pad

It is also possible that the control pad of your microwave is broken. If you don’t think your microwave has a blown fuse, try and press all the buttons on your microwave. Most of the time, they won’t respond when the power button is broken. However, some models do.

This is also one of the most common causes as people are often too rough when pressing buttons on their microwave. Fortunately, you can have the control pad replaced real quick by a professional.

3. Stuck Food under Plate

If the plate is the issue and it isn’t turning to allow even heating, turn off your microwave and unplug it. Then once everything has cooled down, check under the plate as there may be some food stuck under there or residue. Clean it up and return the plate and see if it works. If no food is stuck, ensure the plate is aligned with the markers on the microwave.

If you have done all this and the plate is still not spinning, the issue would be with the microwave itself. Get it checked to ensure that all mechanisms are working properly.

4. Faulty Wiring

The microwave did turn on, but then you smell something burning, or you hear electricity crackling that was never there before. When you notice these signs, immediately turn off the microwave and unplug it as it may catch on fire or malfunction.

These are the signs of faulty wiring in the appliance, which puts you at risk every time you use it. It is always best to have it checked by an expert or, in worst-case situations, have it replaced completely.

5. Defective Door Switch

The microwave door usually has a few switches that snap into place when you close it. These switches are placed for security reasons and are one of the toggles of the microwave turning on. If one of them breaks, then the microwave cannot turn on until it detects the missing switch.

There are two options for this situation: have the entire door replaced or try to get the switch fixed. It will depend on the intensity of the issue.

Conclusion

There are several possible causes of a broken microwave. Above are the most common situations; in each one, it is always best to contact a professional to help you with the problem. This way, you can see if your microwave can still be repaired or if it needs to be replaced.

Do you need appliance repair in Montgomery, North Harris, or South Walker Counties? You can contact us at Lone Star Appliance Repair. Keep your appliances in tip-top shape by having us maintain or repair them. Worry no more about not having your appliances work in the time of need by hiring our services at Lone Star Appliance Repair.