Microwave ovens have been around for a relatively short time, but they have already become a very popular appliance. They help to heat, defrost and cook food quickly and easily. Microwave ovens are easy to use and long-lasting, but they can be prone to various faults. One of the most common problems is that the dish on which the food is placed stops turning inside the oven. Let’s look at why this happens and how you can fix the appliance.
Why is the plate needed and how does it rotate?
Inside the microwave oven chamber, there is a plate tray, on which the dishes with food are placed. It rotates during operation so that the food is heated evenly.
If the tray stops rotating, the appliance can still be used, but this will affect the quality of the heating. In this case, you must turn the food by hand, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Causes the pan to stop turning
There are many reasons why the plate may stop turning. To rectify the fault, you need to find out the cause of the malfunction. In some cases, you can solve the problem yourself; in others, you may have to call a service center.
Incorrect use of the microwave oven
Often a breakdown in the form of a stop or rotation of the plate leads to improper, careless operation of the technique by the user himself. The following may cause malfunction:
– Large dishes that hit the walls of the cavity;
– food particles are obstructing the rotation of the plate;
– Food dishes that are too heavy are placed on the drip tray;
– the plate is not correctly positioned on the swivel castors.
These types of problems can be rectified quickly and do not require specialist assistance.
Motor failure
The motor is responsible for the rotation of the pan. If any part of the motor breaks, this will cause the platen to stop. Gear wheels may break, wiring may burn out and the rotating shaft may start to turn.
In such cases, it is necessary to call in specialists who will either repair individual motor parts or completely replace the worn-out part with a new one.
No power
If the motor ceases to deliver power, the platter will stop rotating. This is caused by an open circuit which occurs due to frequent voltage fluctuations, resulting in burned-out wires or damaged microcircuits. The fault can be detected with the aid of a tester. If the user has no such appliance and lacks the necessary skills to repair the appliance, the microwave should be taken to a service center.
The power supply voltage is low
If the mains voltage is low, the microwave simply does not have enough power to operate. There can be two reasons for a low voltage:
– Unscrupulous maintenance of the house power grid by the power company, causing the power lines to wear out;
– The house power grid does not meet the stated technical indicators for the quality operation of electrical appliances: wires have a small cross-section, contacts are poor, the power grid is overloaded, etc. In this case, the wiring will need to be replaced.
Motor winding shorted or interrupted
If the motor winding is damaged, there is a characteristic burning smell of wiring insulation. An ohmmeter can also be used to determine this problem. The resistance should show 1.2 to 1.6 kΩ for normal oven operation. The motor will need to be replaced.
The output shaft in the gearbox is defective.
The shaft drives the pallet. If it breaks for any reason, it must be replaced.
The clutch is slipping
The clutch is part of the engine and is responsible for connecting the shaft with other parts of the engine. It can break or its connection can become loose during operation. This can cause the shaft to slip when rotating, or to cease to rotate at all. A worn coupling is either replaced completely or an attempt is made to tighten it.
Worn gears in the gearbox
Gear wheels are generally made of plastic, which is why these elements often fail. They can be replaced with new ones but only a service technician can do this.
To avoid malfunctions such as the oven drip tray not turning, it is a good idea to clean the cavity in good time, use the correct utensils and contact the Escondido Appliance Repair team at the first sign of trouble
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