Why Is My GE Microwave Not Working?

Microwaves are singlehandedly the most convenient appliance in the kitchen for heating up food, especially when you’re in a hurry. 

However, even if you take good care of your microwave by cleaning and maintaining it regularly, you can still run into various issues. And, in some cases, your microwave might even stop working completely. When this happens, it’s usually caused by one of only a few key issues. 

But, unfortunately, because of the complicated nature of a microwave, most of these issues will require you to contact a professional appliance technician to help you get your unit back up and running. 

With that said, below, we’ll take a quick look at what might be causing your problem, as well as a few tips to help prevent these issues in the first place.

What’s Preventing Your GE Microwave From Working Properly

There are four possible issues when your microwave isn’t working. These problems are typically found in the line fuse, the main control board, the thermal fuse, or the thermo-protector. 

Because a microwave stores thousands of volts of electricity in its capacitor, we don’t recommend that you try to repair a microwave on your own. 

However, you can do some troubleshooting on your own to determine which of these four parts needs to be replaced. 

• Troubleshooting the line fuse is relatively simple. However, you will need a multimeter to test the microwave for continuity. Even you determine you have a blown line fuse, you’ll also need to check what caused the fuse to blow in the first place. Or else, even if you get a replacement fuse, you’ll just run into the same issue again.
• For the thermal fuse, you’ll also need to use a multimeter to test it for continuity. The thermal fuse’s function is to cut off power and stop the microwave from working if it overheats or undergoes a surge in power. However, a thermal fuse cannot be reset and will need to be replaced. 
• The thermo-protector works in the same fashion as the thermal fuse in that it will be tripped if the microwave overheats. If it’s determine that your thermo-protector is faulty, it will also need to be replaced.
• Finally, if you suspect that you need to troubleshoot your main control board, this will usually boil down to it being defective. But, as a rule, it’s best to troubleshoot the other three components first.

6 Tips To Prevent Common Problems With Your Microwave

Repairing your microwave on your own is strongly discouraged since a microwave stores thousands of volts of electricity inside of its components. Instead, we highly recommend that you contact us to have a trained professional help you diagnose and repair the issue.

That said, there are several preventative maintenance steps you can take to ensure your microwave doesn’t run into issues in the future.

Need help diagnosing or repairing your microwave? Don’t hesitate to give us a call today!

Inspect Your Unit Frequently

Never Use Your Microwave With The Door Open

Clean Your Microwave Often

Check for any leakages, broken door latches, or anything else that seems to be broken or isn’t working properly. 

Today, microwaves have been improved far enough that you don’t have to worry too much about radiation leaking out while it’s in use; however, if parts are damaged, especially the door, there’s a small risk of radiation exposure. 

Therefore, be sure to frequently check your microwave to make sure that it’s functioning properly.

Also, make sure to always avoid running or using your microwave when the door is open. Every microwave has a door sensor switch, which shuts off the microwave’s function when the door is open, and resumes operation when the door is closed. 

If the door or door latch components are defective, then your microwave might still operate even when the door is open. Note that this is extremely dangerous as you run the risk of radiation exposure.

Finally, regularly cleaning your microwave will also ensure that it functions properly, and will help prevent issues from arising in the future. 

Messes or spills that are left in your microwave will eventually burn, which will cause unwanted tastes and odors in your unit, and also represents a fire hazard. 

With that said, it’s a good idea to clean your microwave at least once per month, and always clean up any messes immediately after they happen.

Read The Manual

Only Use Microwave-Safe Containers

Use Caution When Heating Liquids

Especially if your microwave is new, reading the user manual can give you plenty of insight into the recommended operating procedures, as well as any safety measures you should take. 

For example, your manual will outline safety tips such as to not run your microwave while it’s empty.

When heating or reheating food, always be sure to use microwave-safe containers. As you likely already know, putting metal or aluminum foil in your microwave will result in damage to your microwave.

Avoid overheating water or other liquids in your microwave, which is also known as superheating. What we mean by this is a liquid that’s heated beyond its boiling temperature but isn’t showing any signs of boiling. 

In these circumstances, what could result is a heated liquid that might explode violently when you reach in to pick it up. Over the years, there have been thousands reports of significant burns or scalding injuries due to this happening. 

Therefore, always use caution and make sure to never overheat liquids.