Aarrrgghh! Our microwave bit the dust!

[whirlcool]

A few weeks ago our Kenmore dishwasher bit the dust, tonight the Kenmore Microwave bit the dust.
What happens is the unit sounds normal until the magnetron kicks in, then it humms very loudly and doesn't heat anything in the machine. I tested the unit with 1/2 cup of water. After 1 minute, the water was the same temp it was when I put it in. When you set it for defrost, the unit hums only when the magnetron is activated.
Over the past few months it has been popping a circuit breaker maybe once per month when you are entering your settings in the keypad.
Does this sound like a lost cause? The unit was a 1993 build.

 

[DADoES]

Probably. My grandmother's 6-year-old Kenmore developed a wonky touchboard. Part NLA. Although in your case the problem could be something more generic such as a capacitor.

 

[maytagbear]

Since decent new

countertop microwaves are 89-130.00 USD, just junk it, and go shopping. If it's an over-the-range, add about 100-120.

Good luck,

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[toggleswitch2]

Yes I agree. One doesn't get these thing repaired in that one fears radiation leakage.

IMHO m-wavers last less than ten years.

If your stove is gas, may I suggest an over-the-stove microwave/convetion oven? Much cooler for summertime cooking.

The stainless-steel interior makes for easier and more fearless scrubbing as well

 

[redcarpetdrew]

Your problem is definately in the high voltage section. It could be something as simple as a shorted high voltage capacitor or diode up to a shorted magnetron which can be ugly. >Usually< not to hard to diagnose. Unplug it (duhh) and short the cap against the frame. (most newer HV caps have a built in bleed resistor but I've never learned to trust it...) With a good meter (9V battery or better set to Rx1000), you should find the diode will show continuity one way but not the other. If it shows both ways, it's bad. Some cheaper meters or ones with weak batteries will show infinite resistance both ways. The cap should not show shorted to case (Rx1000) from the terminals but should show several ohms momentarily then gradually return to infinite when measuring across the terminals. A good meter will have a capacitor check that will give you a microfarad reading to compare to the the rating. The mag should read less than 1 ohm across the terminals(scale Rx1) and no continuity to case (scale Rx1000).

Or you can buy a new one. As stated above, they can be insanely cheap but not always built as well. If you DO end putting in a new mag, just like a car with a new engine, the unit will probably heat things with the same speed it did when new. Be sure to check warranty with the new ones as many manufacturers are going to a 90 day.

RCD

 

[volvoguy87]

Look at it as an opportunity.

An opportunity to get an Amana Radarange!

Or you can fix it, if you like it,
Dave

 

[danemodsandy]

Amana Radarange:

Well, my RRL-9TC seems to have bitten the dust. It worked fine for several weeks after I discovered it in the thrift store, then one night, its usual electronic hum changed to a loud roar. The circuit breaker blew. I have retired it for the moment until I can get some advice on whether or not it's fixable. Until then, I have to say that an old Radarange may not be the answer to a microwaver's prayer.

 

[whirlcool]

And to think...

that Karen and I were just snickering to ourselves because the microwave is black with silver trim and will match the new range and dishwasher and we'll still have everything match.

The Kenmore microwave was an above the stove model. It had a lot of features. As with normal people we only used a few of them.

I'd actually like to go with a nice over the stove hood and vent system that is vented to the outdoors, but the kitchen is so small in this house that counter space is at a real premium. ]

We have our old Litton microwave in the garage that still works, but it is missing the bottom glass plate. Is it still safe to use with that glass plate missing?

The only thing we use our microwave for is heating tv dinners right out of the freezer and maybe some frozen breakfast rolls in the mornings on occasion.

What kind of reputation do Maytag microwaves have? It seems strange to me in a way, our kitchen is soon becoming all Maytag. But we still have a Whirlpool washer & dryer. The main reason for this is Karen thinks that if all the kitchen appliances are the same brand the resale price may be a little higher when we go to sell the house, which may be soon!

 

[joeinfl]

Whirlcool... "our kitchen is soon becoming all Maytag"

So will you become "Maycool" or "Cooltag"?

 

[whirlcool]

So will you become "Maycool" or "Cooltag&quot

If you had asked me a year ago if we would ever have a Maytag kitchen I probably would have said "Hell no!". But the pricing and performance of our past Maytag dishwasher set the tone for it.
We are keeping the Whirlpool electronic set we have for the forseeable future, so I'll still remain Whirlcool.

 

[maytagbear]

For what it's worth

Maytag over-the-range microwaves have a good repair history according to Consumer Reports.

So, you might as well.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[panthera]

Glass Plate

The glass plate serves a use. Without it, the microwaves don't reach the food from below, for one thing. The distribution pattern for ovens without a turntable is designed for and dependent on that reflection and scattering from the bottom plate.
I should think a simple elevation of the food in the microwave would solve the problem, like a microwave porous plate? ARC, by the way, usually has zillions of glass microwave bottom liners.

Back in 1996, I bought a combo microwave/grill/convection oven to make do because the new gas lines for my oven couldn't be laid in until after Christmas. It is 2008 and I am still 'only' using it for all my baking and microwave needs. A good microwave/convection/grill combo is faster and far more even heating than a separate microwave or (short of 20 lb. turkeys) your stove's oven. The cheap ones sold by Walmart for around $200 are worthless, the over the stove ones starting around $450 very good.

Mine is a B/S/H, but the innards are Samsung.

