Modern kitchen appliances are an integral assistant, allowing you to save time on preparing your favorite dishes. In microwave ovens you can quickly reheat, defrost and even cook your favorite food. Despite their durability, these devices also tend to fail.
Microwave oven is an essential attribute of modern kitchen
Often one of the most common problems in the operation of a microwave oven is considered to be plate or tray braking. The device may continue to function, but the main part stops spinning. To resolve this problem, you need to know the reasons for the appearance of the negative factor.
The Importance of Rotation
The first microwave ovens were made without rotating trays, so the device had to be turned on several times in order to turn the dish on the other side after the first heating. Thus, the device warmed up the contents completely.
Modern devices are manufactured with automated heating technology. The flat plate is mounted on wheels; when the device is turned on, it begins to rotate, the wave rays are scattered, due to which the food is evenly heated.
If the rotation platform fails, it becomes necessary to turn the products over with your own hands, which takes more time and causes some discomfort.
Uniform rotation allows the product to heat up completely in one cycle
Is it possible to use a microwave oven if the plate does not spin?
Old analogues worked without such a tray, so if the heating plate is faulty, the device can be used. Such an unfavorable situation will not affect the work process of the equipment in any way and will not harm it at all. However, it is inconvenient to control the procedure yourself.
Why doesn't the plate spin in the microwave and what to do about it
The first microwave was made without rotating trays, so the device had to be turned off several times to unwrap the dishes with food. Modern appliances are made using automated technology and the plate rotates. The wheels have a flat plate mounted on them, and when the device begins to rotate, the wave rays are dispersed, resulting in the food being heated evenly.
Many people don’t know what to do when a plate doesn’t spin in the microwave. If the rotating platform is out of order, you should not rush to bring the microwave for service or bring in a technician; maybe the plate is not performing its function due to some minor problem.
If the plate does not spin in the microwave, you need to pay attention to the following points:
- The dish that is placed in the oven should not be large and should not touch the walls of the chamber, as this will interfere with its functioning. Because of this, the ring with wheels rotates jerkily.
- Food spilled from containers may block movement. Crumbs stuck between the wheels can cause braking.
- Also, the heavy weight of the product reduces the rotation, and when it touches the walls, the movement becomes incomplete or stops altogether.
- The stand may be installed in the wrong position.
- If the flanges are not inserted into the grooves as needed, then no movement will occur. To solve the issue, you need to place the pallet evenly.
If the furnace is checked and nothing is found that interferes with operation, you will have to look for technical problems. Most likely, the microwave will require complex repairs. It can be assumed that the situation when the microwave heats, but the tray does not spin, is due to a problem with the rotating element. But this can also be caused by a light bulb that has burned out, and this is the situation faced by owners of older stoves.
Frequent problems that lead to plate blocking:
- A broken gear is a stalling situation. You can replace it. If this does not help, then expensive repairs will be required to replace the moving part. Considering the price of such a repair, it is cheaper to get rid of the old device and buy a new one. Thus, you do not need to spend money on repairs, but you can get a new model.
- A coupling sliding on the shaft can prevent rotation. It is necessary to eliminate slippage by changing the part.
- Motor winding. If it breaks, you will need the help of a specialist. The winding cannot be repaired and must be replaced. You can completely solve the problem by replacing the entire engine. You can tell about damage by smelling the smell of burnt varnish.
- Power circuit. To check the integrity, you need a wiring tester. In this case, the breakthrough must be eliminated.
- Often problems are related to the chassis and wires. If this is the cause of the malfunction, then the engine needs to be changed.
- The problem when the tray in the microwave does not spin may be caused by a lack of electricity. This situation occurs when the motor wires are burnt out or damaged. Basically, this is faced by those people in homes who experience periodic power surges.
- Also, the cause of the breakdown may be liquid getting inside the device. The solution is to internally replace the microwave oven unit.
Burnt out light bulb
In different versions, internal microwave radiation is included in the circuit. When the lamp burns out, the circuit may be interrupted and the engine will shut down. The decision is ill-conceived, but it is unlikely that anyone, when choosing a microwave oven, will delve into these nuances. Users will only find out about this when the circuit fails. In some options, it is enough to change the burnt out lamp, and the problem will be corrected, but in others, you need to change the entire interconnected device.
