Microwave Repair in Coeur d'Alene, ID

The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 estimates count 970 housing units in Coeur d'Alene as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. Electricity here comes from Avista or Kootenai Electric Cooperative, depending on the address, by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission's list of utilities by city. Avista says it gives its customers notice the day before a planned outage, with a time range it tries to keep. At a place where nobody is, that notice may reach no one who can pull the plug, and an unplanned outage gives no notice at all.

So the microwave comes unplugged when the place is closed up, along with the television and the computer, and stays unplugged until someone is back.

Plug it back in once the power has held. After a planned outage, that means after the notified window has closed; at a seasonal place, on the first day back once the lights have stayed on. For its own customers, Avista's outage checklist suggests leaving a porch light on to tell when power is back, which is an easy signal to wait on. Then set the clock and look at the display and keypad before the first cycle.

If the lights go out without warning partway through a cycle, unplug it then, so the cord is already out when the power comes back. Avista's outage safety list makes the same point for any outage: “Unplug your electronic equipment, including computers.”

The risk sits at the return of service. A microwave left plugged in through an outage is connected when the lines are energized again, and any surge at that moment can reach its control board. Once the microwave is unplugged, a surge has no path to the board. That protects the board and keypad most, since they are likely the most surge-sensitive parts in it, and it does nothing for a magnetron or a door switch that was already on its way out.

Two checks, both from outside the microwave. First, the panel and the outlet: if the breaker for the microwave or the kitchen counter has tripped, or a counter outlet's Reset button has popped out, reset it once; if it trips again, leave it off. Second, pull the plug once more and push it back in. An over-the-range unit whose cord is out of sight skips the second check and goes to the visit as it is.

What the microwave can tell you:

If both checks come up clean, the cause is inside, and after an outage the suspects sit on the control side: the board, the keypad connected to it, or a fuse that opened because something drew too much current. The visit settles which of those it is, with the case off. The faults behind each are at Microwave Repair.

Sometimes. On many over-the-range models, the cord climbs into the cabinet above to an outlet you can reach once the shelf is cleared, and then it unplugs like any other. Others are wired in, or the outlet cannot be reached without taking the unit down. On those, switching off a clearly labeled microwave breaker does the same job; if nothing at the panel is labeled for it, leave it as it is. Removing an over-the-range unit from its bracket is done during the visit.

Possibly. A part weakened by a surge can keep going for a while before it fails, and parts can also fail without any outage at all. The visit identifies the part that failed, and whether a surge started it may stay an open question.

The service call is $89. It covers travel, inspection, and diagnostic time. It goes toward the repair if you go ahead, and it stands on its own if you decide not to.

Parts and labor are warranted for 30 to 90 days as stated on your invoice, with the full terms at Warranty.

Zero-interest financing through Wisetack is available on repairs over $500 for eligible customers, and active-duty service members and veterans get 15% off labor. Terms are at Financing.

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