Are there Gnomes Dancing in The Microwave or Does It Need Repair?

For better or worse, the strange noises and sparks that come from inside your microwave oven don’t mean that gnomes live there. Instead, these symptoms indicate a mechanical or electrical problem with your device. Here are some of the more common issues you’ll encounter and some repairs to try before you call professional help.

Microwave doesn’t turn on

Check to make sure that it’s plugged in and that there’s power to the outlet by plugging in another device to see if it works. Your microwave may have also blown a fuse because the current flowing through it was too strong. A final cause may be a non-working door switch. This control keeps the power to your microwave off as long as the door is not properly latched. Both the blown fuse and door switch issue require professional help to diagnose and fix.

Sparks fly inside the microwave during cooking

If the container holding the food contains any metal, whether it’s a small staple on the packaging or a metal cover, then sparks will fly. Transfer the food to a dish that you known to be microwave-safe to see if that solves the problem. Dried food on the sides or bottom of the interior walls can also produce sparks. In that case, clean the insides. Other causes of the problem could be a broken fan motor or diode that has shorted, both of which need service expertise to fix.

The microwave is buzzing and not heating anything

This issue generally indicates that one of the following is defective or not working: power diode that ensures that current flows in one direction, high voltage capacitor that stores electricity, or magnetron that generates the microwaves. None of these repairs should be done by amateurs.

Turntable isn’t turning.

Make sure the turntable is properly seated on the guides underneath it and that nothing is keeping the guides from turning, such as a stuck piece of food. Remove any interfering food bits and center the turntable over its guides. Other causes, which require repair by a technician, include a defective carousel tray motor or a bushing is either stuck are broken. The bushing is the small wheel on the floor of the microwave that moves the turntable.

If your microwave problem requires professional expertise to diagnose and fix, please contact us. Our service technicians can analyze the problem and suggest a cost-effective microwave appliance repair.