Microwave repair in Fort Myers and Bonita Springs
Call before 11 AM and we aim to be there the same day.
The service call fee is waived when you go ahead with the repair.
Fort Myers area
Punta Gorda, Pine Island, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach
Bonita Springs and Naples area
Estero, Bonita Springs, North Naples, Naples, Marco Island
Common microwave faults
A microwave runs two separate circuits: house current for the light, the fan and the turntable, and a high-voltage circuit that does the heating. Most symptoms point clearly to one of the two.
- What has usually failed
- A microwave heats with a magnetron, fed by a high-voltage transformer, capacitor and diode. The light, the fan and the turntable run on ordinary house current, so the oven can look and sound normal while the high-voltage side has failed. A thermal cutoff on the magnetron that opened after overheating gives the same result. There is no heating element here; convection models have one only for their convection and grill modes.
- What we do
- With the capacitor safely discharged, we test the diode, the capacitor, the transformer windings, the magnetron and its thermal cutoff, and replace what failed. A magnetron is one of the larger microwave repairs, and you hear its price before we start.
- What has usually failed
- A shorted high-voltage diode or capacitor overloads the transformer, which then hums loudly instead of heating. Left running like that, it can blow the line fuse as well.
- What we do
- We discharge and test the high-voltage parts one by one. That capacitor can hold a dangerous charge long after the microwave is unplugged, which is why this is never a do-it-yourself job.
- What has usually failed
- The line fuse, a small ceramic fuse near where the cord enters, has blown. On many over-the-range models it blows because a door switch failed: a monitor switch shorts the line on purpose when the door switches act out of order, so the fuse goes before anything worse can happen.
- What we do
- We test every door switch and the monitor circuit before fitting a new fuse. Replacing only the fuse usually ends with the same blown fuse the next time the door closes.
- What has usually failed
- Two or three switches behind the latch tell the control that the door is shut. A worn latch hook, a switch with burnt contacts, or a door sagging on its hinges stops the cycle, or lets it start only while you press on the door.
- What we do
- We check the latch hooks, the switch levers and how the door hangs, replace worn switches (as a set when the maker calls for it), and make sure the door closes evenly and firmly afterwards.
- What has usually failed
- The touch pad is a thin membrane with printed tracks. Steam, grease and age break those tracks, or moisture gets under the pad and keys press themselves: random beeps, a timer that starts on its own. If the pad tests good, the control board or one of its relays is next.
- What we do
- We test the pad through its ribbon connector, then the board outputs, and replace the pad or the board. On many models the pad and the front panel come as one part.
- What has usually failed
- An over-the-range microwave pulls cooking air from the cooktop through grease filters. Clogged filters, a fan motor with dry bearings, or a stuck flap at the top of the vent make it weak or noisy. A fan that switches on by itself is usually normal: a heat sensor turns it on when the cooktop below gets hot.
- What we do
- We clean or replace the filters, test the fan motor and its relay on the board, and check the duct or the recirculation path. A charcoal filter is replaced, never washed.
- What has usually failed
- The glass plate rests on a roller ring and a coupler turned by a small motor under the floor. A cracked coupler, a dirty roller track or a burnt-out motor stops it. A plate that turns one way and then the other on the next run is normal on many models.
- What we do
- We check the coupler and the roller ring first, then test the motor, which is reached from under the oven.
- What has usually failed
- Metal in the cavity (a twist tie, gold trim on a plate), food burnt onto the waveguide cover on the side wall, or chipped paint inside the cavity. Bare steel rusts quickly in humid air, and rust spots arc.
- What we do
- We replace the waveguide cover and check the cavity and the magnetron for damage from the arcing.
Microwaves in Southwest Florida kitchens
Condo vent rules, steam, sea air and storm season decide a lot of what goes wrong with a microwave here.
Condos without an outside duct
In many condo towers the microwave over the range cannot vent outdoors, so it blows the air back into the kitchen through a charcoal filter. That filter fills with grease and odor and has to be replaced. A fan that roars but moves little air usually means a spent filter or a blower set for the wrong setup.
