6yrold GE Profile Spacemaker mounted microwave, no microwaves

[mmodrall1]

Hi...

We have a 6 year-old GE Spacemaker microwave that has stopped microwaving. The fan, lights, turntable, etc all still work - just no microwaves.

a) Is this worth repairing or is replacing the only good option?

b) What would the cost of the tube be, and is this a repair that can be done DIY? I know there's a big capacitor in there I have to watch out for, but other than that?

Thanks
Mark

 

[trader4]

Hi...



We have a 6 year-old GE Spacemaker microwave that has stopped microwaving. The fan, lights, turntable, etc all still work - just no microwaves.



a) Is this worth repairing or is replacing the only good option?



b) What would the cost of the tube be, and is this a repair that can be done DIY? I know there's a big capacitor in there I have to watch out for, but other than that?



Thanks

Mark

You can buy a new one for as little as $200 to $300, maybe less
on Ebay or more depending on the particular one you have or want.
For the cost of parts, just put the model # in to any of the online
parts stores. You can find the part and it's cost there. Also
check Ebay and Amazon for the part price once you know the part #.
If you can correctly diagnose it, then buying the
part is an option. But, if you buy the part and it turns out to
be something else, many times electrical parts are not returnable.
And I would say getting it fixed by a pro is probably not worth
it, they typically charge a service fee just to look at it. Then
they charge you list price for the part, more labor, etc.

I've never had the need to try to fix a microwave, so can't help
on the diagnosis. But I'm sure some googling will turn up lots
of stuff, probably videos too, on how to proceed.

 

[mmodrall1]

Can you take it to a service place or do you need a home visit? Just to

have someone stop and look at it is going to be $75 to $100. Cost of

repair and parts could be that much again. What is the cost of a new

one? I'd think about replacing it because if it is the magnetron, it is

expensive.



If you can open it and check internal fuses, do that first.

That's been one of the interesting things poking around this morning. I find listings for Samsung a magnetron that *says* it's compatible with the original part for $45 online. Going through GE's part finder refers me to a company charging $140. The "list" price being $170.

Pretty big range...

Thanks
Mark

 

[micky]

Hi...

We have a 6 year-old GE Spacemaker microwave that has stopped microwaving. The fan, lights, turntable, etc all still work - just no microwaves.

a) Is this worth repairing or is replacing the only good option?

b) What would the cost of the tube be, and is this a repair that can be done DIY?

Yes, if you know what the problem is. Why do you think it's the tube?
When I fixed tv's for people, if there was no picture, they all
thought it was the picture tube. It never was.

I know there's a big capacitor in there I have to watch out for, but other than that?

Don't run it when the microwave cage isn't 100% intact. Probably
don't run it unless all the panels are on.

If you do open the microwave cage, look very closely how it was before
you touched anything and put it back exactly the same way. (This is
straight from the mouth of an Amana parts girl.) Otherwise you may
get microwaves leaking from then on. I would add, make a drawing
before you take it apart, noting every detail of the microwave cage.
(They still have a cage dont' they. I just took one apart (bad relay)
and it's lying open on the other side of the room but I've forgotten
if there's a cage adn I'm too lazy to go over there.

Thanks
Mark

My brother put the wrong kind of metal rack in one and blew the fuse.
Replacing the fuse fixed it.

I could barely tell the difference between the right rack and the
wrong one. Size, shape, and finish, all the same.. It was used as a
shelf so food could be on two levels when being cooked.

 

[micky]

I've seen price ranges like that on replacement parts. Often, they are
all made by the same factory.

But the low priced ones are made on Monday, when the employees are
stil hung over. Or Friday when they're in a hurry to leave.

Just kidding.

 

[makolber]

check the fuse diode and cap first.

see this for help

http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/

whatever you neeed, good prices here

http://matelectronics.com/

Mark

 

[jamesgang]

That's been one of the interesting things poking around this morning. I find listings for Samsung a magnetron that *says* it's compatible with the original part for $45 online. Going through GE's part finder refers me to a company charging $140. The "list" price being $170.



