Residential and commercial
Microwave Repair in Northern Virginia, DC & Maryland
FixDaddy handles microwave repair for over-the-range, built-in and drawer models across Northern Virginia, Washington DC and the Montgomery County side of Maryland. Most calls are for a unit that runs but does not heat, a keypad that stopped answering, or an over-the-range fan that will not quit. Our technician finds the actual fault and tells you the full repair price at your home, and the $89 visit fee counts toward the repair if you go ahead.
- $89 visit, credited to the repair
- 90-day parts & labor warranty
- Same-day most days
- Someone answers 24/7
What usually goes wrong
Microwave problems, in the order we see them
The symptom you notice, and what it most probably is.
- 1
It runs, the light is on, the plate turns, but nothing gets hot
Most probably
- Door interlock switch, which proves the door is shut before heating starts, worn or out of adjustment
- Thermal fuse or thermal cutout blown: a safety part that opens when the unit overheats
- High-voltage diode shorted: it feeds the magnetron its power
- Magnetron, the tube that makes the microwaves, weak or dead
- High-voltage capacitor failed
- 2
Completely dead: no display, no light, no response
Most probably
- Internal line fuse blown
- Thermal cutout opened after the unit overheated
- Door switch the control reads as open
- Control board, or its low-voltage power supply, failed
- The outlet or the breaker feeding the microwave, which is often on its own circuit
- 3
It blows a fuse when you open or close the door, or the moment you press Start
Most probably
- Door switches out of sequence, so the monitor switch blows the fuse on purpose, as a safety measure
- Latch hook worn or its spring weak, so the switches are no longer moved in order
- High-voltage diode, capacitor or magnetron shorted
- 4
The keypad ignores you, or a Samsung shows SE
Most probably
- Membrane keypad worn out
- Steam or grease crept behind the control panel, common above a cooktop
- Ribbon cable between the keypad and the board loose or damaged
- Control board no longer reading the keys
- Control Lock switched on by accident
- 5
Sparks, flashes or a burning smell inside the cavity
Most probably
- Waveguide cover, the small mica panel on the side wall, greasy or scorched
- Chipped cavity paint exposing bare metal
- Metal rack or a rack support bent or loose
- Metal trim on a dish, foil or a twist tie
- 6
A loud hum, buzz or rattle while it runs
Most probably
- High-voltage diode failing: a deep electrical buzz, often ending in a pop and no more heat
- Magnetron on its way out: a loud hum with weak or no heat
- Cooling fan loose, worn or blocked: a rattle from the back
- Turntable motor grinding under the plate
- 7
The turntable does not turn
Most probably
- Roller ring dirty, warped or missing
- Drive coupler, the small hub the plate sits on, worn or cracked
- Turntable motor under the floor failed
- Glass plate not seated on the coupler
- 8
The over-the-range exhaust fan runs by itself and will not shut off
Most probably
- Heat from the cooktop below tripping the automatic fan thermostat, which is normal
- That thermostat stuck closed, so the fan never stops
- Relay on the control board stuck on
- Clogged grease filters or a spent charcoal filter making the fan sound weak or labored
- 9
The door will not latch, the light stays on, or the handle has come loose
Most probably
- Plastic latch hook on the door broken
- Latch spring weak or missing
- Door handle or hinge cracked
- Door switch bracket shifted, so the switches no longer line up with the latch
By brand
Microwave brands we work with
Independent repair for every major make. We are not affiliated with or authorized by any manufacturer.
Microwave repair by brand
GE microwave repair
GE over-the-range microwaves, Profile and Café included, tend to quit heating while everything else still works: a loud hum with cold food points at the magnetron or its diode, no hum at all at a door switch. Door handles that crack off are the other GE classic. On the Advantium speedcook oven, a burned-out halogen lamp leaves food heated but not browned.
GE appliance repairSamsung microwave repair
The classic Samsung fault is the SE code: the control has read a key as held down or shorted for more than 60 seconds. It is usually the touchpad membrane, worn or damp from steam, sometimes the control board. Buttons stop answering, or the unit beeps on its own. A Samsung that runs but heats nothing has lost a door switch, a thermal fuse or the magnetron.
