Microwave Oven Repair - How to Test Fuses and Switches

It Happened Again, Our microwave oven stopped working right in the middle of heating ham and cheese Hot Pockets for lunch!
This video shows how we fixed the microwave oven using simple troubleshooting techniques.
Repairing your own microwave oven and save you a ton of money and save the earth by keeping it out of the landfill. Most microwave ovens can be fixed for only a few dollars.
The most common problems with microwave ovens are found as a faulty fuse and/or micro switch.
GREAT INFO LINK FOR MICROWAVE OVEN REPAIR
Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of Microwave Ovens
By Samuel M. Goldwasser :
www.repairfaq.o...
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[@ryanl.johnsonsr.4129]

Up 3am trying to find the problem with my 400 dollar Panasonic inverter we only had for 3 months then my Wife yelled from the inner lines of the creepy floor boards of our turn of the century pillars of a foundation, did you fix the microwave yet while I'm tuned in to the only guy that made since all night the Guru brew shouts out to you my guy now I can finally go to bed its now 7 am. ITS FIXED

[@joebradshaw9226]

Enjoyed your microwave repair video. I'm an electrician in aerospace that's being asked to troubleshoot microwaves,and floor scrubbing machines as well as corded and cordless tools. Been in the trade 30 plus years. Still learning new things every day. Keep up the great content.

[@plnbarry]

Hi can l ask you a question please?

[@rgruenhaus]

I used to work in the field for Sears on washers, dryers, grills, bench power tools, recreation equipment, and garage door openers! Before moving on to a cable company before retiring. Oh and 16 years in Navy Electronic Warfare.

[@jonnhfarpoint969]

Easy to follow, detailed, saved me the cost of a new microwave when I put a $5.00 new switch in. And one less thing in the landfill! Great stuff!

[@alvanderstuyf7755]

I found that your methodology, and your easy to understand, clear and concise explanation of what you are demonstrating, to be perfect for me. Your dedication to pointing out potential safety issues is refreshing. Thank you.

[@59tucker]

Thanks GuruBrew. Your excellent video allowed me to replace a $5 micro switch in a 6 year old wall mounted microwave oven, probably saved me $200+!

[@lesliemgimba]

Thank you, am following you, and enjoying from Tanzania

[@Sammie7940]

Thanks a lot. Better than the fearmongers. So simple!

[@diggleboy]

1:42 "Bleed capacitor." = => Should be 'bleed resistor' internal to the high voltage capacitor. Must short the high voltage capacitor any and every time the microwave has been plugged in to test its operation. Great instructional video! Glad you emphasized safety first!

[@suebaby14]

I appreciate the level of training that you brought to this video. I have worked in electronic assembly for several years but never learned how to read a volt/ohm meter. Thank you so much.

[@garygoodman1574]

This is the best damn thing. I was ready to call someone to come out, then I watched this and got the courage to unmount the unit from the cabinet and tear into it. Checked switehes and fuses, couldn't find anything I could say was not working, put it back together, and viola, it worked! Saved me at least the cost of a service call, and all the headaches. I'm very grateful!

[@hankus253]

You're absolutely correct about the "generic" style microswitch. Even though your bad switch didn't have the normally closed contact present, the "generic" plastic cases diagram showed it present. I just replaced a 15 year old over the stove microwave, that I know I could fix but I was getting tired of lifting the 70lb stove without the extra help I could use. The replacement was much lighter which is good for me, but maybe not so good for longevity. We'll see.

[@GuruBrew]

hankus253 Older appliances last much longer and that is a fact. I replaced all my kitchen appliances 13 years ago and everyone of them has had issues or been replaced. When I was first married we bought all second had appliances and they were still working until we got fancy with new ones.

[@stevebeard4117]

Thanks! Our sharp Carousel decided to keep running after the time I had it set for. It stopped when I opened the door,but began running again with the door closed. I followed your suggestion and tested the door switches. The middle one was bad,so I scavenged one from an old oven I never got around to scrapping. No cost,1/2 hr down time, and my wife is happy! Win,Win !

[@glennsnipes7985]

Good video. Really love the dead-pan delivery of the instructor.

[@stevensoderlund8196]

You have the vocal dynamics of someone telling me to take a number at the DMV... but somehow your voice is so soothing. I could listen to you talk about microwaves all night. 🙂 For real though... very informative and yet entertaining. Thanks for the help!

