Maytag Microwave Is Not Heating? SOLVED

In terms of household appliances, the modern microwave is one of the ultimate products for bringing efficiency and convenience into your daily routine. You know that early morning feeling when you’re rushing around, trying to get out of the house in time and you can take advantage of quickly heating up your coffee, or perhaps cooking up some oats real quick? It’s great…until it’s not!

Maytag microwaves do suffer from the problem of running just fine, but not actually heating your food. But why is your Maytag microwave not heating?

Maytag Microwave Is Not Heating Food But Runs?

There are several reasons why your Maytag microwave is failing to heat your food, and all of them are related to component failure. I will run through each one explaining what the problem is and offer advice on the next steps you need to take to repair or replace the problem component.

6 Reasons Your Maytag Microwave Won’t Heat

Below I will outline the six most likely causes for your Maytag microwave oven not heating food as you would expect it to. I have listed them in order of them being the most probable cause, so work your way through the troubleshooting guide one by one, until you find the cause and apply the fix.

1. Check for A Burned Out Diode

If your microwave has stopped heating food one of the most probable causes will be a faulty diode. So you will need to inspect the part and look out for any visible signs of damage. To locate the diode, you will need to remove the bottom panel of the microwave oven. You should check the diode for visible signs of burns, cracks, or blister spots. Any of these visible symptoms will be a clear indication that your diode is either worn or burnt out and will definitely need replacing.

If you need to replace the microwave diode, here’s how to carry out the repair yourself:

1. Remove the turntable plate and support, as well as the bottom panel underneath them
2. You’ll now see the small component with a black cylindrical body attached to a thin metal wire, this will be the microwave diode. Be sure to release any stored charge in the capacitor by touching it will an insulated screwdriver
3. Remove the small screw that secures the diode to the support frame and gently pull to disconnect the component for inspection
4. You will be able to see a part number on the body of the component. You should write this down as you will need it to order the replacement part
5. Install the replacement diode by connecting it to the capacitor and screwing it to the support frame, and be sure you get the right polarity.

Here’s a very helpful video on how to replace a microwave diode.

Microwave Isn't Heating? Diode Replacement #W10492278

2. Faulty Magnetron 

The magnetron is the component that’s responsible for generating the microwaves that heat your food. This makes it a critical component of the microwave oven. The magnetron can be located by unscrewing the outer casings on both sides of the appliance. Once removed you will see two metal boxes that look like they’re stacked on top of each other. That’s the magnetron.

You can check the magnetron with the help of a multimeter. Here’s how to do it:

1. Begin by unscrewing the component and pulling it out of the appliance.
2. Now grab your multimeter and ensure it’s set to the lowest ohm setting.
3. Connect the leads from the multimeter to the magnetron’s terminals.
4. If you get a reading below 1 ohm, the magnetron is working properly.
5. There is just one more test to do. Set the multimeter to the highest ohm setting and place a lead against the magnetron’s metal casing.
6. If you get a reading that shows “Open Line” or “OL”, then the magnetron is not causing the problem.

Watch the video below to learn how to check the electrical continuity of a magnetron with a multimeter.

How to test a good and bad microwave oven Magnetron

3. Check The Door Switches

Every microwave will heat food only if its door is properly closed. This is a safety mechanism put in place to protect people from burns that can be caused by microwave radiation. When one of the door switches fails, you won’t be able to prepare food in your microwave until you replace this component.

Thankfully, this process only takes several minutes if you have the right replacement part. Remove the microwave frame, as well as the control panel. After you do that, you’ll notice a gray or black plastic box. That’s what you’ll need to replace with the new part you ordered.

4. Inspect High-Voltage Capacitor

Replacing a high-voltage capacitor in a microwave can be quite tricky. That’s why a fix like this should be done by either someone with a ton of experience in fixing appliances or a professional repair technician. But what you can do by yourself is check whether this component is preventing you from preparing food in your Maytag microwave. Here’s how:

1. To inspect the HV capacitor, you’ll have to remove the bottom panel of the microwave.
2. But first, unplug your microwave and let it sit for half an hour to let the components discharge.
3. You’ll see the capacitor close to the microwave diode.
4. Grab a multimeter and set it to 1,000 ohms. Connects its leads to the terminals of the capacitor.
5. You’ll know that this component is causing issues if the reading shows 0 ohms.

Here’s a short video on how to test a high-voltage capacitor.

