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  1. #26
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    Betting that the parts you need to repair it are under some kind of restriction because they can be used to build a dirty bomb. Did anyone see Super-8?
    Go that way really REALLY fast. If something gets in your way, TURN!

  2. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by SumJongGuy View Post
    Betting that the parts you need to repair it are under some kind of restriction because they can be used to build a dirty bomb. Did anyone see Super-8?
    Like pressure-cookers, magnetrons are readily available: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=magnetron&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

    Doubt any other parts would be restricted

  3. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by plugboots View Post
    It's an over the range unit, so replacement is $300-400.
    Quite a few OTR models on Home Depot's website right now for <$250: https://www.homedepot.com/b/Applianc...P_PRC_MODE%7C0

    I just went through exactly this (bad magnetron in a OTR unit) a few months ago. I found this LG model at my local HD, it's quite nice: https://www.homedepot.com/p/LG-Elect...62ST/206824938 I scored it on the display model clearance shelf for a bit less than that price, but it's worth $200 for sure.

    As evidenced by my recent post in the "Shit that Annoys You" thread I also prefer repairing shit that is otherwise fine, but it just wasn't worth it in this case.

  4. #29
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    ^^^ We are on the same page. I was debating if I wanted to add any features but basically we warm up coffee and leftovers in it, so probably cheapest is better. I’m not sure if I’d go LG because the appliances are close together and I want them to match, (at least sort of).
    Well maybe I'm the faggot America
    I'm not a part of a redneck agenda

  5. #30
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    Plug, Where you located? I just realized I have a barely used OTR LG buried in the garage. I keep meaning to put it on CL but keep forgetting

  6. #31
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    Dec 2010
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    Well, if fixing is more expensive than replacing, I guess it doesn't make sense (apart from avoiding environmentally-disastrous, disposable-society mentality).

    But fixing shit that's not your specialty is very satisfying. I recently had my ceiling fan remote stop working. The only compatible replacement was like $80, and had the size and aesthetics of a 70's cell phone. So I debugged the circuit board, and was surprised to find I was able to fix it. I felt smug (the good kind of smug).

  7. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by mcski View Post
    Plug, Where you located? I just realized I have a barely used OTR LG buried in the garage. I keep meaning to put it on CL but keep forgetting
    Near Seattle.
    Well maybe I'm the faggot America
    I'm not a part of a redneck agenda

  8. #33
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    Ah dang, I was thinking you were in the Bay Area too.

  9. #34
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    Mar 2009
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    I have repaired two countertop units. In each case it was a fuse you wouldn’t know existed unless you took the cover off the appliance. They were obviously not designed for consumer repair

    My current micro is a built in over the range. It Looses the microwave heater after it heats up after several minutes of use. After a rest period it will work again. I need to get a replacement part, but it’s not critical. It does reheat my coffee

  10. #35
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    Jun 2018
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    Portland, OR
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    Anybody repaired a microwave oven?

    Quote Originally Posted by plugboots View Post
    Everything works but it doesn't heat anything. When the magnetron kicks on, it's noisier than it was, so pretty sure that it's the magnetron, which seems to be about $100-150.

    The repair guys I talked to just said get a new one. It's an over the range unit, so replacement is $300-400. WTF, I feel like taking it apart while a game is on.

    It's probably the power diode. I didn't read any of the other posts, so if other people said that, sorry. When the diode fails, the microwave gets really loud and takes longer and longer to heat, till finally it doesn't do shit.

    You can test the diode with most multimeters these days. Either that or you can rig up some 9v battery/resistor circuit with an ammeter or just use a battery/lightbulb combo or one of those cheap test lights from the auto parts store.

    Edit:
    With a bad diode, there's probably a blown fuse, too. The last microwave I repaired was a combo: diode failed then fuse blew.

    Oh. Also, the magnetron failure, if it is failed, could have been caused by the diode failure.

    As the cobwebs clear, I'm remembering more of my own saga. Found the fuse, replaced the fuse, blew the fuse, identified the bad diode, replaced the fuse and the diode, identified the bad magnetron, replaced the magnetron. Warmed up my coffee.

    After you've replaced the magnetron be sure to scavenge the badass magnets out of the old one.

    Anyway, if your microwave is irreplaceable for some reason, I'd say it's worth repairing. If it's just some ugly little microwave, replace it.
    Last edited by lucknau; 09-22-2019 at 03:29 AM.

  11. #36
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    Goddammit, the LG I posted about upthread has stopped heating (put a diner-style squeeze bottle of BBQ sauce in to warm it up, heard a loud buzz, and hit stop within 1-2 seconds--hasn't heated since but the fan, light, turntable, etc. works normally and no error codes). I'm considering the repair route since it's so new still and I can buy a magnetron, diode and fuse for about $80 from AppliancePartsPros. Google is warning me not to work on a microwave yourself because there's a high-voltage capacitor and electrocuting yourself is a strong possibility. How do I avoid getting zapped?

