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Repair and disassembly guides for GE Microwave ovens.

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Magnetron or Diode or both?

Hey folks, I have a GE Profile microwave and it started arcing. I took it apart and pulled the magnatron. It was arcing between the top of the magnatron tube and the shielding on the microwave. I tested the diode and it is bad for sure. My main question is did the magnatron possibly go bad and arc causing the diode to blow, or would the diode going bad cause the magnatron to arc. I suppose my question boils down to do I just replace the diode or are both parts bad. Oh and I tested the resistance on the Magnatron, the schematic calls for .5ohm and it measure .6-.7

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Brett

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With 240V device i would suggest against replacing parts on things that have failed in this manner, it could be life or death.

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I totally agree on this call.

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I’ve never seen a microwave that needed 220v. I’ve worked on every brand, countertop and built in, over the range and with exhaust. They all only needed115v. I realize I’ve not seen it all and.never will. I would be interested in seeing the wiring diagram of a 240v microwave.

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Hi @ladytech ,

Click on the circuit diagrams in this link

or this link

Cheers ;-)

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Wow! Thank jayeff! This is residential? I wonder why I’ve never ran across one?

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Hi @ladytech ,

Apologies.

I didn't check the first link fully.

It is more for commercial use

The second link is for residential 240VAC 1000W 32L capacity.

Don't know how they measure where you are for capacity of oven. UK and Aust are in Litres - go figure!

Cheers.

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Good morning Edwin Lebish! The HV capacitor holds 4000-6000 volts, even uplugged. Don't attempt to check voltage on the HV circuit. It's much safer to check the amperage with a line splitter. This amperage test is quick, easy, accurate and safe.

Place a cup of water in the microwave. Attach your amp probe to the line splitter, plug in and run microwave 10-20 seconds.

10-14amps = all is good

3-9 amps = transformer is good. Problem is in HV circuit. The magnetron is more likely to fail than the capacitor.

Under 3 amps the problem is in the LV circuit. There is only 1 diode in a microwave. It's inexpensive and simple to replace. To test the diode, I use a 9 volt diode tester. Honestly, if I'm replacing any part in the HV circuit I replace the diode too.

ALWAYS DISCHARGE THE CAPACITOR BEFORE DOING ANY REPAIRS

Unplug the microwave and once you remove the outer cabinet discharge the capacitor before doing anything else!

Be safe. The capacitor will kill and has killed many technicians.

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Doubtful that people have died from the capacitor discharge, if the item was not operating. It is high voltage but not much current flows during a discharge. It's similar to the 30 kv discharge of a spark plug wire on a car or the old TV HV wire on the picture tubes(40kv), it has a heck of a kick but is not lethal, unless you are holding it while the appliance is operating. I've experienced both, and don't recommend it.

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I disagree. The stored energy in a capacitor varies as the square of its terminal voltage, and the number of coulombs stored -- these are the things that do the work -- varies directly as the terminal voltage. Clearly, high-voltage capacitors are to be respected. I've been very sorry to pick up a capacitor charged to about 200 volts, never mind 2,000 volts! Discharge them before working around them!

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Peter - you are a very wise and smart man! Thank you!

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I agree with talent. a milliion volts won't kill you its the amps. it'll scare the crap out of you and bite hard. it might kill you if it gives you a heart attack.

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Jeremy, it only takes 0.02 amps to stop a heart. Sure, the resistance of your skin, and if your wet or sweaty, that will be a deciding factor on how fast you die. The amps change when the resistance changes.

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[edit: clarification] Your suspicion is correct, that one component going bad can lead to another failure. But your measurement of the magnatron suggests it's sound -- it depends upon the design spec variance allowed in the resistance measurement.

I would try the diode, and power up the microwave with all covers in place. As others have mentioned, these appliances have very high voltage components and you can get hurt trying a DIY repair. Ensure all capacitors are discharged, you have no jewelry on, etc. If you're new to this, leave it to a professional -- the cost of a replacement is far more economical than the potential injury you can incur.