Foreign body interferes
The engine of the device is hidden under a special protective part. It's plastic that does its job. It has 3 compartments. Sometimes a piece of food that falls off the plate while turning can get stuck in that area, preventing the rotating element from doing its job. The operation of faulty equipment is accompanied by noise. Getting rid of a foreign body is simple, for what you need:
- disconnect the device from the power source;
- assess the condition of the wheel, rails and grooves;
- clean items.
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Incorrect tray installation
The rotation of the plate stops for various reasons. User inattention is the main cause of dysfunction. To resolve the issue, you need to inspect the device and determine whether there are any external operating restrictions. The tray must be installed correctly.
Broken gears
A common problem is when gearbox gears fail. A bent or broken mechanism will often stop the plate from spinning. Gearbox failure occurs rarely; it is a wear-resistant mechanism, but the gears involved in rotation wear out quickly. Today, microwaves use plastic parts instead of metal gears; this does not help the gearbox to serve for a long time.
To understand the cause of the breakdown, it is necessary to disassemble the equipment. First remove the panel that covers the engine. Then you need to carefully remove the dirt without damaging the mechanism. When the dirt is removed, it is necessary to lubricate the necessary engine components and replace the elements.
Often in the midst of daily routine, many people forget to clean the inside of the microwave oven regularly. This is a big mistake. An oven that is not kept properly clean can be damaged, and grease and other contaminants deposited on its walls can reduce the longevity of the unit and limit the functionality of the pan.
Broken shaft
This breakdown is often a cause for concern when the plate does not spin because replacement will be expensive and it is easier to buy new equipment. Often the fault can be due to wiring. But most often the roller breaks due to the total weight of the dishes placed in the microwave oven.
The winding has short-circuited
The microwave winding sometimes burns out. Therefore, in this situation, you need to replace it with a new element. Burnout is determined by the odor that is felt in the inner chamber. A home craftsman can perform such a replacement.
Sent contacts
This simple drawback can be solved on your own - contacts that have come loose and are visible to the naked eye. To do this, you will need to completely disassemble the oven.
Causes of failure and their elimination
To correct the source of the failure, you need to find out the reason why the failures occurred and take appropriate measures. To do this, you need to read the instructions that came with the microwave.
Malfunctions due to negligence
Braking of the plate may not occur for technical reasons, so before repair work you should carefully study the following points:
- Dimensions of dishes. If it is too large, it may touch the walls of the device;
- A piece of food has fallen out of the plate, which interferes with the normal operation of the device, the rotation has stopped;
- The pallet is under weight due to overload of products;
- After cleaning the plates, they were not put back into place correctly. The protrusions did not fit into the grooves of the bushing, which is why it was warped. If the wheels have come off the guides, they must be reinstalled correctly;
- If fat or pieces of food get into the guides, they should be cleaned to eliminate this cause.
If there are pieces of food and fat left in the microwave oven, it needs to be cleaned
Healthy! Such sources of pan drag can be easily eliminated in minutes and do not require professional knowledge. It is enough to observe the size of the products, their volume, and also periodically clean the device from dirt.
Engine malfunctions and their elimination
One of the complex breakdowns in which the plate stops spinning is considered to be engine failure. The most common violations are those related to the operating process of the gearbox and the quality of the wires.
Such reasons include replacing the faulty engine with a new one.
To identify the source of the breakdown, you need to familiarize yourself with the design of the motor. Certain mechanisms directly affect engine operation:
- rotation occurs due to the motor shaft; stopping of the plate is possible if the unit is handled carelessly. If you interfere with the operation of this element by stopping the tray yourself, touching the walls with dishes or overloading the device, you can lead to the shaft breaking, then it will need to be replaced with a new analogue;
- gearbox cover and motor housing - designed to protect internal parts from penetration of moisture, food particles, and fat;
- gearbox - designed to start a torque element; this product has a long service life, but over time it also breaks down. In cases where the microwave has been operating for many years, and malfunctions occur during the rotation of the plate, it is necessary to pay attention to the condition of the gearbox. Metal gears wear out over time.
Important!
