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Arching Microwave Oven

By Jestine Yong on February 4, 2024

This microwave oven was brought to me with complaints of seeing sparks inside while it’s switch on and it does not heat. This kind of problem is caused when the paint lining is peeled off from any where of microwave chamber and metal is expose, this is why metallic kitchen wares can’t be used for cooking inside microwave oven except microwave proven metal. So I just go search for where problem is located, close to the mica sheet, see picture below.

Then I remove back cover and here the bulb has burnt mark which could be as result of arching.

I didn’t bother to check HV components because I didn’t suspect any could have been affected, moreover oven is very new.

Solutions: I use fine sand paper to smooth the affected area and painted same with this gloss paint, leave it for some hours to dry, then give it a second coat of paint, then leave it for 24 hours to dry well.

Then I replaced bulb with good one. Then place a glass of water inside oven and powered on and it got heated with no more sparks.

This is the finished repaired work.

This article was prepared for you by Imoudu Onwumah from Nigeria. He is 62 years old and has just 3 years experience in electronics repairs. I started career in hotel industry as a chef, but then I was doing repairs only in electrical repairs as a hobbyist. In 2018, I decided to learn about electronics which through Jestine’s electronics e-books and holding my hand, am an electronics techie today.

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Note: You can read his previous article on Shutdown Teac Tv Alive Again

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microwave oven repair

13 Comments

Yogesh Panchal

February 5, 2024 at 1:11 am

Good Fix!

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Parasuraman S

February 5, 2024 at 8:31 am

Oh! This is news to me! I have never come across or heard such a weird problem! Many thanks for sharing this kind of a peculiar case!

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- Kiran Patel
  
  February 5, 2024 at 8:46 pm
  
  I got same problem but didn't paint just clean carbon, replaced mica and used it again
  
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Albert van Bemmelen

February 5, 2024 at 7:49 pm

A very strange problem indeed! Good to know that spray painting helps in such cases.

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Anwar Yunas Shiekh

February 5, 2024 at 9:05 pm

Strange as my stainless interior microwave has no arcing.

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Tayo

February 5, 2024 at 10:53 pm

Im confused why this would happen on a relatively new microwave.
Also, does the light bulb reside behind the dome above the arc-damaged lines there?

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- Imoudu.O
  
  February 6, 2024 at 8:54 pm
  
  Anwar,
  The fact is majority of those oven coming from china are poor quality, like in this repair case.It's still new but it has started having problems.
  
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Waleed Rishmawi

February 6, 2024 at 2:57 am

Yes I faced the same issue before and I had to sand up the inside of the device then paint it for a few times. Sometimes dry food inside the microwave oven can cause this kind of sparking so the cleaning inside the microwave is needed once or twice a week depending on the use of it. Have a blessed day

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Imoudu.O

February 6, 2024 at 8:30 pm

Waleed
You are very right as to cause of arching and in addition ageing can also cause paint coat to peel off.Microwave oven needs periodical cleaning with damp cloth, not with soap and water. Infact we need to tutor our wifes how to do this.

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Imoudu.O

February 6, 2024 at 8:37 pm

Tayo,
The bulb is just behind the marked area, on left side, not inside the chamber, but behinďe the metal screen.Hope you understand this.Thanks.

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Imoudu.O

February 6, 2024 at 8:45 pm

Parasuraman.S
Thanks sir

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Imoudu.O

February 6, 2024 at 8:56 pm

Albert,
Thanks sir, have a nice day

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Imoudu.O

February 6, 2024 at 9:02 pm

Yogest.P,
Thanks for your comments sir.

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