As food is cooking in my Whirlpool microwave, being able to see whether it’s boiling over is very helpful. Lately the light has stopped working so I looked into how to fix it, and today I thought I’d share exactly how to get it working again.
When the light in your Whirlpool microwave stops working, a common cause is a burnt-out bulb. Addressing this issue is usually a simple fix: first, ensure the microwave is unplugged for safety. Then, access the bulb by removing the cover, replace the old bulb with a new one that’s compatible with your microwave model, and reassemble everything back in place.
These are all very easy steps, and anyone can do them. So, below I will explain how to do each of these steps. After these steps there are some additional steps to perform that require some special tools that you may have so I’ll explain those too.
Whirlpool Microwave Light Not Working/Will Not Turn On
Have you ever found yourself peering into your Whirlpool microwave, only to realize the light won’t turn on? It’s a small issue, but it’s surprisingly disconcerting.
The light in a Whirlpool microwave not turning on is frequently due to a burnt-out light bulb. To fix this, first ensure the microwave is unplugged for safety. Open the microwave’s cover, remove the old bulb and replace it with a new one that is compatible with your model, and then reassemble the parts.
You can also perform each of the following steps in order until your microwave light is working again. Or, until you verify what needs to be done to get it working again.
1. Make sure your Whirlpool Microwave has power at the wall socket
It sounds a bit simple but as a first step take a look at the wall socket and make sure it’s plugged in all the way and that the wall socket is turned on. If it’s not plugged in all the way, it can stop your microwave from drawing enough power. Which in turn can cause various components to not work correctly.
2. Check the fuse in is in the on position at the fuse box
The fuse box controls the power to each of the different parts of a house. It’s made up of circuit breakers that protect appliances when there is a power surge. Also, if you draw too much power from one outlet it can turn the circuit breaker off.
3. Turn your microwave off for 1 minute and turn it back on again
Either by unplugging it at the wall, or by turning it off at the fuse box, turn your Whirlpool microwave off for 1 minute. Then turn it back on again. This will reset the microwave and can clear any issues with the internal computer on your microwave.
4. The light is blown and needs to be replaced with a new one
The light can generally be accessed by using a Phillips head screwdriver to undo two screws that hold the panel below the microwave light. Using a soft cloth you can unscrew it and inspect. Each Whirlpool microwave is a bit different so it’s best to refer to your owners manual to see exactly how it’s done your specific model
User manuals can be found online on the official Whirlpool website, and inputting the model number of your microwave. The model number can be found on the bottom left of the front panel when the door is open. Use that model number and input it on the official Whirlpool website.
The light bulb has a main coil in the center that heats up and provides light. When it’s blown the coil will be broken. And pieces of filament can be present inside the lightbulb. It can also have a brown color to the glass. If it looks broken, then you should replace it by ordering a replacement one online.
5. The light can be a bit loose and needs to be screwed in more tightly
The light needs to be screwed in hand tight. It can be slightly loose and make a poor connection with the light socket. This can cause it to turn on and off intermittently or not work at all. Unscrew the lightbulb and screw it back in to make sure it’s screwed in all the way. You can feel when it won’t turn any more.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on September 20, 2021.
The following steps are a bit more involved and require a voltmeter also called a multimeter.
6. Light socket malfunctioning which can be checked with a voltmeter
The light is housed in a light socket which the lightbulb screws into. The light socket can have failed. It can be checked for continuity using a voltmeter. But, to do that you need to remove the light socket. If this step is a bit too hard then skip it.
7. Motherboard can have blown a fuse and needs to be replaced
The motherboard is a bit costly to replace, and costs around $100. Motherboards are one of the only parts of a Whirlpool microwave that can’t be checked definitely to know if it’s not working correctly.
However, there can be black marks on it around one of some of the components that can indicate it has blown. The motherboard is located behind the control panel. But, to access it you need to remove a few other parts.
8. For above the range microwave lights – inspect the bulb
Above the range microwaves have light underneath that provide light to your stovetop. The same instructions described in step 5 and 6 can be applied to these lights. For these light apply those steps, as well as, any of the other steps listed above.
Whirlpool Microwave Light Will Not Turn Off
A Whirlpool microwave light can also have an issue where the light won’t go off. The following reasons why it occurs are described below:
Generally, this occurs because the door is not closed all the way. The door latch may also be faulty. The first step should be to restart your Whirlpool microwave by disconnecting it from the power for 1 minute. Then turning the power to it back on.
If that hasn’t fixed , inspect the door latch for any signs of wear and tear. And when you close listen to hear if you get a reassuring click. It can also be related to the onboard computer that has frozen and needs to be restarted using the method described above.
But, if you suspect it’s not that and that the latch is faulty, then it can be replaced. This is a bit of a task. And you may choose to have a repair technician do it for you. Certain Whirlpool microwaves are fairly inexpensive and are in the range of around $200.
So, you may decide it’s better to buy a whole new Whirlpool microwave, rather than fussing about trying to replace the door latch or motherboard, only to find that the issue is caused by something else.
Whirlpool Microwave Light Flickering and Clicking
The light inside your Whirlpool microwave can flicker on and off when the door is open. Or, when it’s cooking something. This is caused by the following reasons.
Generally, the light bulb isn’t screwed in tightly. Or, the connections to the light socket are making a bad connection. It can be fixed fairly easily by inspecting the bulb to ensure it’s screwed in tightly enough. But, checking the light socket requires a voltmeter/multimeter.
Sometimes you may have a voltmeter, or have a friend who has those types of things. It’s fairly easy to do yourself. The steps to do so are listed above. Scroll to the top and perform steps 5 and 6.
If it’s still not working, it’s worthwhile running through the other steps on that list, until you can get it working again.
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Whirlpool Microwave Not Working
ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on September 20, 2021.