Modern models of microwave ovens are equipped with plastic gears, which significantly reduces the durability of the gearbox. For this reason, the product may break quickly. It is necessary to find out the source of the breakdown when disassembling the engine. First, remove the panel covering the main part. Then you get the motor, which should be unscrewed with a screwdriver and pliers. In most cases, an accumulation of fat forms under the lid itself; it must be carefully removed without touching the mechanism. Fat particles can be easily cleaned with alcohol or a special solution. Upon completion of this procedure, it is necessary to lubricate the product components and securely fasten the housing.
No power
If a plate breaks or the microwave does not heat, you need to check the power supply. The wires in the engine may burn or the microcircuit may be damaged. Frequent voltage drops can damage electronic components.
Checking microwave oven components with a multimeter
In some cases, malfunctions in batteries occur due to liquid entering the housing. This can be corrected by disassembling the device unit located inside the product. This procedure requires certain knowledge in electrical engineering, otherwise the mechanism can be damaged even more.
Healthy! Many parts, components and expert services are quite expensive, so before repairing it is better to consider the possibility of purchasing a new device.
Reduced supply voltage
If the voltage supply to the motor is insufficient, and accordingly it is lower at the magnetron, then the device does not have enough power. The engine is not supplied with enough voltage, it does not have enough strength to rotate the pan, or it will spin jerkily.
A decrease occurs when the electrical network is overloaded, to which several types of equipment are connected simultaneously, or when the contacts at the motor terminals are weak.
Important! If the supply line is overloaded, it should be unloaded or a stabilizer should be installed. In the case of weak contacts, they need to be crimped with pliers to fix the problem.
Open or shorted motor windings
The majority of models are produced with motors designed for 220 V, so a simple connection to an outlet is sufficient to check for a break. The operating condition can be determined by the rotating shaft with the coupling. When checking the unit with an ohmmeter, the winding resistance should range from 1.2 to 1.6 kOhm, and in low-voltage motors these values range from 100 to 200 Ohm. If a break occurs, the sensor will show an infinity sign or parameters that go beyond the permissible limits.
Short-circuiting of the winding occurs due to the ingress of detergent or water
The main source of the problem is careless care of the plate or chamber; during the cleaning process, detergent gets on these working elements, the motor overheats, and the smell of burnt insulation appears. Repairing windings on your own is impossible, but replacing a motor with a shorted or broken winding is quite possible.
Breakage of the gearbox output shaft
The pallet stops spinning when overloaded or forced to stop by hand; in this situation, the rotating motor forcefully turns the shaft. Chinese models of microwave ovens are made of cheap plastic and quickly fail. Replacing such a component is not difficult, the main thing is to find a high-quality analogue, otherwise you will have to completely change the engine.
The shaft breaks if the food plate is too heavy
Important! Cheap engines are designed for a short service life; such units will last no more than a year. In order for the product to work without failures for a long time, it is better to purchase models in the middle and high price categories.
Clutch slippage
Long-term use of the equipment affects the fastening of the coupling, which weakens over time, and as a result, the rotation function from the engine to the plate is disrupted.
Such damage can be eliminated by tightly fastening the coupling. If the product is very worn, such actions may be useless; the part will need to be replaced with a new one.
Reducer gear wear
Frequent use of a microwave has an intense effect on gear wear. The repair should begin by carefully removing the top cover of the motor, thus gaining access to the gearbox. A visual inspection will make it clear how much the gears are worn; if there are broken teeth, then the part is replaced with an analogue.
Healthy! It is necessary to more carefully inspect the gear located on the engine shaft. For excellent operation, you need to check the reliability of its attachment to the main element.
Open circuit
It is very difficult to fix a breakdown associated with an open circuit at home; this will require certain knowledge in electrical engineering. This negative factor can be eliminated with the help of professional specialists. The technician will quickly and efficiently complete the work, eliminating the broken chain.
We fix it ourselves
Now let's move on to the replacement itself. The process of replacing an engine or gearbox is quite simple, anyone can do it, just follow the video instructions.
Note! When replacing the motor, do not rotate the rotating shaft while holding the motor or touching the power terminal. This action may damage the gearbox or cause you an electric shock.
Pay attention to the price of the mechanism. You should not buy cheap parts, their quality will limit the service life of the device and may soon cause a breakdown again.
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