The buttons on a microwave can be digital and controlled by a touch pad, or they can be regular buttons. To operate your microwave it’s required to at least press the start button. In this article, I will explain why some or all of the buttons on your microwave aren’t working, and what to do to fix it.
In general, the control lock or child lock is enabled, the door is not completely closed, your fingers or the touchpad are slightly wet, there is an error code on the display, it needs to be restarted, or the control pad is faulty and needs to be replaced.
Virtually all of the reasons why your microwave buttons aren’t working can be fixed yourself. Below, I will provide detailed instructions for how to troubleshoot each of these issues. As well as, what to do if you try all of these steps and the buttons are still not working.
Reasons Why Your Microwave Buttons Not Working
When the lights on your microwave turn on such as the lights on the LCD display, or the internal light you can be sure that your microwave is getting power. Even though it’s getting power the buttons can not respond when you press them. So, here are the reasons why the buttons on your microwave aren’t working.
Generally, the keypad lock is enabled and needs to be disabled, the door is not closed all the way, the touchpad or your fingers are wet, the display has an error code, your microwave needs to be restarted, or the control pad is faulty and needs to be replaced.
In total there are 6 main reasons your microwave buttons are not working. I’ve explained each of them below, as well as instructions for how to fix each of them. It’s not always possible to know ahead of time which of these reasons are the cause of the buttons not working.
Therefore, you need to try each of them one by one. I’ve ordered them starting from easiest and fastest to check and fix.
1. The control lock also called the child lock is on
It’s very common for a microwave to have a control lock, which is also sometimes called a child lock. For example, Whirlpool microwaves have a control lock that is enabled and disabled by holding down the ‘stop’ button. When it is on, none of the buttons will work.
There will also typically be a lock icon on the LCD display. In most cases it is turned on and off by holding one of the buttons. It’s possible it has been enabled by mistake.
The button to press and hold commonly has a padlock icon, or a key icon in a different color next to the button that is used to turn it on and off. Check to see if there is a lock or key icon on the LCD display, and find the corresponding button.
If you are unable to find it, then refer to your owners manual to see if it does have a control lock or child lock. An online version can almost always be downloaded online if you’ve lost your original owners manual.
2. You microwave needs to be restarted
Microwaves are electronic devices that have an internal computer. Like other electronic devices, restarting them commonly fixes a wide range of issues.
To restart your microwave unplug it at the wall, wait for about 10 seconds, and then plug it back in again. After that see if the buttons now work.
3. The door is not closed completely
The buttons on a microwave are commonly disabled when the door is open. It’s possible the door is not closed completely. Try opening the door to your microwave, and closing it by pressing it firmly.
In other cases, the door latch may be broken. And needs to be replaced. But, before organizing a repair technician to replace the door latch try the other steps below.
4. The keypad is a bit wet or your fingers are wet
If your microwave has a digital touch pad then many of them do not work if there is water on your fingers or on the touchpad. Try taking a paper towel or tea towel and drying the touchpad thoroughly.
There can also be a bit of grime that has accumulated so it can also be a good time to thoroughly clean the touchpad. Also, ensure your fingers aren’t sweaty, or wet from doing something in the kitchen.
5. There is an error code on the display
Some microwaves will show an error code on the display to indicate that there is an issue. And unless it’s cleared by pressing the stop/cancel button the keypad won’t operate.
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on November 14, 2022.
This will be easy to spot because it will have a code or words on the LCD display. If there is and you can’t clear it, refer to your owners manual to see how to clear error codes that are showing on the display.
6. The control pad is faulty and needs to be replaced
The control pad is an individual component. A power surge can have caused the control pad to blow a fuse. Or, some other issue has caused the control pad to fail, and it needs to be repaired or replaced.
In other cases, the internal computer can have failed. To fix this issue requires testing the internal components.
However, doing so should not be done unless you are a qualified technician. Therefore, if you’ve tried all the steps above it’s best to contact the manufacturer, and see what their support team recommends about having it repaired or replaced.
Is It Recommended to Fix Your Microwave Buttons Not Working?
In some cases the cost to repair a microwave is the same as replacing it with a brand new one. Therefore, it’s important to know whether it’s a good idea to fix your microwave when the buttons stop working. Here is a quick summary and the key things to know about fixing your microwave buttons.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on November 14, 2022.
As a general rule, it’s not recommended to fix your microwave buttons by opening your microwave and working with any of the internal wiring or components unless you are a qualified technician. But, there are a few settings and fixes that can be done easily yourself which are explained below.
These involve settings such as the control lock, and making sure the door is completely closed. For a full list of these steps refer to the numbered steps near the top of this article. Only, the final step can not be done yourself, and requires a repair technician.
Overall, your fingers or the touchpad are slightly wet or accumulated with grime that needs to be cleaned off, the control lock has been enabled by accident, or the control pad is faulty and needs to be repaired or replaced.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on November 14, 2022.