Samsung appliance repairWhirlpool microwave repair
On Whirlpool over-the-range microwaves, and the Maytag and KitchenAid models built on the same platform, the door is where trouble starts. A worn door switch or a tired latch makes the control think the door is open: it will not start, it stops mid-cook, or it blows its fuse as the door closes. No heat with a loud hum is the magnetron or its diode.
Whirlpool appliance repairLG microwave repair
LG over-the-range microwaves use three or four door switches, and any one of them failing stops the oven from starting or heating. The control panel sits right above the cooktop, so steam from a boiling pot works its way behind the keypad and shows up as random beeps or buttons that only work sometimes. That is a keypad repair, not a new microwave.
LG appliance repairKitchenAid microwave repair
Many KitchenAid microwaves are the top half of a combination wall oven. When it stops heating, shows a door error or goes dark while the oven below works normally, that is a microwave repair: a door switch, a fuse, a magnetron or its own control. It is no reason to tear out a double oven. KitchenAid drawer microwaves are built on the Sharp drawer platform.
KitchenAid appliance repairFrigidaire microwave repair
Frigidaire over-the-range microwaves have a thin plastic latch hook held by a strong spring. When the hook snaps, the door stops tripping its switches, the cavity light stays on and the oven will not run. It is a small part and a common repair, but the door has to come apart to fit it, and with a charged capacitor inside the cabinet it is not a DIY job.
Frigidaire appliance repairBosch microwave repair
Bosch microwaves are built in flush: the 800 Series speed oven with its drop-down door, and drawer microwaves on the Sharp platform. The fault unique to a drawer is the motorized drawer itself, which stops opening, stops closing fully or opens on its own. The heating parts fail like any microwave's. Sized to its cutout, a Bosch is worth repairing.
Bosch appliance repairThermador microwave repair
The Thermador MicroDrawer opens with a touch instead of a handle, so when the drawer motor or its control fails you notice at once: it will not open, will not close, or creeps back out. Those parts are unique to the drawer. Behind them, the door switches, fuse, diode and magnetron are the same as in any microwave, and the common ones ride on the truck.
Thermador appliance repairMiele microwave repair
A Miele speed oven is a full oven with microwave power added, so a fault can sit on either side. No microwave heat while the oven still bakes is the high-voltage side; a fault message on the display is usually a sensor or the electronics, so note it before you call. Parts are Miele-specific and usually ordered, which means the fix comes on a second visit.
Miele appliance repairViking microwave repair
Viking microwaves are built in, most of them 24-inch drawers under the counter or in an island. The usual complaint is the familiar one, light and fan working but no heat, which comes down to a door switch, a fuse, the diode or the magnetron. The unit has to be drawn forward out of its cabinet to reach those parts, so clear the counter around it.
Viking appliance repair
The visit
What happens when the technician comes
You get a 2-hour arrival window, and our technician calls about 15 minutes before arriving. Shoe covers go on at the door and floor protection goes down first.
An over-the-range microwave often has to come down off its wall bracket. Before the visit, clear the cooktop below it and empty the cabinet above it, because the bolts that hold the unit run through that cabinet's floor. A built-in or drawer unit is drawn forward out of its cutout instead, so clear the counter around it.
You hear what failed and the full repair price before any work starts, and the $89 visit fee counts toward it. Door switches, fuses, diodes and turntable motors are usually on the truck, and most repairs take about an hour. A magnetron or a control board for your exact model may need to be ordered.
What waiting costs you
An over-the-range microwave is also your range hood and cooktop light. While it sits broken you cook under a dead fan, and the steam and grease that used to go through its filters settle on the cabinet doors above instead. A microwave that sparks burns a little more of the waveguide cover and the cavity wall with every flash, until a small part becomes a hole in the cavity and the unit is finished. A fuse that keeps blowing means a door switch is out of sequence, and a door that only half-latches should not be run at all.
$89 visit, credited to the repair. 90-day parts-and-labor warranty.
Repair or replace
Repair your microwave, or replace it?
Repair it when
- The failed part is small: a door switch, fuse, diode, latch hook, turntable motor or keypad. Worth fixing on almost any unit.
- It is a built-in, drawer or speed oven sized to a cabinet cutout and trim kit, where a new unit has to fit the same opening.