 

[j2400]

Since Whirlpool owns Maytag, I don't any reason to change names!

 

[toploader55]

My 2 cents.

I just sold my Kenmore MicroWave. I just wasn't using it anymore. I just put my leftovers in a skillet with a touch of water, cover, low heat and by the time I check e-mail,or fold a load of laundry it's hot. I just keep reading more and more about all types of radiation: Microwaves,Cell Phones,Wireless Internet etc., and I figured I'll just have more room in the kitchen without it.

 

[whirlcool]

Panthera:

Would you have a link to ARC you mentioned in your post above?

After researching Maytag Microwaves, we decided to go with a nice GE unit. The GE reviews seemed slightly better than the Maytag units. Quieter, better rangetop lighting, etc.

 

[panthera]

ARC

May not exist in your neck of the woods. It is a licensed charity which sells used and donated goods. Depending on your location, it can be very much cashmere and silk or polyester and trailer-house furniture. I never realised they were limited to Colorado until just now!
Still, lots of places have those glass inserts and plates. Goodwill in Denver has billions, as does St. Vincent de Paul in Cheyenne.
Aren't there wind up turntables at Walmart for Microwaves? Wouldn't that do it?

http://www.arcthrift.com/abouthome.html

 

[iheartmaytag]

When our Kenmore Meal-In-One Microwave from 1980 died a few years back. We were astounded that you could buy a microwave for $40 at K-Sears. In talking to the guy at Sears-Mart he said think of it like this.

Years ago you paid $500 for a microwave and it lasted 20 years or more. Today you pay $40 and it last a year to five years. You are still paying the same, it's just planned replacements.

In other words, Microwaves, Washers, Dryers are not longer white goods, but commodities.

 

[toggleswitch2]

They are also no longer a full week (or two week's) pay.

Most don't want to pay the dollars necessary for the quality of Maytag or KithcneAid anymore.

A woman I know had a Maytag highlander from the early 60's well into the late 90's. Price turned her off and she bought a SEARS washer? HUH?

 

[toggleswitch2]

...when it finally died, that is.

 

[brisnat81]

Hi Whirlcool,

Have you contemplated the Panasonic stuff? They've been manufacturing in Malaysia instead of Japan for the last few years and the quality still seems to be similiar to that of Mum's 25 year old model. I dont know if they have the range in the US they do here, but they're a great performer.

I highly reccomend looking at a Micro/Convection Combo as in summer you'll appreciate not having to heat a huge oven when you cook. We use ours all the time, it heats up quick, cooks evenly and is just fabulous.

 

[whirlcool]

Micro Convection was a consideration. We didn't think we'd need it since our new range has a convection oven in it. But I see your point about heating up the kitchen in the summer with the range. We also wanted to keep the cost down.

The link is to the GE microwave we purchased today. Since this was the third appliance we bought from HD in 10 days, we got it for $289.00. The store price was $379.00.

This is what we found with our microwave shopping:

Maytag. Flimsy units. The door hinges were fine, but the grill above the door had some razor sharp edges on the top of them. I could just see having sliced fingers when cleaning that area. The bottom of the microwave also had very sharp edges. This would make cleaning a PITA to prevent getting cut again.

Magic Chef. They just look cheap and we didn't see any in SS.

LG. Ha! They DID have the best looking microwaves, but they were really very flimsy. The door hinges on the demo units were very wobbly and I don't think they'd last very long.

The GE's had a nice solid feel to them. The hinges seemed to be the sturdiest of them all. It had features we liked especially the ability to be vented to the outdoors.

So we are hoping that mixing brands in the kitchen won't hurt the resale value of the house. But I feel that not any one manufacturer (well maybe except for Miele) makes ALL appliances well. I always figured that we would buy the better of each appliance so naturally we'd end up with different brands.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...3&productId=100589419&N=10000003+90008+503487

 

[sudsmaster]

A one to ten year life span sounds about right for today's microwaves....

I've gone through two microwaves in the past 20 years or so. The first one was a little 800 watt Amana (really made by Hitachi) that worked pretty good. No turntable, and it didn't really seem to need one. It failed around '97, after about 10 years, and I bought a big Kenmore from Sears on closeout to replace it. The Kenmore is kind of cool: it has a big rotating "fan" on the side that is supposed to help distribute the microwaves better for more even heating, plus a turntable. I used it for a couple of years and then bought a Genius Panasonic from Costco because I thought the Inverter technology made sense. The Panasonic does some things better (like defrosting without constant on/off cycling) but the Kenmore was better at sensor cooking. I didn't care much for the Panasonic keypad, so I got another Panasonic, this one with tactile push buttons, but it lasted just a year and I was able to get a full refund at Costco. So now the membrane keypad Panasonic is the main mwave with the Kenmore relegated to backup duty out in the enclosed patio kitchen. I'm just too lazy to switch them . Oh, and I have a little sensor Magic Chef that I got for a jobsite but brought home when I quit there and got a job in a place with company microwaves in place. I use the little Magic Chef as a backup in the main kitchen when I want to heat two items at once in a hurry (like in the morning for breakfast before work).

I'm tempted to get another pushbutton Panasonic but after the first one had such a short life I hesitate. I might move the Kenmore back into the main kitchen, because I think it's overall a better unit.

I did try to repair the Amana by replacing the internal glass fuse that kept on blowing, but it didn't fix the problem. I did keep the glass plate, though, before I junked it.