A microwave is one of the most intriguing cooking machines ever invented. Imagine being able to boil water or thaw frozen meat without fire or radiated heat.
You can reheat food evenly, unlike a stove that can burn the bottom of the pan if you don’t add water. Also, it has a timer you can set to cook food while you attend to other things.
Almost every recreational vehicle has a microwave because of the flexibility it offers. Whether over the counter or over the range, it makes a perfect addition to an RV’s amenities.
Not only does it make cooking a much lighter chore, but it also helps save fuel. The power it consumes is easily replenishable and much less than your range oven consumes. It’s indeed a must-have in every kitchen.
How To Fix Hamilton Beach Microwave Not Heating
Hamilton Beach specializes in kitchenware, particularly countertop tools and appliances. Its products include air fryers, blenders, can and bottle openers, ice makers, and toaster ovens.
Check Hamilton Beach’s catalog if you’ve just recently bought your RV and it’s still empty. It has everything you need in the kitchen, saving you the trouble of hopping from store to store.
Microwaves are among Hamilton Beach’s flagship products and are popular among RV owners looking for cost-effective kitchen appliances for their mobile homes. These microwaves meet consumers’ expectations thanks to their compendium of sought-after features.
- One-touch cooking options – If there’s one feature you want your microwave to have, it’s the ability to cook particular food with as few steps as possible. Hamilton Beach microwaves have just that. They have several one-touch cooking options, including popcorn, pizza, baked potato, and reheat.
- Inexpensive but good quality – With so many products priced based on their brands, it’s hard to tell which ad is telling the truth. Fortunately, brands like Hamilton Beach keep their prices low to serve more customers needing good-quality microwaves. Their products are among the most affordable on the market.
- Rival high-end models – If you’re the type of customer who equates price with quality, you won’t notice just how excellent of a product a Hamilton Beach microwave is.
Not only does it take the same amount of time to warm or heat food as a luxury model, but it also adds options     that quickly start longer cook times almost instantly.When it comes to performance, this microwave does not      disappoint.
- Enough room for large plates – The size of the cooking cavity could mean the difference between a well-cooked meal and a raw one. Good thing the Hamilton Beach microwave has almost one cubic foot of interior space, allowing you to heat and reheat larger portions per run. That’s currently one of the widest out there.
Like any other appliance, however, high-end ones included, the Hamilton Beach microwave is not immune to malfunctions. It will act up at some point, depending on how you use and take care of it. It’s all the more likely to malfunction if you’re using it in your RV, where it’s subjected to constant shaking and vibration.
Why is my microwave not heating?
One of the most frustrating experiences you can have with your Hamilton Beach microwave is when it won’t heat up. And like your other equipment, it typically acts up at the worst moment—when you’re in a hurry or when the stove isn’t working. Thankfully, there are ways to diagnose and troubleshoot a non-heating microwave.
Sometimes, the cause is as absurd as forgetting to plug in the machine, setting it to run at a future time, or using the wrong setting. But during diagnosis, you must eliminate those possibilities to come up with the correct solution, no matter how embarrassing.
Below are some legitimate reasons your microwave isn’t heating and how to deal with them. This is where your basic understanding of electricity and electronics comes in handy. The solutions may vary in complexity depending on which microwave components are involved.
1. The magnetron is not producing microwave
Contrary to popular belief, a microwave oven is not radioactive. It doesn’t emit dangerous electromagnetic radiation that will make you sick unless you stick your hand inside the cavity.
Instead, the microwave this machine produces stimulates water in food, causing it to heat up. That’s what cooks or warms the food. In short, anything that contains water will heat up when exposed to the microwave.
The magnetron, the heart of the microwave oven, generates this microwave. The oven won’t heat food if it’s broken. Unfortunately, a broken or burnt magnetron can’t be fixed. You need a new one. But replacing a magnetron is often not worth it.
Buying a new Hamilton Beach microwave may cost you more upfront, but it will save you more in the long run as you don’t have to deal with occasional breakdowns.
2. Lack of DC due to burnt diode
A microwave oven requires high voltage and current to produce a microwave. Most of the action occurs in the magnetron, a high-power vacuum tube that generates microwaves. It requires DC, which increases the voltage that goes into the magnetron by straightening its path.
The problem is that your microwave runs on AC like any other appliance. So it needs a component that converts AC to DC right before current enters the magnetron. This component is called a diode.
Unfortunately, a diode can only take so much current or voltage. During a power surge within the RV’s AC electrical system, an excess current and reverse voltage might enter the diode and burn it. A burnt diode needs to be replaced.
But to ensure it’s not causing your microwave to stop producing heat, use a multimeter to check if current still flows through it.
3. Lack of voltage due to a burnt capacitor
While the diode doubles the voltage to meet the magnetron’s required power by straightening the path of the current, the raw voltage it gets from the AC electrical system remains potent. Excess voltage must be filtered out, or it will burn the diode from the get-go.
So between the hot connection and the diode lies a high-voltage capacity that stores away excess voltage.
Even the capacity isn’t immune to power surges and could burn if it takes in excess voltage. As a result, the diode won’t get the correct measure of voltage to generate the power the magnetron needs to produce a microwave. In this case, you must replace the burnt high-voltage capacitor to restore the microwave oven.
Unplugging the oven from the electrical outlet is not enough when replacing a high-voltage capacitor. Remember that this component stores enough voltage to kill a grown-up person. You must discharge it first. To do that, open the back of the microwave to access the capacitor.
Disconnect the wires connecting the capacitor to the transformer and magnetron. Then, touch the metal strokes in the capacitor with insulated pliers or screwdrivers for a few seconds. That will short the circuit and drain the voltage.
4. Other possible causes
Besides the magnetron and high-voltage capacitor, your microwave has other components that could go kaput. For example, the door switch. If it fails, the microwave will not run automatically. Another is the thermal fuse, which can also burn out like the diode. This device is designed to cut off power to the microwave if it overheats.
However, the fuse isn’t the only component that protects the microwave from overheating. There’s also the thermoprotector. It is a type of circuit breaker that trips off during a power surge to protect your microwave from blowing up.
In addition, the transformer that feeds power into the high-voltage capacitor and diode could also break down. Therefore, anything that conveys electricity into the magnetron can trigger a series of damage that leads to the microwave not working.
Even after trying all the above troubleshooting, failure to identify the cause of the malfunction means it’s time to call in a technician. Instead of further probing into your microwave’s inner workings, which can cause more harm, leave it to someone with more knowledge and experience repairing microwaves.
Conclusion
A microwave that isn’t producing heat can be a source of stress and frustration for the family, especially if you are traveling. You want your cooking done as quickly as possible, and these unexpected intermittent breakdowns make it impossible.
Understanding how the machine works, as explained above, helps you get to the bottom of the problem more efficiently.
Before trying to fix your microwave, read up on your RV’s specific brand and model. While microwave ovens have similar components, the material quality, design, and construction vary from brand to brand.
This means the required troubleshooting for a broken Hamilton Beach microwave may differ from another model. Replacement parts may also be different.