[@rmmccarthy1240]

Outstanding tutorial! Thank you for taking time to explain the safety steps in addition to the expert troubleshooting logic. Fantastic!

[@glenbender3794]

Nice explanation for fixing my microwave. You saved my marriage😂

[@cliffright1142]

As a former serviceman on Litton’s I was impressed by the simple yet thorough explanation for lay DIY’ers. Good vid guy.

[@jerrymiller4754]

Good Info.

[@charlesteuma582]

Thanks for that lesson on microwaves. I now know a generic micro-switch can be configured to be default open or default closed. Cheers

[@Brian-pk1ol]

Wow, it’s amazing that a little curiosity problem solving and critical thinking you can fix pretty much anything. I fix my microwave by opening up the front and seeing the burnt wires leading to a thermo switch. The microwave would work when I reset it by unplugging it but when the machine started to heat it would shut down. 3.75 part and it worked perfectly. Saved over 400 on purchasing a new one. It feels so good to fix something on your own. Almost like you’re sticking it to the man...

[@SMSJ223]

Proper Teacher, would love to work with this chap, knows what he's doing & very entertaining lesson, well explained,!! Thank you GuruBrew.

[@queensheba699]

p1

[@johnpslick6239]

You asked for a comment... How's this? Dude you are a badass. I enjoyed that far more than I needed for the information I wanted to get out of it. Not sure about using a screwdriver on that size cap, I have a fused thick wire and it still gets pretty hot at just 700V when I am working on audio amp caps. But also, I once welded a wrench to the side of an track (military personal carrier) above the battery because I touched the wall and the positive terminal at the same time with a 9 inch wrench. Threw me across the track as well. I'm... uh.. skittish when it comes to stored charges, lol.

[@rythmblood27]

I loved how you showed such nice up close clear video of where you were placing the multimeter probes. I've seen other instructional videos where they explain but I can't make out where the meter probes are touching. I have my own field of experience & knowledge.....but it has nothing to do with electronics/electricity. Plus you talked very clearly and unhurriedly. Thank you

[@BroncoSolid]

I feel like I just had Sam Elliot teach me how to fix a microwave

[@kjaxky]

Holy crap.thats what I was thinking did you know Sam Elliott is from California his accent is actually a mix of Texan and Northern california or some shit. His co star in his last film mentioned it. Bradley Cooper?

[@brennersteph]

Lol

[@MegaChiman]

Yes I also thought of Sam Elliot when listening to you. Anyway, I’m a novice at appliance repairs. I mostly install new. I looked up your video because a customer wants me to troubleshoot his microwave before he decides to replace his non working one. I can tell you, the easiest thing for me is to sell him a new one so, that’s what I will do. I just want to say that I appreciate guys/techs like you that know what the hell they’re doing with components. Thank you for your very informative video Sam

[@rstamper69]

Thank you , it is sad that parts and even some techs are ablivious about micro switches

[@zachdecker9516]

Pretty cool Sam Elliot reference. You know there is more than meets the eye and ear with tha 50 year old behind the counter of the repair shop. A very good lesson to never be too wise to yourself to atleast not explore what other people say. He did end up with a 3 prong switch... vs a 2 prong for the old one. I watched another video before this and the dude said unplugging one end of the micro switch will ensure a more accurate reading when testing with a multi meter... he never said why but I am curious... but if that is true... then a 3 prong in some way could make a difference... thank you for the video sir dude... I learned a lot already and there is still 5 minutes left of the video Much love. God bless! Jesus and The Holy Ghost!

[@KimRomaszewski-ez2ou]

Fantastic fix for our microwave! Thank you for being so thorough and helping us to fix something minor ourselves, while giving us all of the information to keep us safe and a pathway to not having to replace the microwave.

[@Mango-rl5ox]

Love your dead pan delivery. Your explanation of the problem was clear and a good listen on this subject compared to the others. You’ll be my go to guy on how to fix things from now on.

[@charlesbuemi4955]

Very thorough process for troubleshooting microwave issues. Some people demonstrating repairs on KZbin assume the watcher is more experienced and skip some information,; but as I stated, this one is very thorough.

[@Metallurg33]

Like the video. Its getting harder and harder to find a local parts place that have people behind the counter who can make change let alone have a clue about their products.

