My GE over-the-range microwave bought 4 years ago almost to the day suddenly died. I was heating a plate of thanksgiving leftovers, paused it with 43 secs left to throw in some biscuits, hit start again and pfffft! nothing. completely dead. checked the circuit breaker it was on. checked the outlet it is plugged into. everything normal. but it's dead, jim.

do microwaves have fuses or anything? anything further I could check myself? it cost about $200 plus installation. i just checked lowes and a replacement would be $234 + $129 installation on a black friday deal that expires in a few days.

Worth finding a repair person or just replace it? The microwave is mostly used for reheating, quick defrosting, and popcorn.

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Replace, but for your limited use check thrift store or Habitat for Humanity ReStore, cost around here is usually less than $50.

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Ombligo
Replace, but for your limited use check thrift store or Habitat for Humanity ReStore, cost around here is usually less than $50.

a Restore opened near me in the past few months. never seen an over the range at a thrift store though. thanks.

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If you want to fix our country, work with us in the states. statesproject.org

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Yes, generally there are internal fuses. There are several fixit videos on YouTube, search for your model. Blown fuses usually point to a specific other failure. So if you don't fix that first, the new fuse will immediately blow. If you are lucky it is just a failed sensor switch. A continuity tester and volt meter are helpful.

Are there capacitors or something in them that will shock you?

There generally is at least one capacitor, so proceed with due caution.

Bummer. Seems crappy that something that gets used little, with a tech that's been around for decades, died after 4 years.

Not a DIY project? Our in wall one, looked great, and when it died I wasn't sure what it would take... turns out it was pretty simple, maybe 20 minute DIY.

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Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

Is the microwave old enough where fixing would only make it last awhile longer?

We replaced ours a few months ago, when we found that the part and labor would cost almost as much as a new unit. Then when we dug out the original receipt, and realized it was 13 years old, that sealed the deal.
New microwave for us.

Dave

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2021 03:20PM by DinerDave.

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Dennis S
Are there capacitors or something in them that will shock you?

i just watched a youtube vid on replacing a fuse. looked attemptable. is a capacitor something that would shock me if it wasn’t plugged in?

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If you want to fix our country, work with us in the states. statesproject.org

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graylocks

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Dennis S
Are there capacitors or something in them that will shock you?

i just watched a youtube vid on replacing a fuse. looked attemptable. is a capacitor something that would shock me if it wasn’t plugged in?

I think so, but I’m not an expert. I would definitely look for a fuse, though.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/2021 09:54PM by Dennis S.

is a capacitor something that would shock me if it wasn’t plugged in?


Potentially, yes.

Over time they with self-discharge, sometimes over a day or two.

In the old days, one working on such kit would ground the hot side and discharge it to avoid a surprise.

I have no idea how this would apply to your situation but maybe there's a YouTube video that covers it.

You can take it in to be repaired or you can attempt it yourself, but usually you can't do both.

You didn't mention how the fuse was secured – in a holder or soldered..

A cap would be soldered, but once the suspect is ID'ed its a simple matter to replace it, though it would require a soldering gun (or iron) and a little practice in soldering.

A ballpark estimate on repairs would determine your next step.

If it were me and I decided to replace it, then I'd open it up and look for a fuse or a place where the magic smoke got out.

If there's no fuse or obvious escape point then you have to chase down the problem, and that might not be worth the effort.

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graylocks
hit start again and pfffft! nothing. completely dead. checked the circuit

If it really went pfffft!, then I'd think you have an electric problem and I defer to your Youtube judgment!

But, if it jut didn't start, you might fiddle with the door, opening and closing it while moving it up and down a bit. My Kenmore over the stove microwave just didn't start one day when it was barely out of warranty (of course!) and I found that doing what I just suggested got it going and it's been working fine for several years since. I'd imagine there's a switch that has to connect correctly in the door mechanism that got off kilter and then went back as I fiddled with it.

Working at a free Fixit clinic, I sought the aid of a more knowledgeable fellow when a lady brought in a cheap microwave that had died. I had told her that I had little hope, but my muse told me there are typically two interlock switches on the doors of microwaves - check those.

So I did, and (IIRC) one had come loose and was not closing (electrically). Tightened the mounting of the switch, plugged it in, put in a glass of water, and voila - the microwave came back to life. (Don’t know how long it stayed that way, but the owner was happy that day).

Just another possibility.

Ok - I'm in and I'm not dead! Fuse is right where the youtube vid said it would be and is blown. Ordered a pair from Amazon for Monday delivery as lowes/HD didn't seem to have the fuse in stock. We'll see Monday if the fuse is the fix or if something else is causing the fuse to sacrifice itself. I have until Dec 1 to catch a replacement microwave on BF sale.

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If you want to fix our country, work with us in the states. statesproject.org

"Success isn't about how much money you make. It is about the difference you make in people's lives."--Michelle Obama



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2021 12:25PM by graylocks.

Quote
graylocks
Ok - I'm in and I'm not dead! Fuse is right where the youtube vid said it would be and is blown. Ordered a pair from Amazon for Monday delivery as lowes/HD didn't seem to have the fuse in stock. We'll see Monday if the fuse is the fix or if something else is causing the fuse to sacrifice itself. I have until Dec 1 to catch a replacement microwave on BF sale.

Good job GL.
You are representing for us “ladies of the Forum.”

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)

Nicely done ! Appliance repair badge skill won !


And … FYI… a lot of times your local appliance parts store will have the fuse. Or the old school hardware store if you have one (they usually have a shop cat or a shop dog keeping an eye on things…)

Good job GL.
You are representing for us “ladies of the Forum.”

All y'all rock!

Good work!

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

Well - the good news is the new fuses came a day early and I successfully installed it. Microwave powered on. The bad news is the appliance immediately died again! Something else is the main culprit.

I may futz with this more but i've got a busy time period coming up and I've lost patience for this at the moment. I bought a replacement microwave on BF sale but i won't arrange to have it installed for a few weeks. If I wind up solving this myself I'll simply return it. In the meantime I've unearthed an old countertop microwave that I had in storage for when my son finally moves out on his own. That has also lessened the sense of urgency.

Thanks for being such a supportive cheer squad!

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If you want to fix our country, work with us in the states. statesproject.org

"Success isn't about how much money you make. It is about the difference you make in people's lives."--Michelle Obama



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2021 01:15PM by graylocks.