[NA]home microwave - repair or trash?

[Let'sgoflying!]

Starts up fine, light & fan & platter rotator all fine, responds to all keypad inputs fine, just make no heat.

20A fuse tests ok.

Photos, schematic & troubleshooting guide attached.

I doubt it's a door switch.

Start with the transformer or magnetron?

(photos shortly, from iphone)
[hmm rejecting all photos as too large]

 

[Matthew]

Probably the magnetron.

We have a similar model, built-in over the stove, and a similar thing happened.

Turns out the problem was the diffuser (or whatever it's called). It's a fan-shaped device that sits between the magnetron and the oven chamber. It rotates and disperses the microwave radiation. If that device binds up because of a bearing failure, it may end up in a position where it reflects that energy back into the magnetron which then fails. I checked on the warranty, and turns out the magnetron has a 10yr (maybe) warranty. The repair parts were covered, but labor was not. The repair kit contained a new magnetron, diffuser, and a redesigned diffuser bearing.

It may be that you can get a repair kit under the extended warranty.


edit:

I looked up the manual for your part number and it didn't say anything about the magnetron being covered for more than the 1yr warranty. I do remember ours specifically saying the magnetron parts were covered longer than the 1 yr standard warranty. There may be some other info on the GE website somewhere.

 

[Zeldman]

When the micro-wave in my 5th wheel quit working, I went and spent 25 bucks to get a new one.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

"so it is not covered by warranty, and you cannot repair it, or sell me parts?"
"yes that is correct"
"ok so I will discard the unit and I will be purchasing a replacement - and because this GE microwave only lasted 16 months I just want to let you know I won't be replacing it with a GE microwave"
"yes I understand"
"ok thank you for trying to help me, goodbye"
"goodbye"

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

When the micro-wave in my 5th wheel quit working, I went and spent 25 bucks to get a new one.

yeah well this was not a $25 microwave oven.

 

[Matthew]

yeah well this was not a $25 microwave oven.

Ours is built in over the stove with an integrated exhaust fan. I can't remember when the magnetron in it failed, but I do remember that the parts were available under an extended warranty. Similar to the extended emissions warranty on a car.

 

[denverpilot]

This guys procedure seems as reasonable as any. I don’t like giving high voltage repair tips online.

Main comment would be, no reason to think it’s a specific component yet without seeing if the component is even getting power. Relays and switches fail.

 

[cessna182b]

yeah well this was not a $25 microwave oven.

Yes - but you can probably get a satisfactory replacement for not much more than that.
On the other hand, if it were mine I would probably try to figure out what is (not) happening - like the power relay closing or not, and if so, is voltage applied to the magnetron?
There is always the possibility of loose connections - so check for that. If it were not something simple I would replace rather than repair.

I had a microwave quit some years ago because the controller somehow got its brains scrambled (as evidenced by gibberish on the display). It defied my efforts at performing a reset
for quite some time until I discovered an unpublished "hard reset" function if you hold the clear button down long enough. That one has given no more trouble, and is used regularly.

Dave

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

What? Where are guys getting microwave ovens for $25??

 

[denverpilot]

What? Where are guys getting microwave ovens for $25??

Lowest I’m seeing on Amazon right now is $59, with free shipping, but have seen them lower at the big box Orange and Blue places around back to college dorm room time.

Many of those are only 700W models which are generally undesirable to me, but work fine.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Oh, I need a 2.2cuft >1200w monster.

 

[SCCutler]

Woot has an Alexa-enabled microwave for $24.99 now. Seriously.

 

[Getonit]

I have a $40 microwave (or some other cheap amount) and someohow i manages to break the glass turntable.....cheapest I could find the replacement was about $35.....needless to say my microwave doesn’t rotate anymore.

 

[gkainz]

my last over the range microwave (GE Profile) crapped out while under some extended warranty my wife got conned into buying. The mag was shot and the warranty company bought a replacement range vs fixing this one. Don't know if that helps your decision to fix or replace but my 2¢

oh yeah - my wife got kudos for buying the extended warranty ... this time.

 

[kgruber]

Didn't read any of this thread. trash!

 

[wsuffa]

Trash. New microwaves for well under $100 at various big box stores.

 

[Zeldman]

yeah well this was not a $25 microwave oven.

Well, this was about 22 years ago.....

 

[SoCal RV Flyer]

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hamilton-Beach-1-6-Cu-Ft-Digital-Microwave-Oven-Stainless-Steel/55397525

Pretty decent sub-$100 microwave from WalMart. 1100 watts.

 

[Juliet Hotel]

We bought a microwave a few years back. I think it cost a couple hundred at the time. It stopped working about a year or so in. It was out of warranty but my wife found a local repair shop to take a look at it. Guy fixed for like $50 or $75. It was some part that sits near the top of the case and burned itself up. She said that guy said it was a common problem with that model. She was telling me this as she was stacking all the crap that we had sitting on top of the unit back on top of it. Hmm... I made a little shelf over the top so we could keep the top of unit itself clear for better cooling. The heat sensitive part hasn't burned out since.

 

[Dana]

I didn't think anything was repairable any more.

I'm very upset. Ours is a combination microwave/convection oven. The microwave still works fine, but the convection function doesn't work at all. We've only had it for 33 years.

 

[FORANE]

What? Where are guys getting microwave ovens for $25??

Come on out to Gatlinburg TN. No one else is these days, so while the cabins are empty (and I'm not working) I have been doing maintenance and improvements. I am removing a perfectly good microwave because I am told (by the ladies) the cabin needs more counter space. I will be installing an above the range model with integrated fan. You are welcome to the old countertop model for free.

 

[cessna182b]

I have a $40 microwave (or some other cheap amount) and someohow i manages to break the glass turntable.....cheapest I could find the replacement was about $35.....needless to say my microwave doesn’t rotate anymore.

I have had that problem as well (mine developed a crack for unknown reasons). Replaced it with a similar-sized glass dish from the dollar store. Has worked well for years.

Dave

 

[Ghery]

I didn't think anything was repairable any more.

I'm very upset. Ours is a combination microwave/convection oven. The microwave still works fine, but the convection function doesn't work at all. We've only had it for 33 years.

Sounds like ours, but it is only pushing 24 years old.

I've had several parts fixed over the years. The oven control panel died a number of years ago. We had it fixed. The microwave has died a couple times in the past few months. Same part both times, the second fix has held so far. We did buy a stand alone microwave oven that was about $69 and works well. My wife keeps making suggestions that we put it away and put something else she has in its place. I think that would be the death sentence for the combination unit in the cabinet.

Don't get me started on refrigerators. They definitely don't make them like they used to. Darn it!