- It is the microwave half of a combination wall oven. Replacing it means pulling out a working oven too.
- It is an over-the-range unit under about nine years old, even if the magnetron is what failed.
- The sparking was caught early: a new waveguide cover and a paint touch-up, with the cavity wall still sound.
Replace it when
- It is a countertop microwave. We do not repair those, and replacing one is the honest advice.
- Arcing has burned through the cavity wall.
- It is an over-the-range unit well past nine years old that needs a magnetron or a control board.
- The control board it needs has been discontinued by the maker.
- The repair would cost more than half the price of a comparable new unit, and nothing about the cabinet ties you to this model.
Over-the-range models are where replacement is a fair question, because they are a standard 30-inch width and a new one fits the same space. Our guide takes the same question further: is it worth repairing a microwave.
Which microwaves we repair, and the one kind we do not
We repair over-the-range microwaves, built-in microwaves set into a wall or cabinet with a trim kit, drawer microwaves, speed ovens and the microwave half of combination wall ovens, in homes, offices and rentals. If it is the oven half of a combination unit that failed, that is oven repair. We do not repair countertop microwaves, and we would rather tell you now than after you have booked a visit: a countertop unit is not wired or mounted into anything, and the honest advice for one that has stopped heating is to replace it.
What is safe to check, and what is not
Safe: check the breaker, since an over-the-range microwave usually sits on its own circuit and a tripped breaker looks exactly like a dead appliance. Make sure Control Lock is not on. Lift out the glass plate and roller ring, clean them and seat the plate on its coupler. If you have seen sparks, stop using the microwave and lift out the metal rack, one common cause. Not safe: taking the cover off. The high-voltage capacitor inside stores thousands of volts and can hold that charge after the plug is pulled, and door switches put back in the wrong order can let the oven run with the door open. Unplug it and stop there.
Over-the-range units: fan, filters and the bracket on the wall
An over-the-range microwave either ducts air outside or recirculates it through a charcoal filter behind the top grille. That filter needs replacing about every six months, and the metal grease filters underneath want washing about once a month; a fan that has lost its pull usually has clogged filters, not a bad motor. See over-the-range microwave problems for more. The unit hangs from a plate on the wall studs and bolts through the cabinet above. If it tilts forward, stop using it: we re-hang as well as repair. A separate hood is range hood repair.
Recent repairs
Some microwave repairs we have done
GE microwave repair in Vienna
A GE microwave in Vienna had power but would not heat anything. Our technician opened it up to test the magnetron, the part that actually makes the heat.…A GE microwave in Vienna had power but would not heat anything. Our technician opened it up to test the magnetron, the part that actually makes the heat. Two other faults show up on these: the fan staying on by itself, and a door switch the control stops reading.
August 2026McLean, VA
Monogram microwave repair in McLean
In the Pimmit Hills part of McLean, a GE Monogram speedcook microwave stopped heating. A technician went out to look at it. Three faults come up most on…In the Pimmit Hills part of McLean, a GE Monogram speedcook microwave stopped heating. A technician went out to look at it. Three faults come up most on these: a weak magnetron, a burned-out lamp, and a keypad that has gone dead.
Samsung microwave repair in McLean
Under the top cover of a Samsung microwave in McLean, our technician found a burned thermal fuse sitting beside the magnetron and the control board. A fuse that…Under the top cover of a Samsung microwave in McLean, our technician found a burned thermal fuse sitting beside the magnetron and the control board. A fuse that has burned like that is easy to spot once the panel is off.
Google reviews
What people said after a microwave repair
- SD
Stuart Dornfeld
August 2026 · gas stove
The is my 2nd time using FixDaddy. The first time was to repair my LG washing machine. This time it was to repair my Creda gas stove. Scheduling was easy. They showed up on time. Provided excellent service. I will use them again.
- GH
Gary Hauler
June 2026 · dryer
Very professional service. Quick to respond to request and came when they said. Though I didn't have them fix my issue (I realized I should probably just buy a new dryer as there were some unknowns) there was no hard sell of any extra service.
