My Microwave Isn’t Turning
Microwaves have become a staple appliance in the kitchen over recent years. Being used regularly to re-heat food, such as pizza, mac and cheese or even for melting chocolate.
However, like all home appliances, the microwave can develop faults, which tend to occur from wear and tear. Sometimes they even decide to get into a hump and stop turning altogether! Don’t worry, by following our simple diagnosis we may give your microwave the lift of life it needs.
Turntable Motor
Have you just put in last night's leftover bolognese pasta in the microwave to reheat and then realised your microwave plate not turning? We have diagnosed the most common causes as to why your microwave may stop turning which we have highlighted below.
A microwave drive motor is a component that sits beneath the turntable plate, which helps to spin the food around so that it can be cooked evenly. Now if the motor fails, the turntable won’t turn and it’ll affect the performance of your microwave.
Don’t worry, we at eSpares have the knowledge to help you diagnose and repair your microwave yourself and have you preparing and reheating your meals once again.
Safety First! Please make sure that you have disconnected the appliance from the mains before beginning any repair.
The motor will be located underneath the microwave - check for visual damage, such as cracks or fractures to the drive coupling.
- Also, check to see if drive coupling moves freely.
- Using a multimeter test the terminals for continuity (See here for instruction on how to use a multimeter).
- You're looking for an average reading between 2500 and 4000 ohms and if you don’t get a reading on your meter; unfortunately you are going to need to replace it.
Is your microwave drive motor faulty? eSpares is sure to have a replacement turntable motor for you!
We also have a video guide to help you replace your microwave turntable motor.
Coupling
Ok, so what is a coupling? The coupling is a part that connects the turntable motor to the glass plate, it is designed to rotate the glass plate when the turntable motor is engaged.
Another common cause for microwaves coming to a stand still is if the drive coupling becomes damaged. It is usually made of plastic and due to wear and tear the possibility of it cracking over time isn’t too alarming. However, follow our simple steps to easily diagnose the issue.
Safety First! Please make sure that you have disconnected the appliance from the mains before beginning any repair.
- To gain access to the coupling, remove the glass plate and the coupling should just lift out when pulled.
- Examine the coupling for any signs of damage, such as cracks or ruptures. Replace the damaged drive coupling if required.
Hopefully, with these easy troubleshooting steps, you have been able to crack down on the movement issue, ensuring to get your microwave working at its best again.
For our guide on how to replace your drive coupling watch our helpful video that is sure to aid you in fixing your microwave.