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Microwaves: How to solve heating issues

The contemporary kitchen features a microwave for easy cooking. Whilst the majority of the time they are convenient for cooking, if you find they are not working as you want it can be troublesome when preparing meals. Below we have highlighted our tips to try if you find your microwave is not heating correctly.

Try an alternative plug socket

If the unit is not producing enough heat, an alternative plug socket is recommended. This is to check that it is perhaps not the plug itself not providing the microwave with enough power to heat. We also encourage mains power sockets to be used rather than extension leads.

Reboot the microwave

You can try rebooting the microwave if it is not heating. This can be done by unplugging the unit, holding down the Stop/Start button for 10 seconds, and plugging it back in.

Ensure the correct cooking mode has been selected

When cooking with your microwave, you should always check the cooking mode being used. If a mode such as ‘defrost’ is used, the microwave will not produce the same heat as when on full power. Similarly, it is important to also consider the timings for the mode being used. You may find that due to the item of food you are cooking, you may need to increase the time you use on other items to provide sufficient heating.

Allowing sufficient clearance around the microwave

It is important to always keep sufficient clearance and spacing around the unit. This is because it encourages airflow around the microwave. Without this clear airflow, the heating itself may not be effective.

Check the condition of the wave guide cover

As part of your regular maintenance, you should check the condition of the wave guide cover to ensure it is clean and damage-free. If you notice any markings on the wave guide cover, it may result in the waves not being transmitted properly and, as a result, the microwave does not heat. In this instance, we would recommend replacing the wave guide cover if necessary.

Try heating a glass of water

If you have checked all settings and conditions, we recommend try heating up a glass of water to check the heating. The reason for this is to check if the water heats up. If the water does heat up, it may be that the particular food being cooked is not appropriate for the cooking times and this will need to be amended. If the water is not heating up, it would suggest the microwave is still not heating correctly and we would recommend contacting the relevant support team for further help.

To summarise

We recommend checking all settings and all basic maintenance checks if you are experiencing any heating related issues as they may be causing the issue. If you require further support, please consult your user manual or contact the relevant support team.

You can browse all microwaves here.