The owner of the microwave oven is a friend of my house friend. She bought a new microwave oven because her old one is broken. She said the display panel is working, but as soon as an ON button is pushed, the fuse/breaker in the basement is blown. She asked if I could fix it.
It is a GE model
(1550 W, very large size: 30x15.3x15.7 inch, 76x39x40 cm)
I checked on youtube, this GE model with this problem is not uncommon. It is usually a broken switch which causes the problem.
To find and fix the problem:
1. Unscrew 4 screws on top of the microwave oven:
For that screw on the bottom of 8 cm from the top, use a magnetic screw driver or just a regular screw driver:
2. Open the door, then move the panel A towards yourself (the green arrow) a little bit, you don't need to remove the panel, just move the right side one inch or so, so that you could work on B. Lift the panel B up (the green arrow) and take it off from the microwave oven enclosure:
you will get, with panel B still wired:
Panel B removed:
3. To remove the switch assembly from the microwave oven case, remove 3 screws (A is not shown, it should be in line with the other two scres):
4. Take the switch assembly off by moving the assembly upward (green arrows)
Now, the switch assembly is off:
It is tricky to take the bad switch off. To take the switch off, you have to use a sharp awl, to lift up a plastic off from the back of the switch assambly. Be carefiul not to break the plastic piece (I broke it and later using a glue gun to glue it). (Sorry. I did not take a picture).
5. Check 3 switches, by using a chop-stick to push the switch button, if you hear a clicking sound, the switch is good (in this case only), if you couldn't hear the sound, the switch is bad (in this case only) or you could take the female connectors off and measure with your multimeter with a sign:
using a multimeter to check before the button is pushed and after:
6. One of 3 switches on the switch assembly did not response to the pushed button, that switch is bad. That is the middle one on the switch assembly.
The following picture is not from the switch assembly, just show that there are 3 types of switches. Order a switch form Amazon, there are 3 kinds of swiches with the same name.
a. NC: normal closed
b. NO: normal open
c. NO and NC:
They are all called KW3AT, some of them with KW3AT-16 (16 W).
The broken one is NC. I bought a switch with both NC and NO.
But the pins are wider, so I have to file them. The broken one:
the one I bought:
7. File them:
with either a file or A bit from a rotary tool:
from a rotary tool:
8. When the switch is installed, you could find the filed pins:
the switch assembly off and tried different tricks based on the manual, but all failed. Only wish we had a handy friend like you. . Thanks for sharing.
Specialized in nuclear submarine repair, nuclear warhead reconditioning, polishing and painting all that, pre-owned aircraft carrier, major overhaul of nuclear reactor, oil change for aircraft carrier engine, filter changing for space shuttle. Last but not the least, cleaning the dust of satellite surface.
if you could make a spot welder. It is very easy to make. Just cut the secondary coil off, use an insulated thick wire to make two turns on the transformer.
A spot welder is very useful machine. Check the one in my last link from youtube
The owner of the microwave oven is a friend of my house friend. She bought a new microwave oven because her old one is broken. She said the display panel is working, but as soon as an ON button is pushed, the fuse/breaker in the basement is blown. She asked if I could fix it.
It is a GE model
(1550 W, very large size: 30x15.3x15.7 inch, 76x39x40 cm)
I checked on youtube, this GE model with this problem is not uncommon. It is usually a broken switch which causes the problem.
To find and fix the problem:
1. Unscrew 4 screws on top of the microwave oven:
For that screw on the bottom of 8 cm from the top, use a magnetic screw driver or just a regular screw driver:
you will get, with panel B still wired:
Panel B removed:
3. To remove the switch assembly from the microwave oven case, remove 3 screws (A is not shown, it should be in line with the other two scres):
4. Take the switch assembly off by moving the assembly upward (green arrows)
Now, the switch assembly is off:
It is tricky to take the bad switch off. To take the switch off, you have to use a sharp awl, to lift up a plastic off from the back of the switch assambly. Be carefiul not to break the plastic piece (I broke it and later using a glue gun to glue it). (Sorry. I did not take a picture).
5. Check 3 switches, by using a chop-stick to push the switch button, if you hear a clicking sound, the switch is good (in this case only), if you couldn't hear the sound, the switch is bad (in this case only) or you could take the female connectors off and measure with your multimeter with a sign
:
using a multimeter to check before the button is pushed and after
:
6. One of 3 switches on the switch assembly did not response to the pushed button, that switch is bad. That is the middle one on the switch assembly.
The following picture is not from the switch assembly, just show that there are 3 types of switches. Order a switch form Amazon, there are 3 kinds of swiches with the same name.
a. NC: normal closed
b. NO: normal open
c. NO and NC:
They are all called KW3AT, some of them with KW3AT-16 (16 W).
The broken one is NC. I bought a switch with both NC and NO.
But the pins are wider, so I have to file them. The broken one:
the one I bought:
7. File them:
with either a file or A bit from a rotary tool:
from a rotary tool:
8. When the switch is installed, you could find the filed pins:
9. Reconnect wires for the front panel:
10. Installed all panels and screws:
11. The microwave oven is fixed:
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the switch assembly off and tried different tricks based on the manual, but all failed. Only wish we had a handy friend like you.
. Thanks for sharing.
专业修理核潜艇；核弹头翻新.改装.抛光.喷漆。回收二手航母，大修核反应堆、清洗航母油槽、航天飞机保养换三滤。高空作业擦洗卫星表面灰尘
Specialized in nuclear submarine repair, nuclear warhead reconditioning, polishing and painting all that, pre-owned aircraft carrier, major overhaul of nuclear reactor, oil change for aircraft carrier engine, filter changing for space shuttle. Last but not the least, cleaning the dust of satellite surface.
修理业务过于专业，翻译不准确的，大家补充
Just helped to shavel my neighbor's driveway the day before yesterday. He is a single white man in his late forties.
It is of the over-the-range type. But thanks for your tip.
fixed easily. You might just pay under $10 for the part.
The broken one could be worth more than $100 https://www.harborfreight.com/120v-spot-welder-61205.html
if you could make a spot welder. It is very easy to make. Just cut the secondary coil off, use an insulated thick wire to make two turns on the transformer.
A spot welder is very useful machine. Check the one in my last link from youtube
for how to make a spot welder.
Cheaper, but it will take long for you to get, usually around 14 days.
an easy fix for your paticular model and paticular problem.
an easy fix for your paticular model and paticular problem.