I *was* trying to determine the cause of a failure in a microwave oven.
The unit is a Frigidaire Gallery model CGMV175QFA.
For future reference, the exploded view for this specific model is available here.
The last page of that document also has the electrical diagram which I am attaching to this message as well.
The unit had a blown fuse when I opened it. I tested each component individually (magnetron, relays, tracsformers, etc) and all appeared to be working fine (no shorts) but the fuse kept blowing.
Eventually, I looked at the electrical diagram (attached) and noticed that the circuit has a Monitor Interlook switch (on the right side of the diagram), which, if closed would short the 120v power line. That was exactly the symptom I was seeing and since everything else was in working order, I removed the switch and tested it. Low and behold, it powered up, lit the light when the door was opened, and even the magnetron is working fine! It was fixed!
So the interlook switch must have been defective, but since this is my first time digging this deep in a microwave, I'm curious: what does a Monitor Interlook Switch do, really? The electrical diagram is clear: it shorts the power line when closed. So other than a fuse blower, what is it supposed to do? And can the microwave work fine without it? Would it be safe to do so?
thanks for your insight
The unit is a Frigidaire Gallery model CGMV175QFA.
For future reference, the exploded view for this specific model is available here.
The last page of that document also has the electrical diagram which I am attaching to this message as well.
The unit had a blown fuse when I opened it. I tested each component individually (magnetron, relays, tracsformers, etc) and all appeared to be working fine (no shorts) but the fuse kept blowing.
Eventually, I looked at the electrical diagram (attached) and noticed that the circuit has a Monitor Interlook switch (on the right side of the diagram), which, if closed would short the 120v power line. That was exactly the symptom I was seeing and since everything else was in working order, I removed the switch and tested it. Low and behold, it powered up, lit the light when the door was opened, and even the magnetron is working fine! It was fixed!
So the interlook switch must have been defective, but since this is my first time digging this deep in a microwave, I'm curious: what does a Monitor Interlook Switch do, really? The electrical diagram is clear: it shorts the power line when closed. So other than a fuse blower, what is it supposed to do? And can the microwave work fine without it? Would it be safe to do so?
thanks for your insight
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