[@GuruBrew]

Metallurg33 That's so true about making change. I used to seldom check the change I received back and just put it in my pocket, but my wife taught me to count it as she has proven that I often get short changed. Funny it was always in their favor!

[@alanlewis2727]

Well done. I especially liked that you took the time to explain that there is a universal (both NC NO) microswitch. Shorting the capacitor was also properly stressed. Nice job.

[@DavidDavisL]

This video might be 9 years old when I watched it, but still applicable today. Thanks for sharing.

[@mtavassol]

Enjoyed watching, very easy to understand and thanks for the repeated warnings about the danger of working on Microwaves

[@sulinderkumar3387]

I could see clearly what you were doing and you kept it simple. Also gave percentage on fuses and micro switches! In bad videos not enough light to see clearly what they are doing ie hands in the way. Keep up good video productions. Please do more videos with different fault finding.

[@CherylScism]

The safety briefing we all hope we could get...practical, informative & direct. Thanks!

[@ksvaughn65]

No nonsense, helpful information and warnings. I feel like my microwave can be fixed without a huge bill. Thank you so much.

[@Cndfirr]

Great video, not rushed good information ..... good camera work staying in focus, zooming in tight on the areas that you’re working on so that it is clear what you are doing and talking about. Thank you.

[@scottharris6615]

Fabulous walk-thru on testing & diagnosing typical microwave function failures!!! The BEST i've experienced as a home body troubleshooter trying to repair what i can before considering 'throw away & replace'. Thankful to be able to subscribe & view more & more!

[@dawnmyers9454]

I was able to trouble shoot & repair my 30 year old microwave/ convection oven. To the point video! Thank you.

[@heykoolaid2004]

This was exactly what I needed to see. Super helpful to know that there are indeed some generic/standard parts used across several brands.

[@msanjur9507]

Thanks so much

[@clochardchamps-elysees1213]

I really like your easy delivery, story telling and link to Goldwasser; you got lucky on the fix. I hope I do, too.

[@scottsanders9563]

Scott Sanders Places emphasis on safety and explains procedures clearly with good camera angles to see and follow each step; very good video

[@music-rl7ck]

YOU're the best!!!!, I watched so many videos to fix my microwave...who make things simple is always the better...

[@breeze7876]

Sat here and watched the whole thing! Got a job to tackle, thanks for putting this up!

[@stevenlaake9975]

Awesome, you saved me a lot of hassle. Several years ago our microwave stopped working. So i took it to the garage and took it apart. Never done this before but i found a fuse. Thought maybe thats all it was. Yep bad fuse and it worked. Now door switch is bad so i will do the same again. We didn't like the newer microwaves, too cheaply made and looks cheap. So i get to save it again.

[@ryantucker1484]

that guide by Samuel M. Goldwasser is incredible

[@davidsluga241]

Love your subtle entertainment as I learn something new!

[@kenanmorg4677]

Yeah, agree with you on the appliance repair person....the guys in my hometown are the same. Thanks for this info...I have already fixed the microwave in my RV (door switch) and now I'm working on the one in the house. Again, thank you.

[@lonniepee9804]

Thanks for the concise instruction. When I punched the 2-minute button, I saw and heard a spark, seemingly coming from the entrance of the power cord, as it simultaneously went dead. I'll definitely discharge the capacitor.

[@motiberaze5643]

The best microwave testing and fixing I saw, so far. Cheers

[@erikstar638]

Excellent 'dead-pan' humor which i Feel. Your environment is great. You easy delivery and precise explanations, with cautions, if necessary, is my cup of tea. Honest broadcasting, simple to digest, easy on the ears and eyes: Man, you've done it all. And aside from the Shop Vibe, for you to get onto the You Tube Empire, i give you great kudos, for bigger, but unseen, business and media sense. Thank you most kindly, sir...I'm passing on your connections to my friends, for a down-to-earth Fixing Situations. Love it....Passing on YOur Word.....

[@scootmeister2380]

Really helpful video, covers every step needed, and informative. Explains steps clearly, a rarity. Great job

[@paulrowlands4832]

Hi from the UK .Good Video. You gave clear warnings about the dangers of messing with Microwave ovens

[@jazsidhu8261]

Much appreciation for the referral to Samuel M. Goldwasser repair guide. Very informative.👍🏽

[@byronwesterman3692]

Well done, as you spoke slow enough and were concise and thorough in explaining each step. Especially when stressing the safe practices in first disarming the capacitor b-4 doing anything else!