Steam and humidity
Humid air and steam from cooking reach any chip in the cavity paint, and the steel under it rusts. Wipe the cavity dry after steaming vegetables and leave the door open for a minute so the moisture can escape.
Kitchens open to the lanai
In kitchens on Sanibel, Captiva and Marco Island that stay open to the lanai, salt air corrodes the vent damper, the cooling fan and the connectors on the board. Look over the cavity and the vent grille for rust when you arrive for the season.
Drawers and speed ovens in built-in kitchens
Naples and Marco Island kitchens often have a microwave drawer under the counter or a speed oven in the wall. A drawer that will not open usually has a jammed track, a failed drawer motor or a door switch at fault. A speed oven adds a convection element and a fan to everything above.
Storms and the line fuse
June to November
After an outage or a lightning strike nearby, a microwave that stays dark may only have a blown fuse, or it may have lost its control board. A surge protector installed at the main electrical panel helps protect the boards in every appliance in the house.
Microwave brands we repair
Over-the-range, built-in and countertop microwaves, microwave drawers and convection models.
High-end brands
High-end appliances: parts are covered by a 1-year warranty.
Everyday brands
3-month warranty on labor for all appliances except high-end.
- Café
Brand names and logos belong to their owners. SUNTECH is an independent repair service.
What you can check safely
Everything here happens outside the cabinet. Opening the cabinet is a job for a technician only, because of the high-voltage parts inside.
The outlet above
An over-the-range microwave usually plugs into an outlet inside the cabinet above it, often on a circuit of its own. Check that breaker even if the other kitchen outlets work.
A power reset
Switch the breaker off, or unplug the microwave, for a full minute and try again. A surge after a storm can leave the control frozen.
The cup of water test
Heat one cup of water for one minute on full power. It should come out clearly hot. Barely warm means the high-voltage side is weak; cold means it is not working at all.
Control lock
If the panel beeps but nothing starts, the control lock may be on. On many models you hold Stop/Cancel or a lock key for about three seconds; the manual names the key.
Grease filters
Slide out the metal filters under the microwave and soak them in hot water with dish soap. Charcoal filters for recirculating models are replaced, not washed.
Never open the cover
Taking off the outer cabinet. The high-voltage capacitor inside can hold a charge that kills, even with the microwave unplugged.
Running it with a bent door, a broken hinge or a latch that does not close firmly. Stop using it until the door is repaired.
Fire inside: keep the door closed and turn the microwave off or switch off its breaker. Open the door only once the fire is out; if it keeps burning, leave the house and call 911.
Lifting an over-the-range microwave off the wall. It hangs on a wall plate and bolts through the cabinet above, and it takes two people.
Microwave questions
Is a microwave worth repairing?
Yes, and an over-the-range, built-in or drawer microwave especially: replacing one means fitting a new unit to the wall plate or the cabinet, matching the trim, and often adjusting the vent.
My microwave door is damaged. Can I keep using it?
No. If the door is bent, a hinge is broken, the latch does not catch firmly, or the door seal surfaces are burnt or caked with food, stop using it until the door is repaired. The door and its seal are what keep the microwave energy inside the oven.
Is the vent fan supposed to turn on by itself?
Yes, on most over-the-range models. A sensor starts the fan when the cooktop below gets hot, and it can keep running until things cool down. It is a fault only if it never stops or runs with the cooktop cold.
Why does the turntable change direction?
Many turntable motors are simple synchronous motors that can start either way. One way on this run and the other way on the next is normal and does not affect the heating.
How are convection microwaves and speed ovens different?
They have everything a regular microwave has, plus a heating element and a fan for baking and browning. If the microwave mode works but convection does not, or the other way round, tell us when you call; it narrows the parts down.
What does the service call cost?
We tell you the fee when you call. If you go ahead with the repair, the service call fee is waived.
What warranty do I get?
3 months on labor for all appliances except high-end. On high-end appliances, parts are covered for 1 year.
How can I pay?
Card, check or cash.
Send a request
Tell us the appliance, the brand and what it is doing.
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If it cannot wait
Call before 11 AM and we aim to be there the same day.
Fort Myers area
Bonita Springs and Naples area