Microwave Ovens are a must-have kitchen appliance but like every other electronic device, it’s bound to act up at some point. If you have a KitchenAid Microwave that’s acting up it is recommended to determine what’s causing it.
With this in mind, troubleshooting your KitchenAid Microwave can be a strenuous task but fret not, in this article, we lay out a few things you can do on your own to determine the problem and fix it.
Below are some of the troubleshooting steps to help you diagnose the issue and fix it.
1. KitchenAid Microwave Oven Not Turning On
If no matter how many times you try to turn your microwave oven on and it doesn’t work, there are actually a couple of things you can try in order to troubleshoot it.
Check the power outlet. Oftentimes, a microwave oven that won’t turn ON could simply be due to a loose plug outlet. Make sure that the plug is firmly socketed in the outlet to ensure that the microwave oven is fed with power.
If you’re not sure if the wall outlet is working properly, you may try a different electronic device to test it out and verify that it is indeed working.
If the issue persists after your tests, it would be best to call an electrician to have your electrical lines checked.
Tripped Circuit Breaker. To reset your home’s circuit breaker, you have to move from the “ON” position all the way to its “OFF” position. Afterward, turn it back on.
Depending on your home setup, you may hear sounds or tones coming from devices like smoke detectors as well as other home appliances once you reset the circuit breaker.
Check Wall Switches. However, it’s also important to note that you will want to avoid plugging microwave ovens into power strips.
High power capacity appliances like microwave ovens water heaters need to be plugged directly into wall outlets to ensure that the line is dedicated to one appliance.
Overloading your wall outlets or power strips may result in the breaker tripping or even cause
2. KitchenAid Microwave Oven Not Heating Your Food
Your KitchenAid microwave oven is, of course, designed to heat up your food. However, due to wear and tear or faulty components, it might not work as intended.
The first thing you’ll want to check is if it’s possible that it’s only a one-time chance that your microwave oven isn’t heating or if it’s just an incorrect heating setting.
First, test it out by placing at least one cup of water on the microwave turntable. Afterward, closed the door of the microwave oven and start it with a setting of 1 minute and on a high setting or 100% power.
If the water becomes warm, then the microwave oven is indeed working. However, follow the troubleshooting steps below if the result is otherwise.
Check for Error Codes on the Display
KitchenAid microwave ovens may display an error code if there’s an issue present to help you diagnose what the problem is.
“LOCK”, “L”, or a padlock symbol appearing on the display panel means that the control lock is on or is enabled. This is a mode on the microwave oven to avoid unintended use or as a safety measure if you have kids in your kitchen area where they can accidentally activate it.
There are several methods of deactivating the lock mode depending on your model. You can refer to the operation manual that came with it to check how to deactivate it.
A few methods you can try are pressing and holding the CANCEL button on the microwave oven for 3 seconds and pressing and holding the START button on the keypad for 5 seconds.
Demo Mode is Preventing Normal Operation
Demo Mode is a feature that is designed to help you learn how your kitchen appliance functions. This lets you operate the microwave oven without actually activating the magnetron, which is the component in heating up your food. In this mode, the fan will be switched on, the turntable will rotate, and the light will also turn on.
If you encounter this issue and you are unable to turn it off, it would be best to check with your product’s operation manual to determine how to switch it off.
There are also a few steps you can try if the product manual is misplaced or isn’t handy. First, ensure that the microwave oven and the timer are both turned off. Press and hold the “Timer Off” button or the number 3 on the keypad for three to five seconds.
You can also try to navigate from the Options menu to find the Demo Mode submenu, and from there deactivate the mode.
Lastly, navigate to the “Try the Product” selection on your microwave oven until you reach the “Tools” selection. From there, simply select “Store Demo Mode” and select “OFF” to turn it off.
You may also visit KitchenAid’s Manuals and Literature webpage to quickly access material for your microwave oven.
3. The Door Isn’t Properly Closed
In order to keep you safe, microwaves in general operate only when the door is closed. This is to ensure that you’re not harmed by harmful radiation. If it’s not closed properly, the microwave will not operate normally.
Firstly, ensure that the door is properly closed. Make sure that there’s no debris or other objects that may obstruct the door from being firmly closed.
If this is your first time using your microwave oven, make sure that the shipping space is also removed from the door. This may vary depending on the model of your microwave.
If you believe that you have thoroughly checked the microwave door for any obstructions that prevent it from closing and it’s still not operating normally, you will need to check if the door switches are damaged.
Generally, microwave ovens have multiple door switches that actuate in sequence to confirm that the door is properly closed. If even one of these door switches fails, your microwave oven will refuse to start properly. In order to test it, you will need a multimeter to test for continuity.
Since you will have to open up the microwave to test, be aware that repairing high-voltage appliances pose a substantial risk that can harm or even kill you.
So, if you’re not comfortable testing or repairing it yourself, your best course of action is to get in touch with a service center or have a certified technician do the repair for you.
4. The Diode Has Become Defective
The diode on microwave ovens is responsible for converting the AC power output of the transformer to DC power. This doubles the voltage to power up the magnetron that heats up your food.
If this turns out, there won’t be enough voltage to power up the magnetron, preventing it from heating. This will need to be inspected, and if an issue is found, it would need to be replaced as well.
Since inspecting the diode will require opening the microwave in order to get access, it’s important to note that it can store lethal amounts of electricity that can pose serious injury or harm to you.
If you’re not sure what to do, please contact an official KitchenAid service center, or contact a certified technician to inspect your microwave oven and have the diode replaced.
5. You May Need to Clean Your Microwave
Sometimes, even a small piece of metal can be the culprit. It can cause a short circuit, leading to your microwave oven blowing its fuse and preventing it from operating normally.
If you’re unsure if this is the case, inspect the microwave chamber for any piece of metal that may be the cause of a short circuit. Also, check if the food that you’re heating contains utensils or any possible metal objects that can cause a short circuit. If the turntable can be removed, you may also check there.
However, if there are interior parts sticking out or exposed in the microwave oven chamber, refrain from touching them with your bare hands. If you find that this is the case, bring it to a local KitchenAid service center or seek a certified electrician for repairs.
6. The Lightbulb Isn’t Working, Making You Think the Microwave Oven Isn’t Working
Light usually indicates that an appliance is working. If you don’t see the light bulb switch on when you turn on your microwave, it may be the only issue and your microwave is just fine.
Over time, the light bulb may get burned out. However, this doesn’t mean that the whole microwave oven is broken so there’s no need to panic just yet. The first thing you’ll want to do is to replace the light bulb. Make sure to replace it with the part to ensure that it works.
If you’re unsure, refer to the product manual or contact KitchenAid technical support for further information.
Sources:
- https://producthelp.kitchenaid.com/Cooking/Microwaves/Product_Info_new/Product_Info/Microwave_is_not_heating_-_What_to_Check?mt-draft=true
- https://producthelp.kitchenaid.com/Cooking/Microwaves/Product_Info_new/Product_Info/Setting_the_Control_Lock_on_an_Over_the_Range_Microwave
- https://www.repairclinic.com/RepairHelp/How-To-Fix-A-Microwave/65-2–/Frigidaire-Microwave-Not-Heating
- https://www.sickappliances.com/microwave-oven-troubleshooting-and-easy-repairs-in-naples-florida/
