Re: Microwave Fuse Repair

chris_at_nospam.com
Date: 09/07/04 

Date: Tue, 07 Sep 2004 04:31:12 GMT

Given the number of unqualified people that try to repair Microwave
ovens, a cutout switch is entirely justified. The fact that it wasn't
obvious should have been a clue that you shouldn't be messing with it.

Poking around the guts of a microwave without understanding the very
lethal voltages that can be present is just plain suicidal. You did
realize that a microwave is far more lethal than a TV, right?

-Chris

On 07 Sep 2004 03:32:43 GMT, rwgraveur@aol.com (Rwgraveur) wrote:

>My blown fuse Experience With a Sharp Carousel Microwave Oven (Model R-330AK)
>[cira Dec. 1997]:
>
>My wife told me the microwave oven didn't work. Checking it out it seemed to be
>a typical fuse problem. A few
>
>years ago we had a similar problem with this same oven. However, after I
>replaced a clearly blown fuse (20 amp,
>
>ABC type) the oven would not work. It was as if the fuse had blown again (it
>hadn't!) In frustration, I took it
>
>to the Dealer's Repair Shop to have it really fixed. When I went to claim it a
>week later I was told I had
>
>damaged the Display Panel in my attemped fuse repair and the bill came to $145!
> I said, I didn't care if the
>
>display worked perfectly. I just needed the basic power functions. $60 allowed
>me to have just the fuse replaced!
>
>This time I knew the fuse had blown and I had not damaged anything within, but
>the replacement fuse made no
>
>difference. Your web site info got me to probing the circuits with my Ohm
>Meter. There was continuity through the
>
>power cord prongs to the leads inside of the cabinet. Continuity on the black
>wire ended on the output prong of
>
>some kind of white plastic device screwed to the inside back of the cabinet. I
>thought this might be some kind of
>
>safety power isolation device. Once I removed this device, I could see it was a
>Cutoff Switch which would cut
>
>power to the oven if the lower left cabinet screw was loosened (required to
>open the case). One of the *** metal
>
>screws was two millimeters longer than the other three! If you didn't notice
>where the long screw came from, you
>
>have only a 25% chance of fixing your microwave oven fuse. Now, when you take
>the oven to your friendly repair
>
>man, he knows you had the case open (forbidden to all but PROPERLY QUALIFIED
>REPAIR PERSONEL).
>
>I don't think Sharp Company planned to give their customers a Golden Screw Job
>for $1 fuse replacement. Their
>
>lawyers probably insisted this was a way to protect 75% of the DIY'ers from
>injury and sueing Sharp for not doing
>
>something to protect them. Paranoid? Who, me? Thank you for your site.

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