The repair went well...I am so glad that I read this info before buying a new microwave....it saved me lots of money. I did have a repair man come and look at it and he told me to buy a new one but it cost alot of money when it wasn't necessary. I did the repair and I was very proud of myself. Three men watched a woman fix this and it was no problem...they were impressed also....
Initially we started looking to buy a replacement microwave to replace our 13+ year old built-in microwave. It was a real pain finding a replacement to fit the exact dimensions. So I thought I'd try to find an old KitchenAid microwave. However, I was pleasantly surprised when this site came up on my search. Their website allows me to input the problems and then it showed two possible parts that needed to be replaced. I emailed tech support and asked them which part I needed. They responded very quickly and said I needed to replace the magnetron. I watched a couple YouTube videos and then pulled my microwave apart. It was incredibly easy to pull the outer cover off. The magnetron had 5 screws that needed to be removed and one electrical plug. Took me maybe 10 min to complete the entire repair. It was one of the easiest repairs I've done and so thankful for this site They saved me a ton of money from not buying a new microwave and we now have our microwave working again. In hindsight, I wouldn't hesitate. I'd order the Part now and get it fixed.
I started by calling a reputable service company to diagnose my problem. The repair tech told me it was the magnetron and it was a "very difficult" repair that required two people because the over-the-range unit needed to be taken down. I asked for a detailed estimate. He quoted $550 including parts and labor. After he left, I researched the part costs on this site and realized his costs were very inflated. I purchased the magnetron for $220. It arrived at my door two days later. Installation was very easy. First, I unplugged the unit. Then, while my wife was making sure it did not fall off the wall bracket, I unscrewed the two mounting screws from the top of the cabinet. I lifted the unit down from the wall and set it on the kitchen counter. The shell needed removed from the microwave which involved about 20 screws. This provided access to the magnetron on top. The magnetron is secured by five screws and a plug. I unplugged it, unscrewed it, and removed the old part. Then, I installed the new magnetron, and tested the microwave to make sure this did the trick. It worked. I put the outer shell back on the microwave and cleaned the microwave. (This is a great opportunity to clean the areas you do not typically see!). I then remounted the unit and plugged it back in. Saved myself a bit of money so I took the family out to dinner and a movie to celebrate. Microwave was in working order for heating up left overs the next day! Thank you!!!
