How to Troubleshoot Your Microwave

Don't be intimidated by this large and mysterious appliance. There are some parts you can work on yourself if you're mechanically inclined - and even if you can't fix it yourself, it's good to understand what the problem is before you hire a pro.

Things You'll Need

• Cleaning Products
• General Cleaning Supplies
• Paper Towels
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. Unplug the power cord before opening up the oven cabinet.

2. Check the cord, fuses, fan motor, door latch and timer if the oven won't run. Safety devices are built into the oven at all of these points and will prevent the oven from working if they are faulty.

3. Suspect the thermal cutoff, capacitor or transformer if the oven runs but isn't heating the food. If the problem isn't constant, check the door seal, timer, control panel and all of the wiring.

4. Test and replace the door monitor switch or capacitor if the oven fuse keeps blowing.

Tips & Warnings

• Have a repair shop fix the door if the seal is broken or damaged, as well as the control board or the capacitor.

• Discharge the capacitor before touching it (see "Discharge a Microwave Capacitor," under Related eHows). Capacitors hold high voltage.

• Don't try to bypass the safety features of your microwave.