How to Remove a 40 Watt Light Bulb in an Overhead Microwave

Bulbs

• A 40 watt light bulb in a microwave unit may be found in one of two places. The first bulb is inside the microwave chamber. This bulb provides light inside the chamber whenever the microwave door is open. The second bulb is on the bottom of the unit and provides a light source for the countertop below the microwave. This exterior countertop light is powered on using the "Light" button provided on the control panel.

Turning Off the Power

• You should never change a microwave light bulb without unplugging the unit or turning off the electricity. If you change the bulb while the unit has power, it can blow out the bulb circuit, which will cause the bulb outlet to cease functioning completely. The simplest way to cut the power to the unit is to unplug the overhead microwave from the wall. If the microwave’s electrical plug is not accessible, go to the breaker box in your home and flip the kitchen breaker to cut power to the microwave. Once the microwave clock goes off, you are generally safe to change the bulb.

The Bulb Panels

• In order to change a 40 watt bulb in a microwave, you must remove the panel that protects the bulb. The interior panel can be removed by using the end of a flathead screwdriver to pry up the panel, because the interior panel won’t contain screws. As you pry open the panel, it should pop free from the microwave’s wall. An exterior panel is generally removed by unscrewing the screws that hold the panel in place on the bottom of the microwave.

Changing the Bulb

• Once you see the 40 watt light bulb in the microwave, you can unscrew the bulb from its housing by twisting the bulb counterclockwise until it comes loose. Replace the bulb with a new 40 watt light bulb, twisting the bulb clockwise to secure it in place. Return the panel to the wall of the microwave by lining the pins in the panel up with the holes in the microwave wall and pushing to pop the panel back into place. Use the screws that you removed from the microwave to secure an exterior panel back in place.