Pretty big range...



Thanks

Mark

When everything else works typically the problem is in the high voltage section. That's got a transformer, a diode, a capacitor, and a magnetron.

Keep in mind these things run into like a couple thousand volts and have a current capacity around half an amp. So they will kill you quicker than anything you've ever messed with.

The pain about fixing microwaves is that most people do not have a vom thathandles the high voltage. So it's hard to test anything.

You may or may not have paid attention to it when it ran but if you did youprobably noticed that when it was on less than 100% duty cycle, (you selected a lower power) if you listened to it, you could tell by the sound when it was actually heating and when it was not.

To get to the point, one of the more common problems is that the magnetron shorts out. The transformer will usually act like a load limiter when thisshort happens but you can still tell that the microwave is "trying" to heat something. In other words you hear the transformer under a load. Try itwith less than 100% power and see if it still does that. If it does then you almost certainly have a shorted magnetron.

If it doesn't then you may still have a bad magnetron but you may have other problems like a bad diode. Again the high voltage nature makes it hard to test. The breakdown voltage of a microwave diode is higher than a regular vom can test. So to a regular vom the diode will look open in both directions, it will read high resistance both ways. But if you try to run some 115v through it it will work if it's good. If you have a scope you can check to see that you have a half wave. If not and you put it in a 115v circuit with a small light bulb you'll see the bulb is dim if the diode is only passing a half cycle. Because the diode has basically cut the power in half.

The transformer does have a filament winding as well which is typical tube filament voltages. But be careful the filament is not isolated from the high voltage at the magnetron.

If your vom has a capacitor tester on it you can check the capacitor with it.

I have tested the transformer by placing a bunch of high megohm resistors is series on the secondary and measuring the voltage across one of them with a regular vom. Then you can calculate the actual full secondary voltage using ohms law. When I do that I get everything including my meter hooked up so I'm touching nothing when I power it up. Keep in mind that even withmultiple megohm resistors, 2000 voltages can still push through some current. If you didn't plan properly you'll smoke those resistors. Of course that will tell you the transformer is working too

 

[bob haller]

if anyone tries to repair one place a fluroscent bulb all around the unit with it running say heating a cup of water. the bulb will light f theres a big leak

at one time radio shack sold a leak detector with a meter for leak testing

 

[micky]

if anyone tries to repair one place a fluroscent bulb all around the unit with it running say heating a cup of water. the bulb will light f theres a big leak

at one time radio shack sold a leak detector with a meter for leak testing

I found one on ebay that was originally sold by RS. I think someone
else sold one not much more expensive. I posted about this a couple
weeks ago, but it's easier to look on ebay and amazon.

 

[micky]

I found one on ebay that was originally sold by RS. I think someone
else sold one not much more expensive. I posted about this a couple
weeks ago, but it's easier to look on ebay and amazon.

And btw, the RS one worked well. I had a microwave oven that didn't
have door latches**, so I could open the door very slowly, with the
meter by the open crack, and watch the meter's needle more from zero
to higher. Only did that once for 2 or 3 seconds, but it was
convincing. .

**Amana RadarRange model 2.

 

[hrhofmann]

Is the Uwave a separate unit or built-in? Do you have a voltmeter and any experience using it? There is probably a schematic somewhere on the insidecovering metal. Whenever you do anything, unplag from the wall supply anduse a clip lead to short out the two capacitor terminals. After you shortout the capacitor, wait for 4 or 5 seconds and short it out again, just tokill any residual voltage that can build up on that type of capacitor.

There are lots of places to get info on Uwave ovens on the internet, just do what I said above and you should be safe. Also, it never hurts to have asecond person in the room when you are working for safety's sake, just don't let them talk and distract you!

Also go to the