A microwave is a surprisingly complex piece of machinery with many small parts crammed inside. There are the magnetron and the stirrer, the vent and fan, the high-voltage capacitor, the light, and much more. But one of the simplest and most important parts is the turntable motor.
This is the motor that ensures the plate inside turns in an even circle while your food cooks. The turning plate is what helps your food to cook evenly and without the turntable motor, your microwaved meals will be hot and cold. You know the turntable motor has seen its last days if you start to hear excessive rattling, a loud roar when the plate turns, or of course if the plate stops turning entirely.
Whatever the reason, we’re here to help you replace that turntable motor so that you don’t have to replace your entire microwave. These instructions are for the average design of microwave and steps can vary by model number.
Always start by gathering your supplies before beginning a repair. This way, you can be certain that you have everything you need and won’t need to stop partway through to go find something. The most important part, of course, is your replacement motor. Match your make and model of the microwave to identify the right replacement motor to order.
Replacing the motor is, naturally, an electrical repair. This means your hands will be working with live wires so you’ll want to cut the power. This is easy for most microwaves, simply pull the plug out of the wall. If you can’t reach the plug, you can flip the kitchen breaker instead.
The next safety step to take is to wear work gloves. The inside of any appliance has sharp edges of metal and tips of wires. There is a surprising risk of getting cut when working inside appliances (or computers) and work gloves are always a good idea. Look for gloves that fit you well, that aren’t oversized or too bulky to work with tools.
In order to replace the drive motor, you’re going to need to flip your microwave over and pull out the thing that turns the plate. This means you’ll want to remove the plate, the roller guide, and the coupler. The plate and roller guide sit loosely on the coupler, so will rattle and possibly break when you flip the microwave. Take out that plate and roller.
The drive coupler is fitted tightly and sometimes sealed or glued to the drive shaft of the motor that you are about to replace. So you’ll want to remove the loose pieces, then shimmy off that drive coupler. Use the flat-head screwdriver to help leverage it off, working all the way around to avoid cracking it.
For more great appliance repair guides or assistance in your home, contact us today!
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