Microwave repair technician needed, inquire within.

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Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:50 am

Lots of cogent advice on keeping the pants on the thing and to leave the monk alone.

I did microwave repair for a living in a previous age and can offer a few words.

New Amanas suck.
Built in microwaves suck.
Over range microwave ovens suck.
Microwaves with ventilation hoods built in suck.
Microwaves without power inverters suck.
People that think they can work on anything, well you get the idea.

Once the unit has been removed from the cabinets you will see a sticker that says " No user serviceable parts inside." Read the sticker. That will be step one. Step two, repeat step one.

In hundreds and hundreds of repairs, I only saw one real tube failure. Lots were ordered to pad manufacturer's "bill back".

The most common failure was the door interlock. Too much slamming by the customer. The interlock prevents the tube from getting power with the door open. There are two circuits in the interlock and due to the slamming of the door something would break or get out of alignment.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Connie L. Gus wrote:

The most common failure was the door interlock.

That's what I gathered from my research. That seems simple enough to replace, at low cost. I promise to properly discharge any and all capacitors I encounter along the way. If I see a blue flash, then I know I'm doing it wrong.

Connie L. Gus wrote:

Once the unit has been removed from the cabinets you will see a sticker that says " No user serviceable parts inside." Read the sticker. That will be step one. Step two, repeat step one.

Where is your sense of adventure?

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:18 am

Two years ago I paid almost a hundred US to replace a broken dish in an under cabinet mounted microwave oven. When the interlock failed on the built in last month, I pulled it out and went to Costco and bought the best counter top model they had. Its the same exterior dimensions but holds about 50% more internally and instead of 1000 watts, it puts out 1250. Power levels are pulse width modulated, not this on off thing that drives me crazy. It senses food temperature and steam generation. All this new technology for $150.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

thud419 wrote:

and invisible radiation strong enough to boil your eyeballs

Linda just read this, guess who's getting a new microwave.

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:10 am

^

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

Advertise the old one for sale at $1,000 as a DIY death ray machine.
Some assembly and ajustment required.
May cause death, boiled eyeballs or other irritation

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 4:41 pm

Good thinking PF. I won't even bother pricing out the part but back in the day they were not cheap. I remember the interlock assembly cost the same as the labor and that p+l were billed at what I got paid for the day. I was given an hour to get the unit, dissect and diagnose, order parts, partially reassemble, move the unit back to storage, wait for the parts, get the unit again, put in the parts, reassemble, test and then sweep up the extra left over screws from under the work bench. Thinking back, I did this because I was in love at the time and only cared about playing house with my first love.

Microwave repair has gone the way of VCR repair. Why bother?

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:53 pm

Have Scotty check the dilithium crystals....

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 6:04 pm

And I've already sent you the $600 thru WO. Wink

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

^^^MTCN?

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

Good call. Now I'll just go back to using my power drill in the rain.

Edit: (Yes really, I did.)

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 3:07 am

Pastor Frank wrote:

I promise to properly discharge any and all capacitors I encounter along the way. If I see a blue flash, then I know I'm doing it wrong.

I was shown how to do it with a screwdriver shaft. Is that the right way??

the willing Pastor Frank wrote:

Connie L. Gus wrote:

Once the unit has been removed from the cabinets you will see a sticker that says " No user serviceable parts inside." Read the sticker. That will be step one. Step two, repeat step one.

Where is your sense of adventure?

We kind of like having you around.

Congrats about the new Micro radiation machine. Be careful reinstalling the new one, particularly with the stove underneath the installation site. If you drop it, you will be buying two new appliances. (don't ask how I know...)

Baiting Guru Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 3193

ParaNoid wrote:

I was shown how to do it with a screwdriver shaft. Is that the right way??

Generally, that is right. However with switch-mode power supplies, and the high-voltage inverter probably falls into this class, the capacitors tend to feed into each other and dropping the voltage on a capacitor causes voltage spikes that will re-charge others. I have personal experience that says the only way to discharge everything is to drop it into a bucket of salt-water. I used rubber gloves in the end. The words vicious and painful spring to mind, and that was only at mains potential and only about 10W. The inverter on a microwave can supply more than a kW at several kV.

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 12:27 pm

^^^Holy crap, and I have one of these in the same house as my baby? Shocked

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 2:00 pm

Quote:

I used rubber gloves in the end

I say! were they the kind you see on How Clean is Your House? Wink

Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 9:01 pm

You also have to know on which end to use the rubber gloves...

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