- KI
Kemale Ismayilli
February 2026 · Bosch dishwasher
I was looking for a local Bosch specialist near me in Arlington, and found FixDaddy. They fixed my Dishwasher on the spot! Super fast and professional. If you need a reliable technician in the DMV, this is the one!
- TW
Troy Wilson
June 2026 · Perlick refrigerator
Scheduled same day service to troubleshoot my Perlick Refrigerator. The technician came out in under 2 hours and diagnosed the problem quickly. Very impressed with the service.
5.0109 reviews
Every review on this page is copied from our public Google profile, word for word.
Guides
Microwave guides: what to check before you call
Some of these will save you the visit.
Microwave
Microwave Not Heating Food? Here's What to Check
A microwave that runs — the light comes on, the turntable spins, the fan runs — but produces no heat is one of the more puzzling appliance failures. The machine appears to be working, yet food…
Read the guideMicrowave
Microwave Sparking Inside? Here's What to Do
Seeing sparks inside your microwave is alarming — and you should stop the microwave immediately when it happens. But before assuming the appliance is broken, know that sparking has several…
Read the guideMicrowave
Why Is My Microwave Turntable Not Spinning?
The turntable in your microwave rotates food so it heats evenly — without it, you get hot and cold spots in every dish. A turntable that stops spinning is usually caused by something simple,…
Read the guide
FAQ
Microwave repair: frequently asked questions
My microwave runs but the food stays cold. Is that the magnetron?
Sometimes, but not as often as people think. A worn door switch, a blown thermal fuse or a shorted diode causes the same symptom and costs far less to put right; our guide to a microwave not heating explains each. Our visit fee is $89; the technician tells you exactly which part failed and gives you the full repair price at your home. If you go ahead, the $89 counts toward the repair.
Do you fix countertop microwaves?
No, and we say so up front so you do not lose a morning waiting for us. We work on over-the-range, built-in and drawer microwaves, speed ovens and the microwave in combination wall ovens. For a countertop unit that has stopped heating, replacing it is the honest advice.
The fan on my over-the-range microwave comes on by itself. Is it broken?
Usually not. Every over-the-range microwave has a thermostat that starts the vent fan when the area around the control panel gets hotter than about 150 degrees, typically from the cooktop below, and it will not switch off until the unit cools. If the fan runs when nothing has been cooking, or keeps going for hours, the thermostat or a relay has stuck and that is a repair.
Is it safe to keep using a microwave that sparks inside?
No. Unplug it. Sparks come from a burnt waveguide cover, chipped paint or a loose rack, and each flash burns a bit deeper into the cavity. Caught early it is a small part; left alone it can burn through the wall, and then the unit is done. What to do in the meantime is in our guide to a microwave sparking inside.
Can you install or re-hang an over-the-range microwave?
Yes. We install over-the-range microwaves and re-mount ones that have loosened, with the plate on the studs, the bolts through the cabinet above and the venting lined up. If yours has started to tilt forward, stop using it until it is re-hung.
What does the SE code on a Samsung microwave mean?
It is a key-short error: the control has seen a button held or shorted for more than 60 seconds. Unplug it for a minute, wipe and dry the keypad, and try again. If it comes back, the keypad membrane or the control board has failed, and we test which one before ordering the part.
Will the repair last, and what if it fails again?
Every repair we do carries a 90-day parts-and-labor warranty. If the same fault comes back inside that window, we come back and put it right. Common parts such as door switches, fuses and diodes are on the truck, so many repairs finish on the first visit; a magnetron or a board for your exact model may need to be ordered.
Do you cover DC and Maryland, or just Northern Virginia?
All three. We repair microwaves across Northern Virginia, handle appliance repair in Washington DC, and cover the Montgomery County side of Maryland, including Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac, Rockville and Silver Spring. Someone answers the phone 24/7, and same-day service is available most days.
Near you
Microwave repair, town by town
- Appliance repair in Alexandria Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Annandale Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Arlington Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Ashburn Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Bethesda Maryland
- Appliance repair in Burke Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Centreville Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Chantilly Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Chevy Chase Maryland
- Appliance repair in Fairfax Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Fairfax Station Northern Virginia
- Appliance repair in Falls Church Northern Virginia
Microwave not doing its job?
Someone answers now. The visit is $89, credited to the repair, and most days we are out the same day.