[@rohman2]

Well done and explained...thanks. I came across your tutorial after just waggling through this myself. My Oster appears to be the identical machine to yours and the problem turned out to be the same top switch. Unfortunately, I thought, gee, I'll check the solution by shorting the switch connections, effectively taking a bad switch out of the circuit. Well, the microwave worked until I tried it again, maybe by opening the door, which apparently caused an over current situation, instantly frying the fuse. So now, with fingers crossed, I'm off to get a replacement switch and fuse, hoping I didn't cause more permanent damage.

[@Nomad223]

Great Video. u have a very good approach to instruction. Logical sequence, and u didn't talk over the neophyte's head. Calm demeanor helps too. However, found myself wondering what would have been next if it had not the micro switch. Where would we have gone from there ? Magnatron ? Good of you tho to add the link to the 3rd party guide. Lastly... the audio, lighting, pacing editing & video quality were very good. I am a college instructor for digital media & video production, so I know what it takes to produce good video. Wish I knew as much about electronics and fixing stuff as I do about creating well produced videos ! Well Done Sir ! Happy to add a comment and a LIKE to support your efforts.

[@JFULLERCO]

Great job on explaining. It took several searches before finding your video.

[@Bhakhanda1369]

Sir, this was awesome to see. All this time I did not know what the speaker function was for on the digital or analog multi meter, so thank you for showing me that as well. Also you made it very easy to understand the micro switches. I also appreciate how you used the piece of heat shrink tubing to safely wire off or protect off the third prong of the microswitch in your video. Thank you very much for crafting this video.

[@paulpeloquin1105]

This was very well done! Safety and science combined. Not only how to use tools but very filmed, sound and info very helpful.

[@chuckwhite4151]

Very helpful! I knew about the fuse as a possible problem and was able to fix one machine with the correct sized fuse. I didn't know about the microswitches. Now I can fix my current machine. Thank you!!!

[@lylesimmons8035]

Thanks for showing how to test switches using multi-meter. Too many people have a meter but have no idea how useful they can really be . . .

[@coopermetheney9127]

Video also is very clear and you know exactly what part you’re talking about and you show it very clearly

[@nathimngadi764]

Hi am from South Africa you genius love your videos thank you one of the best videos in the planet 👍🏾

[@garybecker462]

I loved your video. It was very informative and the short discussion about the Maytag repair guy and your dead pan humor were great!

[@clairsmyers3571]

I threw a microwave away, a while ago. It had similar symptoms but, It had special screws that I couldn't get out. I think they were special torx screws! I wish I would have run into your channel earlier. I think I could have repaired it. I'm an old tec and cautious around high voltages! Worked on many high powered transmitters.

[@michaelosburn6246]

I enjoyed this video. It was quite helpful as it explained how to make a repair in a way that someone without a ton of experience in the area could follow.

[@jsheridan9745]

You are a truly amazing teacher - I learned and enjoyed this thoroughly

[@randyhiggins1563]

Like your easy way you present the repair , even adding in a story about the repair parts store , that was not so informed on parts . To many that will direct you to the more expensive parts , it seems . But that is the way some is taught , to get maximum price from us buyers .

[@sirtemos]

I just started doing repairs for geek squad And sir if feels like you made this video just for me Thank you so much for existing This is exactly what I need to learn more I’m literally on my way to diagnose a microwave right now that’s not heating Liked and subscribed 🎉

[@rogerboivin6481]

Awesome video . Clear and easy to follow. I have a power issue with a Frigidaire with stove fan. Not sure how to get inside without taking it down.

[@richardmcnair8440]

Thanks, how to test fuses and micro switches safely and use of meter to test. Your my go to man no more repairman.

[@robhughes6138]

Great job on the video, I appreciate your caution concerning the capacitor and your steps and analysis techniques! Rob

[@garyschultz3011]

Thanks to you, I just fixed my microwave! It was the third (bottom) microswitch. Again, thank you!

[@cemenari]

Very thorough review. I'm in the process of repairing my Samsung microwave and I'm a lot more confident about it.

[@Yestopeace365]

Thanks for the troubleshooting tips. The main difference to watch for on the micro switches will be number of terminals, amperage and normally closed or normally open.

[@birtlocke4961]

Thanks for the notes on fixing the microwave. And pointing out the dangers on working on them.

