Microwave Is On But Not Heating Leave a comment
Microwave Is On But Not Heating: After putting your food in the microwave to warm it, you wait a bit and go back to check if it is ready. Naturally, the food should be sizzling by now but you discover it isn’t despite the microwave powered on.
Before you toss out your microwave, you might want to read this article as there are a number of possible reasons that could cause your microwave not to heat up your food after turning the appliance on.
In this article, we will show you the likely issues causing your microwave to not heat and how to resolve them.
Your microwave is one of the most important appliances in your kitchen. Things won’t be the same if it isn’t serving its purpose efficiently.
Causes of Microwave Not Heating
Before taking a careful look at the microwave, be sure to turn it off and unplug it from the power source. Below are the probable causes of microwave, not heating:
1. Microwave fuse may have blown
One of the most common causes of microwave, not heating is a blown fuse. Generally, a fuse is a safety device that regulates the flow of electricity from the mains to the appliance.
Basically, the fuse protects your microwave by sacrificing itself in the event of an electrical surge. Thus, if the fuse gets blown, the appliance will not work and as such, will not be able to heat your food.
If you have a multimeter, you can test the fuse for continuity. If you don’t see continuity on the multimeter, then you must have the fuse replaced. Fortunately, fuses are easily replaceable and you won’t tear a hole in your pocket to afford one.
However, if you do see continuity, then the fuse may not be the problem. So, we move on to another possible cause of microwave, not heating.
2. Slammed Microwave Door
Did you at any point slam your microwave door? If you did, then it may very well be a good cause for why your microwave isn’t heating or powering on.
By slamming the appliance’s door, you may have blown away a certain switch that could lead the microwave to not heat or power on.
You should take a look at the fuse and as mentioned earlier, check it for continuity using a multimeter. If you fail to see one, then its time to get the fuse replaced.
3. Microwave Door Switch Is Faulty
Microwave doors have been pre-programmed to disable the entire appliance if they get faulty. Since the radiation from microwaves can be harmful to us, it is important that their doors are shut when they’re turned on.
Basically, no microwave should operate with its doors open. The problem of your microwave, not heating could stem from a faulty door switch.
The door switch is a small-sized component of the microwave that closes when the door is closed. If there’s something with the switch, the appliance will not heat or turn on.
This can quickly be checked by closing the door and observing if the light stays on. If the light is still on after closing the microwave door, then the door switch isn’t sending the right signal.
Some high-end microwaves can have up to 4 switch detectors. All it takes is one switch to fail for the whole machine to shut down.
Try to avoid slamming the door even harder is it will only compound the problem. Rather, carefully but firmly close the door and check it again.
If the door opens along with what looks like a mechanical button, try to push that button down firmly while you close the door, then release the button after it is closed.
Also, with the aid of a multimeter, you can test the functionality of the microwave door switch. If you see any anomalies, then you will have to replace it asap.
4. Take a look at the GFCI outlet
Sometimes, the microwave may not heat because of a problem with the GCFI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) outlet.
Basically, the GCFI outlet helps protect people from electrical shock. It shouldn’t be confused with an electrical fuse.
Thus, if the GCFI outlet gets tripped on the electrical outlet, the microwave appliance will not receive power which means, no heating.
That’s why you need to have a look at the breaker that controls the outlet and be sure that it isn’t tripped.
5. The Magnetron May Be Damaged
The component known as the magnetron is the most important part of your microwave. In fact, it is often referred to as the microwave, basically.
The reason is simple; the magnetron is responsible for producing the microwave radiation that heats your food. Magnetrons tend to use a lot of power and as such, any slight malfunction can quickly blow a fuse.
That’s why replacing the microwave fuse alone might not be the only solution to the microwave not heating.
You can test the magnetron using a multimeter. If you see a resistance between 2-3 ohms, then everything appears to be in order.
However, go ahead to test the metal casing. If it displays zero, then something is obviously wrong. You should get the magnetron replaced or better still, get a brand new microwave.
6. There May Be a Problem with the Control Board
If you’re familiar with a computer, then you’d know the motherboard of a PC controls the entire computer. The same thing can be said of the microwave.
The control board of the microwave controls all the aspects of the appliance. Thus, if it fails, then your microwave will not heat.
In fact, the appliance will likely not turn on or have any functionality. Unfortunately, if this component is faulty, you may have to budget for a new microwave altogether as the control board is another major part of the appliance that is very complex to replace.
Final Words
Hopefully, you now have an idea of the possible causes of microwave not heating even when it is turned on. With the information in this article, you should be able to resolve the problem.
Generally, you may have to do a few replacements of certain parts. You should get an experienced professional to help you with that.
