Kenmore Microwave Repair in Silver Spring, MD

Kenmore microwaves have been made by outside suppliers, LG among them, so the tag is the first thing we read. Over-the-range models are two appliances in one: a microwave with a magnetron and high-voltage circuit, and a range hood with a vent fan, lights and grease filters. The common complaints are a unit that spins and hums while food stays cold, which traces to a door switch, diode, capacitor or magnetron, a turntable that stopped turning, and a vent fan that is loud or dead. The high-voltage capacitor holds a charge after unplugging, so it is discharged before any testing. Over-the-range units are heavy and awkward to lift down, and that labor is part of the repair-or-replace math we go through with you.

Where we start on this pairing: Door interlock switch failing; Magnetron no longer heating; High-voltage diode shorted; Turntable motor stopped; Hood vent fan noisy or dead.

Treat that list as leads rather than conclusions. Identical symptoms can hide a minor fault or a major one, and the only way to know which is to test the appliance where it's installed, which comes before any quote.

Over-the-range microwaves are the rule in Silver Spring's updated kitchens, from townhouses in Fairland to renovated ramblers in Wheaton, and they double as the only range hood. Grease and steam from the burners below wear out the fan, the light and the keypad along with the heating side. In a rented apartment the unit normally belongs to the owner, and a basic countertop microwave may not be worth a repair at all.

Gas ranges on Washington Gas are typical in the older houses of Woodside Park, Forest Glen and Four Corners, while the downtown towers mostly cook on electric and townhouses are a mix.

Whatever the brand, the microwave symptom that misleads people most is a microwave with a working light, fan and turntable but no heat, which usually means a magnetron, diode or capacitor rather than the control board.

Locally, what we watch for most on a microwave is over-the-range units that double as the only kitchen hood, and drawer models built into islands.

Summer thunderstorms bring down lines around Silver Spring, and some outages run a day or more; the June 2012 derecho left parts of the region dark for days. Keep the refrigerator and freezer closed while it lasts. Federal food-safety guidance allows about four hours for a shut refrigerator, about 48 for a full freezer and about 24 for a half-full one.

What damages electronics is often the moment power comes back rather than the outage itself. An appliance that stays dark or throws a code afterwards can often be reset by switching its breaker off for a minute. If it doesn't recover, tell us about the outage when you book.