[@bettyhopkins1045]

Outstanding! Thanks for the cautions and warnings too! I was going to try and attempt myself but I think I better get someone else to do this job. Your instructions are clear and very easy to understand. I'm a 65 yr old grandma so I better leave this to a pro! LOL!! Thanks!

[@mitchellpiper4613]

This guy is good, very easy to watch and listen!

[@macat5]

Easy to follow video, my microwave which I can't replace (not made anymore) and really love comes on when the door is open, just bought door switches and will replace when they get here. Have subscribed to your channel, thank you for a great tutorial!

[@danna154]

Thank you so much! We have exactly same microwave and it started tripping breaker and now just shutting off. Your video is helping me feel confident enough to fix on my own. Girl power! 😁

[@georgedariusocen4066]

Thanks for taking me through the exercise of testing whether or not the basic components of a microwave oven are still in good order. You have made me like to use a microwave oven.

[@PianoLesson101]

Don't know what's with the dislikers; don't electrocute yourselves. The rest was great and your tests insightful.

[@jamesmccarley8112]

Thanks for the great tutorial. It gave me the know how to troubleshoot my Thermador MBES/02. It was a simple microswitch issue and was easily solved without even buying any parts (the second door switch was not being fully compressed by the latch). Thanks again.

[@sandygovender3613]

Hi Thank you for a very well explained tutorial on how to diagnose and repair common microwave faults. I will use this knowledge to try and fix our turntable which is not rotating. Wish you all the best. Sandy Govender (South Africa)

[@BizAndProductReviews]

Excellent video. This seemed like it would be interesting to watch since I had not watched anything on repairing microwaves before.

[@donghylin8314]

Down to earth safety concerns, easy to follow and very informative...👍

[@oatnoid]

Third video I checked. This is the BEST.

[@xflyhalf]

Nice video. Diagnosed a faulty switch. Simple $7 fix. Many Thanks!

[@charleswaller849]

Very useful info, easy to listen to, no fluff, and good photography. Thanks for a well-done video.

[@RichardDHerring]

Very thorough and knowledgeable ... and careful. A good role model for diagnosis and problem solving IMHO.

[@yschen3593]

Thank you for your video. It's very helpful and useful.

[@pattymartin6583]

Very clear explanation of how to check multiple issues on the microwave.

[@angappanrm3990]

thanks, Guru and your excellent narration of repairing the microwave oven.

[@michaelmalcolm645]

Hi I am not a micro man but I learn a good deal from you, thank you Breaktru

[@erickcheng3813]

Thanks for the video. it was very informative. My Panasonic microwave just stoped working. First, it went dark as in no light, no power. I unplugged then plugged back, and the power came back , but it sounds like it wants to start with the door closed, then stop as the door opens. I'm gonna open it up when I have some time and test the switches. I did suspect the switches but will open up and confirm.

[@karenbelmonte837]

One of the better if, not the best tutorial ever made. Thank you for being so detailed.

[@DanOTaylor]

Great video. I was trouble shooting my microwave earlier and I neglected to check the door micro switches. I'll check those next. Good stuff 👍👍

[@markalbrecht6989]

Great that you focused on the most common problems with microwaves. Thanks a lot.

[@DDM-Nerd]

Thx for the info and more so the forethought to add an additional resource for other issues. I've testes the fuse and microswitches to no avail so far and look forward to reading the guide you posted. Thank you again!

[@richardwheatley9743]

simple straightforward and helpful

[@archangel6415]

Hi, I did enjoy the video and am just about to check my fuses. We have a Samsung trio. Soon after byeing, the oven element stopped working so just a microwave these last few years. I’ll check the fuses once I’ve gone through the safety procedure!

[@rudyportugal9396]

You are very good in explaining details. Are you a teacher? I enjoyed your video.

[@Tourbillion14]

I enjoyed the video. Did some troubleshooting and found a capacitor on the board with the negative lead disconnected. I re-solder it and the microwave works..

[@kenmcdonald5664]

Thanks for your video. It was easy to understand and you covered the safety issues with the capacitors! I will checking my door micro switches asap! Thanks again

[@stevedriscoll2539]

Excellent video. Appreciate the safety warnings, especially the heads up on the big capacitor. Also appreciate the extra lead for the fix it guide at the end of the video. He honed right in on the problem fast and efficient and safe. Thanks alot.