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Q: The waveguide cover is broken
A: This is the oblong flexible cover, that clips into the hole where the microwaves come out. It WILL work OK without this, but its main use is to prevent splashes and bits of food getting into the cavity, that might find its way into the MAGNETRON. They are easy to replace, but a bit expensive for what they are. I have found a site that will supply a SHEET of the mica-like material that these covers are made of, for about£3.50 with VAT (you just cut it to suit your part). SEE:
http://www.kitchenwareonline.com/acatalog/waveguide_cover_material.html
Q: Turntable does not turn
A: If the microwave starts up OK, and counts down, and the fan is running, then the turn-table motor may have failed. These are easily replaced from the underneath on a lot of models.
Q: Microwave does not start up
A: If the light does NOT go out when the door is shut, this either means that the door sensor (microswitch) is not working, or the safety circuit has cut in, and blown the internal fuse. Some DeDietrich models had a habit of doing this, as the left and right sensors were not always in sync. A mod is available (part 74X1468, a small black piece that pushes on to the left hand actuator rod). There is a white, 8 amp safety fuse, inside at the back, that IS replaceable. Check that the microswitches are all operative, and the connections are OK.
Q: My Microwave needs a bit of a refurbish, any advice?
A: Chipped or cracked paint can be covered, edges sealed, and the wave-guide shield can be replaced, all from the site below. There is even a replacement door-liner sheet available. See:
http://www.kitchenwareonline.com/acatalog/waveguide_cover_material.html
Q: Food not heating properly.
A: If everything else seems OK, and it is an old Microwave, then the MAGNETRON could have gone weak over time. There are many different types, and they are not easy to obtain, unless you are in the trade. Try www.cpc.co.uk but you may have to open a trade account. Also see: http://www.espares.co.uk/parts?k=magnetron this espares site has a nice link on each major spare (like MAGNETRONS above ) so that you can check which model they fit. That is neat, and very useful. There is also a spares wizard: http://www.espares.co.uk/search/microwaves/p/1095?sa=1
Also see the link http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/micfaq.htm for some VERY in-depth info on microwave ovens,but bear in mind this is for background technical information only, and some specific items mentioned will ONLY apply in the USA.
Q: My microwave does not have a turntable, so how does the correct microwave distribution work?
A: This is usually achieved by having a rotating device in the microwave waveguide cavity (just above where the waveguide cover is). It is usually about as thick as a pencil, but it is “L” shaped (well not quite, the lower part is at about 45 degrees or so). It is usually driven from the top by a small motor and a couple of pulleys, with a thin rubber drive-belt. It’s job is to interrupt the “normal” distribution pattern of microwaves that exit the specially shaped cavity, so they bounce around in different directions around the food. It can happen that the drive belt can come off or break, or the motor can fail It is easy to tell if it is working, by temporarily removing the waveguide cover, and put in a half cup of water to heat up for about 30 seconds or so. You should be able to see the device rotating. If it does NOT, check the motor, pulley and belts (with all power removed of course - there are VERY HIGH AND DANGEROUS VOLTAGES INSIDE A MICROWAVE). The advantage of this system is that there is no wasted space at the bottom part of the oven, and no large glass plate to worry about breaking, and also taking up room. Larger oblong items can be placed in an oven with this design, as it then does not have to rotate in a circle.
Q: My microwave will not always heat the food all the way through. Why is this
A: This is usually caused by putting a meal in the microwave that has either not been fully defrosted, or is too large, or too deep to heat through properly in the suggested cooking time. It must be remembered that microwaves will only penetrate food for about 1 inch depth all the way around. However, if your microwave is not the sort that has a turntable, but you placed the dish on the bottom part of the oven, then the microwaves may not get chance to bounce around the BOTTOM 1 inch of the meal. If it is assumed that you have placed the meal on a glass tray in the centre of the oven (giving the most even distribution of microwave energy), and the meal is not more than 2 inches deep, then the suggested cooking time should be good enough to provide sufficient heat all the way through. Any meals deeper that 2 inches will depend upon heat conduction throught the food. The suggested standing times AFTER microwave cooking time has ended, are actually an important part of this process, to ensure food is cooked and heated all the way through. These days, unless you have purchased a very cheap microwave, the ones without turntables (to promote even cooking), will use a motor-driven microwave “stirring rod”, hidden up inside the cavity to distribute the microwaves around the oven (see previous FAQ). It is always possible that this motor, or drive-belt has failed. A less common problem will be a weak Magnetron, but this is usually only prevalent in an old Microwave oven. If your oven is the combination type, and you need to heat a large, deep item, consider using the combination of fan-assisted element heating plus microwaving.
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