The lifecycle of an average, house-hold microwave is 2,500 hours. That’s about 150,000 slices of reheated pizza and 75,000 bags of popcorn. There are several warning signs that your microwave is on its last legs – ready to nuke no more. Here’s a few to look out for:
One obvious one is that it’s taking longer to cook. This means that your microwave has reduced in power. For a lot of older models that don’t have power settings (low & high), longer cooking times are a surefire way to tell it’s time to put down your microwave.
Sometimes a component in the microwave needs replacing. If it costs more than 50 percent of what you paid for the unit, it’s probably worth it to just buy a new one. The cost of service alone can be significantly more than the microwave itself. Some of the most expensive components in a microwave can be the electronic items such as circuit boards, displays, and touch panels.
When the internal diagnostics and code flashes appear on the display of your microwave, try unplugging the machine and plugging it back in. If this doesn’t work, call a service agent and get a quote.
All of the door latches and switches on a microwave have sensors that are required by code. If any of these latches or switches are flawed, the microwave will not function.
Also, and this comes from personal experience, try not to microwave too many CDs. When I was younger, I found out that if you put a CD in a microwave for a few seconds, colored sparks shoot out. So I stole a bunch of my sister’s and sure enough, a little light show happens. BUT afterwards, food tastes a little funky. So put on a microwave light show at your own risk.
One Fat Frog Restaurant Equipment
One Fat Frog • 11473 S. Orange Blossom Trail • Orlando, FL • 407-480-3409
One Fat Frog • 1137 W. Airport Blvd. • Sanford, FL • 407-936-2733
www.onefatfrog.com
www.onefatfrog.tumblr.com
www.facebook.com/OneFatFrogRestaurantEquipment
www.twitter.com/#!/onefatfrog