  12. #37
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    Take a screwdriver and short the 2 terminals on the capacitors( unplugged ) several times, should be fine then.

  13. #38
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    I just watched a demo video and they used a pair of needle nose pliers. It seems like no big deal other than you can't forget to do it. I think I'll go for it. It's just a lot of screwing and unscrewing.

  14. #39
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    I just repaired my icemaker with a new one from appliancepartspros.com and the videos were great. Easy-peasy.
    I came really close to fixing the microwave and knew about the capacitor, but ended up buying an on sale microwave (that matched the fridge), for about 180 bucks.


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
    Well maybe I'm the faggot America
    I'm not a part of a redneck agenda

  15. #40
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    Aug 2013
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    On a side note, anyone ever tried to nuke cockroaches in a microwave? I have. Kill rate is about 50% Sneaky and resilient little fuckers!

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

  16. #41
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    I'll defer to folks who have fixed these things, but I want to mention one thing. You're dealing with high voltage in there

    The first thing I'd look into is how to discharge the power supply. Seriously. Enough folks are dying from COVID these days.

    I'm working from a vacuum tube electronics background however, but both microwave and tube electronics can kill you. The normal procedure for tube amplifiers is to build a test leads with a power resistor in series and to shunt this across the power supply capacitors.

    Normal operating procedure around high voltage is to work with one hand in your pocket so you don't have a direct path across your heart.

    ... Thom
    Galibier Design
    crafting technology in service of music

  17. #42
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    Feb 2005
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    I think I posted a short video of me nuking metal in a mike, just to debunk the theory that you couldn't. I didn't youtube it, I just grew up with science and a father who worked in a nuke plant. You just need to have a little insulation.

    But I wouldn't try it at home. Nor would I try a repair. The college dorm mike that I received from Mr. Reed Morris that he had already used through college, that I received as a charity gift 20 years ago when he very seriously upgraded his living situation, is still working fine, even with the experiment.

    Buy the ticket, take the ride. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/c...the_stupidest/

  18. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by galibier_numero_un View Post
    I'll defer to folks who have fixed these things, but I want to mention one thing. You're dealing with high voltage in there

    The first thing I'd look into is how to discharge the power supply. Seriously. Enough folks are dying from COVID these days.

    I'm working from a vacuum tube electronics background however, but both microwave and tube electronics can kill you. The normal procedure for tube amplifiers is to build a test leads with a power resistor in series and to shunt this across the power supply capacitors.

    Normal operating procedure around high voltage is to work with one hand in your pocket so you don't have a direct path across your heart.

    ... Thom
    The pro repair tutorials make it look pretty simple to discharge the capacitor. It also occurred to me that the capacitor will eventually self-discharge so I just went and unplugged it since it doesn't work anyway. It will be 4-7 days before I receive the parts and have a chance to install them--there shouldn't be any residual charge left by then (though I'll still discharge it just to be safe).

  19. #44
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    Got the parts and opened it up. The magnetron connector had clearly arced, so I checked the fuse and unsurprisingly that was blown too. I bought a spare fuse also, but the fuse they sent me is different. It's a different size/shape than the old one, and the old one is marked 5KV 0.9A while the new one is 250V 20A. That seems like a huge difference in voltage and amperage. I just chatted with the vendor and they said, "The manufacturer is always changing, trying to improve parts. This is listed for the model provided."

    WWMD? Contact LG directly tomorrow to confirm? Install the fuse they gave me and ride it switch to the road?

  20. #45
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    You do know what 250 x 20 = right?

  21. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by Todd Zander View Post
    You do know what 250 x 20 = right?
    I did do that math but didn't know if it was a coincidence. I'm used to seeing fuses that are rated in amps. So all that matters is total watts?

  22. #47
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    No its all amp ratings, they may have over engineered the design by implementing a much higher voltage rating, electrical engineers might have a better grasp why but I wouldnt sweat it. Fuses can blow for no reason other than age.

  23. #48
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    Cool, thanks. It seems like the magnetron blowing is what blew the fuse. I'll post some pics when I get back into it tonight.

  24. #49
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    Just drive around a nicer neighborhood on a weekend and grab one of the "FREE!! WORKS!!" ones on the curb.
    Gravity. It's the law.

  25. #50
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    Got it done yesterday. I had to wait an extra an extra couple days because while installing the new magnetron I figured out the the fuse they sent was indeed not the correct one. Not sure what the consequences would have been had I trusted them and gone forward. But, it's all good now and it saved me at least $150 over buying a new unit.

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