How to test microwave HV capacitor using multimeter/ good vs bad

5. Inspect High-Voltage Transformer

The high-voltage transformer has the important role of powering the magnetron. As you’d probably guess from its name, this component transforms the energy received from the power supply into a higher voltage. The transformer looks like a big metal box.

Make sure you put on rubber gloves before you test the transformer for continuity, as it can contain a lot of electrical energy. When you put on rubber gloves, you can set the multimeter to the ohm setting and connect the leads to the terminals of the component. You’ll know that the transformer is working properly only in case you get a reading between 50 and 70 ohms.

Here’s a great video showing you how to test a high-voltage transformer.

6. Inspect The Thermal Fuse

The thermal fuse is tasked with turning off the microwave when it overheats. If your microwave has suddenly stopped heating, you should check whether the thermal fuse has blown. This component is found near the magnetron and is only 1-2 inches long. Depending on the model of your microwave, it will be either a ceramic or glass fuse.

To test this component, you’ll have to grab your multimeter and set it to the ohm setting. In case you get a reading of infinity, it means that the fuse is blown and needs to be replaced.

The turntable Won’t Turn And Microwave is Not Heating

There is one final component to check – the turntable motor. You can easily determine whether this component is causing the problem if you notice that the turntable plate has stopped functioning or to put it simply, it’s not turning. , it’s always recommended to actually check whether a certain component is faulty before ordering a replacement. I’ll show you how you can do this in the section below.

Faulty Turntable Motor

So, your turntable plate stops turning and the microwave won’t heat up. You assume that the turntable motor is to blame, but you want to be sure before spending money on a replacement part. Here’s how you can inspect the motor.

1. Your first step is to unplug your microwave and remove the glass turntable plate.
2. Once you remove the plate, you’ll see a small three-pronged mount that the plate sat on, remove this by lifting it off the motor axle.
3. On the underside of the microwave, you will see a small cover on the casing, remove the screws to access the motor.
4. Remove the wires from the turntable motor and get your multimeter.
5. Check the voltage the motor is rated for and match it on your multimeter.
6. Now connect the multimeter’s leads to the terminals of the motor.
7. You will need to replace the motor only if you get a voltage on your multimeter.

Microwave Won’t Heat and Noisy While Running

In many cases, your microwave will appear to be running as usual when it’s not heating up. But if there are loud noises coming from it, you won’t have a hard time determining which component is faulty. In case you hear loud squealing or clicking, the problem is caused by one of two components – the magnetron or the diode.

Worn Diode or Magnetron

When the microwave stops heating and is quite noisy while running, you won’t have to inspect many components. Instead, you should focus solely on the magnetron and the diode. One or both of these components will have to be replaced.

Fixing A Maytag Microwave

There are a few different approaches to fixing your microwave. Your decision should primarily be based on how long you’ve had the appliance. In case you’ve bought it recently, you could make a warranty claim. If it’s old, you might be better off buying a new one. But first, you should determine exactly what’s wrong with your appliance.

Check for Error Codes 

Maytag microwaves have a set of error codes that will inform you which component is faulty. Most error codes for over-the-range microwaves made by Maytag start with either the letter “F” or the letter “E”. There are significantly fewer error codes that show up on countertop microwaves, but you can find them all listed on the official Maytag website.

Microwave Still Under Warranty?

As soon as you determine what’s preventing your microwave from heating up, the first thing you should do is check whether the appliance is still under warranty. Don’t attempt to fix anything by yourself in case it is. Simply make a warranty claim and it’ll be fixed or you’ll receive a replacement.

Cost to Fix Microwave Vs Buying A New Machine

The best-case scenario for when your microwave won’t heat food is that one of the inexpensive components has stopped working, like a door switch. The far worse scenario is that multiple components are faulty. In this case, you should consider buying a new microwave.

It’s also a good idea to think about getting a new machine if the one you’re using is old. In case you’ve had it for several years, it’ll only be a matter of time before other components start failing. The repair costs can pile up quickly, which is why a more reliable option can be buying a new model. If you do this, you might also find some new interesting functionalities that you didn’t have on the old appliance.

Maytag Microwave Not Heating: Solved

That’s about everything you should know if your Maytag microwave is not heating food. What you should remember is that it’s normal for components to break down after a while. You’ll simply have to inspect different components to determine what’s causing the problem and order replacements if you want to fix the microwave yourself.

There’s also the option of hiring a professional repair technician to do the job. In the event that your appliance is still under warranty, the best course of action for you is to make a warranty claim.