typical homeowner dilemma - with poll!

[courtjester123]

So.....my nice GE Profile above-range microwave mysteriously died. Mfg date 1999. Looks brand new. Twas working fine until one day, blammo, it won't heat and it's making a slightly louder and lower-sounding BUZZING noise.

GE has a 10-year warranty on the "magnetron tube" whereby they will pay for parts only. I pay for a $70 service call plus labor which is likely to be another $50-$75. Their help line will not try to diagnose it over the phone.

The kicker is I don't know if it's the magnetron tube, so it would be a gamble that the above costs would still apply, plus parts costs of ???? if I try to have it repaired.

WWYD?

Approx $350 replacement cost for same unit. I'm basically happy with it, it matches the rest of the fairly-new appliances, and there is no resounding reason for me to get anything different.



**EDIT. OK, I'm still a noob and can't get the poll to work. Standby...

 

[Zombie]

just buy a new one.... You make a service call and there is a chance the guy will tell you can't be fixed so now you have to pay him service charge plus buy a new microwave.

 

[uberman]

Is your's a convection oven also?

try this

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

sounds about right...I'd go for it

 

[courtjester123]

Originally posted by: uberman
Is your's a convection oven also?

No.

 

[spidey07]

Replace with advantium oven?

 

[uberman]

Originally posted by: courtjester123

Originally posted by: uberman
Is your's a convection oven also?

No.

I have the one with a convection oven. I hate it. But the microwave is good.

 

[uberman]

Try googling the name of the oven as you typed it above. They come up on craigslist, how to fix and more.

 

[db]

Get a new one. After the high cost of a repair/service call you'll still have an "old" oven that may break again in 6 months.

 

[Uppsala9496]

I forget where it is (Sears maybe), but they will come out and see if they can fix it. If it goes over the cost of what a new one will be, they will let you know, and the money for the service call can be applied to the purchase of a new unit.

 

[mugs]

You're looking at paying half the cost of a new one to get a 7 year old microwave fixed... I'd get a new one.

 

[JDMnAR1]

Don't call GE, call you local appliance parts place. I find with the ones in my area that most of the time they are authorized repair centers and will try to help diagnose problems because they know I will come buy the parts there. They might be able to give you a better idea as to if the problem is likely to be covered or not.

 

[Mermaidman]

Are GE microwaves unreliable? My OTR model's turntable stopped working after 1 yr and the handle broke after 3 yr. At least it still heats food very quickly.

To the OP: Get a new one, different brand.

Originally posted by: JDMnAR1
Don't call GE, call you local appliance parts place. I find with the ones in my area that most of the time they are authorized repair centers and will try to help diagnose problems because they know I will come buy the parts there. They might be able to give you a better idea as to if the problem is likely to be covered or not.

That's a good idea. It would be worth the hassle of uninstalling the OTR microwave and bringing it to the repair shop. (It would have been necessary to take down the microwave anyway)

 

[courtjester123]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. And Uberman, thanks for the link. I missed it the first time I read your reply. I'll try to update y'all on how things go...

 

[chrisms]

You could turn it into a nice little dog house..

until one day it starts working again

 

[squirrel dog]

I've replaced the fuse in two of mine,they are working fine after 1 year on one and several months on the other . If you take the cover off and look around,you will find it.

 

[Vette73]

Just take out the magnetron tube and mail it in for a new one (since its free). If that does not fix it then just get a new one.

 

[uberman]

Originally posted by: chrisms
You could turn it into a nice little dog house..

until one day it starts working again

I've heard of people using micrwaves to dry off their cats.

But they don't work well.

 

[Savarak]

Originally posted by: uberman

Originally posted by: chrisms
You could turn it into a nice little dog house..

until one day it starts working again

I've heard of people using micrwaves to dry off their cats.

But they don't work well.

but it makes for good stew meat

 

[DrPizza]

Hmmm... couldn't you uninstall it and take it to an authorized repair place (or even an unauthorized place) - saving you from the service call, but not saving you the hourly rate?

If you could, I'd go that route.