Stop – Don't Even Attempt To Repair Your Microwave
The microwave that you use to reheat your coffee each day can develop some issues—it may begin to take longer to heat things up, or it can stop working altogether. So, you get it in your head that you can pull up a YouTube video and learn how to fix the problem yourself—STOP! The microwave is one appliance that should never be disassembled by a DIY'er. Here, you'll learn why it's unsafe and what you can do to improve the performance of your microwave and tips for keeping it clean.
The Danger of Microwave Repairs
The danger of working with a microwave oven is due to the fact that even after it's been unplugged, the unit will continue to maintain an electrical charge. You see, the microwave uses a capacitor to create the energy that heats up the food inside. So, when the unit is unplugged and sitting in your garage for a year, it will still pose a serious danger of electrical shock if you open it up to make repairs.
Improve the Performance
Before you go and replace a microwave that isn't working as efficiently as it once did, there's a few things that you can try.
First, get your vacuum and suck the dust and dirt out of the ventilated sides, as well as the bottom of the unit. If these vents get clogged, the unit will not heat as quickly.
Make sure that there is enough space around the microwave to allow for air circulation. This also means to remove anything that you have stored on top of the unit.
When heating dinners, reduce the power setting to 70 percent and cook the food for a longer period of time. If you heat the food at a lower power setting, but increase the time, the food will heat more evenly and it won't become as rubbery and hard as it might otherwise.
Another thing to help with heating food is covering the plate. There are ventilated covers that you can buy to cover plates in microwaves, but really, all you need is a microwave safe bowl that covers all of the food on the plate.
Keep it Clean
Keeping the inside of your microwave clean is about more than just food-safety—it helps the unit perform more efficiently.
Fortunately, cleaning the microwave requires nothing more than a mug of water and some paper towels. Put a mug of water in the microwave and heat it for a few minutes. Allow it to sit in the microwave for about 10 minutes and wipe the condensation off of the surfaces with the paper towels.
If your microwave is on the brink, stop and think! Call for professional microwave repairs and avoid the shock that comes with attempting this repair on your own.