How to Set up a Broken Microwave Door Handle

Believe it or not, it's fairly common for a microwave door handle to break. The handle itself and its mounting tin can both go brittle with age, making them more susceptible to whatever sort of impact. That said, a broken microwave door handle can notwithstanding be a bit of a caput scratcher⁠—what are you lot supposed to practise now? If the appliance still works otherwise, you lot definitely don't need to toss the whole affair out, and y'all don't fifty-fifty demand to call someone else in for a repair. Replacing a broken microwave door handle is a relatively quick job, and if yous do it yourself, it will salvage you a lot of coin in the long run. This job doesn't require many tools, and you don't demand access to any of the more dangerous parts of the microwave to complete it. Ready to tackle this project? Read on for a step-by-step walkthrough.

How Do I Know Which Replacement Door Handle to Buy for my Microwave?

The verbal door handle you'll demand depends entirely on the model of your microwave. At that place are plenty of resources online for looking up specific replacement appliance parts for purchase. When you're replacing a microwave door handle, you should practise your best to get the exact OEM (that'due south original equipment manufacturer) part for your appliance. If you don't, you lot adventure getting a part that doesn't fit, or one that is made of flimsy materials. So, how do you get about doing that?

  1. First, you'll demand your microwave's model number. This should be on a sticker or tag somewhere on or inside your appliance. The tag is usually rectangular and volition contain a number of unlike details nigh the microwave. You're looking for a serial of letters and numbers, usually marked by the word "model" or "mod." The manual or the appliance manufacturer's website tin can tell you exactly where to detect this label on the appliance.
  2. Search your model number on AppliancePartsPros.com. You should be able to observe a complete list of compatible replacement parts and their role numbers including the perfect door handle. Microwave door handles tin can be found here .
  3. Purchase the handle. In one case yous have purchased the correct microwave handle and information technology'due south on the style, read the rest of this guide to go set up for replacing your microwave handle.

Safety Precautions to Take Before Working on a Microwave

It is vitally important that you lot take proper rubber precautions earlier doing any repair work on a microwave. You should never take the cover off of the microwave and work on the inside. There are a number of components within that could be dangerous fifty-fifty if the microwave has been unplugged for hours, or even days. Clothing piece of work gloves (preferably rubberized!) to protect against both the microwave'southward precipitous edges and potential shocks, and be sure to unplug the microwave and let it sit for at least sixty seconds earlier beginning any repairs. If you lot're working on a mounted microwave, for extra safety, yous may desire to remove it from its mounting and prepare information technology on a apartment surface so that it'southward extra sturdy.

Thankfully, replacing a broken or damaged door handle shouldn't involve accessing the inner compartments of the microwave at all, so you shouldn't be exposed to any of the appliance's more dangerous parts. Notwithstanding if at whatever point you feel that you lot cannot safely work on your microwave, terminate what y'all are doing and call an apparatus repair technician.

The Tools You'll Need to Supercede a Microwave Door Handle

Replacing the door handle on your microwave is a elementary job and the process is fairly standard from model to model. There may be some variation in what blazon of mounting hardware is used on the handle, merely other than that you're going to demand the aforementioned set of tools regardless of what type of microwave yous have. Here is what you will demand to complete this job:

  1. A compatible replacement door handle. Search AppliancePartsPros.com with your microwave model number for the replacement microwave handle. Nosotros probably have the part you need!
  2. Handle mounting hardware. You should exist able to reuse whatever screws or nuts were holding the original handle in place, but yous'll desire to double bank check that they didn't autumn out when the appliance handle broke.
  3. A Phillips caput screwdriver or nut driver. Well-nigh microwaves employ Phillips head ⁠— or crosshead ⁠— screws in their construction, but the door handle may be secured in place with basics. Since y'all might exist working vertically, having a screwdriver with a magnetic head isn't a bad idea. It'll be easier to keep the screws in identify that way.
  4. A flat head screwdriver or another flat tool like a stiff putty pocketknife. You may need this part to separate the dorsum console from the microwave door, equally the handle is secured behind this panel.
  5. (Optional) Your microwave'south transmission. While not necessarily required reading, your microwave'southward manual will probably accept diagrams of the parts you'll be working on to give you a visual aid while completing this repair.

7 Steps to Replace Your Microwave'southward Door Handle

  1. Before you begin whatsoever repairs, disconnect the microwave from its ability source. You tin either unplug the microwave or flip its excursion billow, but make sure that no ability is being supplied to the appliance. As an boosted precaution, wait to move on for a minute or so more. This repair does non require that yous access the interior of the microwave housing, then you shouldn't be exposed to the microwave'due south capacitor.
  2. Check the handle, itself. This isn't very common, but on some models of microwave, the door is mounted from the outside and the screws are visible on the side of the handle. If this is the case, you can just unscrew the quondam handle and install the new one from here. If it'due south not mounted from the outside, keep reading.
  3. Open the microwave door and make sure you have clear access to the inner panel. The inner door panel will need to come up off so that you lot tin access the hardware to remove the quondam handle and install a new 1. There may or may non be 4 screws holding the console in place⁠—one at each corner. Y'all may likewise need to take the door completely off of its hinges to get at them. You may not need to practice this, simply if this is the example, remove the screws holding the hinges in place and carefully set the microwave door on a clear work surface, keeping track of all hardware removed from the appliance.
  4. Remove the inner console. If in that location are screws belongings the door in place, remove those beginning. Side by side, insert a flathead screwdriver or other sturdy, flat tool into the seam between the inner panel and the edge of the door starting at one of the outer corners. While sliding the screwdriver upwards or downwards the seam, advisedly pry the panel away from the door. Don't forcefulness information technology as yous could take a chance bending or breaking the console.

    Work it a footling scrap at a time, being mindful of the glass behind it every bit it may come up loose one time the console is completely removed. Don't let the drinking glass fall! Depending on how much space is available as you pull the console back, you may non need to remove it entirely.
  5. Using a Phillips screwdriver or nut driver, remove the hardware belongings the old handle in place. Near microwaves use crosshead screws, just the handle may be secured in place with nuts. Set the hardware somewhere safe nearby ⁠— you're going to need it again in a minute! ⁠— and remove the broken handle.
  6. Spiral the new handle into identify. Yous can reuse the screws y'all've just removed, or any hardware that came with the new handle. Make sure that the handle isn't crooked before firmly securing information technology in identify. Don't over tighten the screws as that may strip them. Check to make sure that the handle isn't loose before moving on to the final stride.
  7. Reinstall the door panel. Printing the panel dorsum into place. You may have to tap it a few times to brand sure it sits correct. Be sure to spiral any other mounting hardware back into place, as well. If you removed the door from the microwave, you tin now reattach it to the appliance.

Wrapping Up

With these instructions, you should be able to put that frustrating break behind you in no time. We hope nosotros've saved you a bit of money, time, and stress with our walkthrough for replacing a microwave door handle. At present that your microwave is back in tip acme shape, consider coming back our way for all of your other appliance repair needs. Whether you're merely looking for parts or seeking a specialized do-it-yourself guide, bank check out AppliancePartsPros.com . We're always here to help!