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Welcome to the December 2007 edition of the RepairClinic.com newsletter. Around this time of year, many people will be getting new video game consoles. Brian A., a pool-service business owner in Canyon Country, a suburb of Los Angeles, won’t be because his microwave gave him more fun and games than he could ever want.
Brian A. Tires of Microwave Game Playing
Brian A. of Canyon Country, California
It all started about eight months ago, when the touchpad on Brian A.'s microwave went crazy. Five of the numbers on the pad didn't work at all, which made cooking food a bit of a challenge.
"My wife and I had to outsmart the microwave," says Brian. "If we wanted to heat something for four minutes, we had to remember to key in three minutes and 59 seconds. This was the case for other numbers, too, so we had to fool around a lot to get our cooking times correct."
Even more frustrating, when the power would go out - which happened frequently in the summer - its clock needed resetting. |
What he fixed: Built-in microwave oven
What
led him to RepairClinic.com: Tired of outsmarting the touchpad.
How Brian diagnosed the problem:
Buttons weren't working on the touchpad.
How he fixed the microwave:
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Removed touchpad by removing screws and disconnecting wires |
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Installed new touchpad by reconnecting wires and putting screws back |
Parts Needed:
Touchpad ($170)
Tools
used:
Screwdriver |
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To achieve this, Brian's wife determine which numbers were working on the touchpad, and figured out when Brian could re-set the time by using the keys that actually worked. "It was funny," says Brian, "but really kind of nuts."
What delayed Brian's decision to repair the microwave was the buy-versus-repair dilemma. "I kept going back and forth on whether to just get a new microwave or repair the old one," explains Brian. "It finally came down to the fact that I didn't want to pay someone $200 to remove the old microwave and install a new one that would cost several hundred more."
Brian thought it was a safe bet that the entire touchpad needed to be replaced. He didn't realize, however, that he'd have a hard time finding the part he needed - even though he had the part and model number. "I went to ten different websites and they didn't have what I needed," says Brian. "I even called stores in my area. They could order the part, but it would take two weeks and cost over $200."
When he found RepairClinic.com, he was pleasantly surprised. "I found the part I needed immediately," says Brian. "Plus, I had the part within a few days and had a sane microwave in about 30 minutes."
"Every button works now and I couldn't be happier," continues Brian. "I highly recommend RepairClinic.com. They'll have the part you need - and they'll provide you with information on how to make the repair yourself. I probably extended my microwave's life by another five years."
Maintenance Tips
Extend the Life of your Microwave by Keeping it Clean. Leftover food particles and splatters absorb some of the microwave energy during operation and may cause burns and possibly damage the microwave’s interior. You can prevent this by wiping down the interior when food boils over or splatters on the walls and ceiling. Don’t forget to keep the outside of the microwave clean as well, the exterior trim pieces, touch pad controls and door handles will look better and last longer with consistent care. Microwaves usually have a fan that circulates air when running to cool the interior components, so make sure the fan vent holes on the outside of the microwave are clear and free of dust.
Protect Your Microwave and Family with These Safety Tips.
- Surge Protection - Microwaves have solid state circuitry and should be protected from power surges or voltage spikes that can occur during lightening strikes. Plug them into a surge protector rated for 20 amps of power.
- Door Safety – The microwave door is designed to keep the energy inside the appliance, so if the door doesn’t latch properly or isn’t sealing, have the unit checked out by a technician before using it again.
- Never operate a microwave oven without food or liquid inside it - Microwave ovens heat the food or liquid in the oven with high-frequency microwave energy. If there's no food or liquid in the oven to absorb the microwave energy, the energy can feed back to the microwave itself, which can permanently damage the internal microwave antenna (magnetron).
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