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Ty Gwyn



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4562
Location: Lampeter
PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 14 12:49 pm    Post subject: Microwave Reply with quote
    

There seems to be a problem with my microwave,
Its a Sharp 40litre microwave,grill convection oven,and last night it would`nt warm my dinner,
Everything else bar the microwave works,done all the checks in the manual and still no microwave.

Any of you savy electronic friends have an idea what part is needed to fix said microwave as reluctant to replace when everything else works.

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 14 1:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Is it behaving as if it's working but not warming the food? Or is it just refusing to even turn on in microwave mode?

Ty Gwyn



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4562
Location: Lampeter
PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 14 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

sean wrote:
Is it behaving as if it's working but not warming the food?


Yes.

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 14 2:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Probably the magnetron then. You'd need the model number to order a new one.

Ty Gwyn



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4562
Location: Lampeter
PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 14 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thank you Sean,
Have you ever fitted one or had one fitted,reason i ask is my local electrical shop came out with the same old speel,``How old is it``
So can imagine what the answer will be after they have checked it over.

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 14 3:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I haven't, sorry.

Graham Hyde



Joined: 03 Apr 2011
Posts: 365

PostPosted: Sun Nov 09, 14 12:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Hi Ty Gwyn. Be careful when opening the microwave, there will be a large capacator with the capability to deliver a fatal shock even when the oven is 'unplugged'.

Shane



Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 3467
Location: Doha. Is hot.
PostPosted: Sun Nov 09, 14 4:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Local electrical shops generally won't touch broken microwaves due to the capacitor issue - they will deliver a fatal electrical shock if not handled properly. Specialists have some clever trick by which they discharge the capacitor, but if you leave the machine unplugged for a few days it will discharge by itself.

I've changed the magnetron twice now in our microwave. Fairly straightforward if you're good at taking things apart and putting them back together again. Every time ours has blown, I've been disappointed at the range of microwaves available in the shops compared to our old one, so a 30 quid magnetron from Ebay is a no-brainer!

Please do take care, though - the capacitors really are very, very dangerous.

Ty Gwyn



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4562
Location: Lampeter
PostPosted: Sun Nov 09, 14 10:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thank you Graham and Shane for the Capacitor warning,

Shane,i take it yours had the same problem as mine,like Sean mentioned,Oven, Grill and timer etc working,but not the Microwave warming food?

Nick



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford
PostPosted: Sun Nov 09, 14 10:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Yeah, handy warning. I had no idea.

Shane



Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 3467
Location: Doha. Is hot.
PostPosted: Sun Nov 09, 14 11:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Yep - same issue. Microwave looks like it's doing everything normally (light turns on, turnable goes round, digital screen works) but nothing gets warmed up. Both times it's been possible to see the graphite-looking bit in the middle of the magnetron has cracked. Second time it went I realised the air vent on the back was choked with dust (oops!), so I suspect that overheating caused the second failure (first failure was after many years of service, so could well have been age related).

If you take a look at the magnetron you should be able to see the make and model number, hopefully without doing anything more than removing the microwave cover. Pay attention to orientation, as some magnetrons come in two versions depending upon which way the airflows through the unit, although this should be implicit in the model number.

Time for the warning again: The capacitor is very, very dangerous and will kill you if you touch it while it's still charged. If in doubt, take it to someone who knows what they're doing.

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45372
Location: yes
PostPosted: Sun Nov 09, 14 12:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

second warning

once you have fitted the new magnetron dont be temped to try it to see if it works before rebuilding the case etc.
an unsheilded one up close can cook your eyeballs etc even better than it will warm a pie.

Ty Gwyn



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4562
Location: Lampeter
PostPosted: Sat Nov 22, 14 7:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Being on the safe side,i have left it till this evening before dismantling the cover,
The electrical units including the Capacitor are on the side of this model,the main capacitor[the big one] is in the centre,but there is also another much smaller unit with Capacitor named on it towards the back,
Much to my luck,nothing has Magnatron written on it,

Looked to see the Graphite looking centre,nothing with a black centre that i can see,but one small unit has a Green graphite looking centre,could this be the Magnatron,this is towards the front of the microwave.

Hairyloon



Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.
PostPosted: Sat Nov 22, 14 8:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

dpack wrote:
second warning

once you have fitted the new magnetron dont be temped to try it to see if it works before rebuilding the case etc.
an unsheilded one up close can cook your eyeballs etc even better than it will warm a pie.


Is it not fairly directional? Should be reasonably safe as long as you point it away...

Shane



Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 3467
Location: Doha. Is hot.
PostPosted: Sun Nov 23, 14 4:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Ty Gwyn - here's a fairly typical magnetron (this one's upside-down):



The cooling fins can be orientated as shown or at 90° to this depending upon how the magnetron is placed relative to the fan, hence my note of caution about making sure you get the right serial number - on the Panasonic ones, it's the last character that designates orientation, if I remember rightly.

Might be worth Googling your model of microwave with the word "magnetron" in the search text to see what images it turns up. Once you've found it and read the serial number, type that in and see what shows up - a pattern replacement should be around the 30 quid mark.

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