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I always unplug get it first then disconnect primary coil of Transformer then I discharge the capacitor. Any parking would be indicative of the need to replace wave guide hey you need to check the stirer motor if it has one

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Unplugged, the HV capacitor holds 4K-6k volts and has killed many people. Don't attempt to discharge the capacitor or do any repairs if your not certified.

I always replace the diode with the magnitron. Just like I would a belt and pulley on a dryer.

Sparks can be caused by several issues; a bad wave guide, grease build up and more.

The first test I do on every microwave is how many amps it is pulling.

10-14 amps -all components are good.

3-9 amps-transformer is good-problem is in HV circuit

Less than 3 amps problem is in LV circuit

Always test with a glass of water. Finish repairs with a survey test

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LadyTech where do you check for the amp draw? Main power cable?

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Yes. I use a line splitter. The power cord plugs into the splitter and the splitter plugs into the outlet. The splitter has a place to clamp your amp meter.

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Excellent. Thanks.

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Always good to specify the line voltage accompanying current estimates, given the international nature of these forums.

US uses 110VAC. (much of) Europe, Australia, NZ, UK use anything between 220 to 240 VAC. The country / voltage has a direct bearing on the expected current.

Ladytech's thumbnail current estimates are good for the US and other 110VAC places. Halve the figures for 230Volt countries. The power of the microwave also affects the nominal current, but most domestic units seem to be between 800 to 1400Watts.

As to the splitter to wrap your clamp around: many cheap (and expensive) multimeters now have a 20Amp AC range, so if you don't have a clamp meter you can use a series current meter.

Mind, if you don't already have a splitter or a jig for measuring line currents, then you probably aren't playing hard enough, and maybe should steer clear of microwave repairs, interesting, instructive and simple though they are.

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@uy2618 I like what you said ...then you probably aren’t playing hard enough...that’s so true. Funny but true. Microwaves aren’t something to mess around with if you don’t have the tools to check your voltage and polarity and the know how to to check it.

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What is the value of the high voltage from the transformer going into the magnetron so I can measure it with my HV meter? Oven wattage is 1100. Also, what method can I use to test the HV diode since most meters that have a diode test function can not test such diodes? I assume a HV diode is a diode that actually is several diodes in series in one unit and the average meter does not supply enough voltage to forward bias the diode?

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Edwin Lebish - Please don't try to check the voltage on the high side. There is no need to. All test can be done safely by checking amps or resistance.

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Edwin,

The only difference between this microwave diode and other diodes is the voltage it is rated at. This diode is rated for thousands of volts, which is what the magnetron circuitry produces. It is not many diodes in series, as you suggest. Testing the diode is done just like any lower voltage diode, infinite resistance in one direction, low resistance when you reverse the ohmmeter test leads (less than 10 ohms).

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Important, your Multimeter on the diode test setting must have a battery voltage of 6v or higher else you will have an infinity reading and think that the Diode is faulty.

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You are very right. I have an old analog meter I use for checking these stacked diodes and for testing capicators. I have found capicators that appeared to be good using a digital meter. When checked with the old analog meter it was evident it was bad

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Get a small resistor (say 1K) and a battery of between 9 or 12 volts. Put your meter on a current scale of around 20mA and connect HV diode, meter, resistor and battery in series. In one direction you should get a reading, and in the other zilch. This tests for open or short diodes, but not for lowered / degraded blocking voltage. You need the battery because the HV diode is made up of multiple series diodes* each of .7 characteristic forward drop and a multimeter's diode test function is good for only one silicon diode (maybe 2 - haven't tried it). A multimeter definitely doesn't have enough voltage to overcome the characteristic voltage of an EHT diode.

*Probably NOT a bunch of IN4004's in series, then potted, but electrically equivalent to that!

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my Frigidaire microwave but still no heating

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