How to Troubleshoot a Whirlpool Gold Microwave

Slide your Whirlpool Gold microwave oven forward if the oven is completely unresponsive. Confirm that the plug is connected directly to the outlet and that the power is switched on, if necessary, via the switch on the face of the outlet or on a nearby wall. Plug something else into the outlet as a test if the oven remains unresponsive. Reset the breaker or replace the fuse protecting the circuit in a final troubleshooting attempt before contacting a technician.

Fill a mug with tap water, place it inside the microwave oven, and cook it on full power for two minutes if your food comes out cold. The water should be piping hot when the countdown is complete. The magnetron which converts electricity to electromagnetic cooking waves might need replacing if the water is still cold and the cycle progressed as expected. Contact a technician for further assistance.

Hold the "Cancel" button for three seconds if "Locked" or a similar message appears on the display; the microwave oven's child lock prevents children making changes or starting the appliance when unsupervised. Press "Options" or "Setup" and select "Demo Mode" if the oven doesn't heat up but otherwise appears to operate normally. This will deactivate "Demo Mode."

Push the door until it clicks shut; the microwave oven won't start if the door is left slightly open. Remove the packing spacer located between the door and the body of the microwave. Open and close the door if you have left more than five minutes between closing the door and starting your cooking cycle; the oven returns to standby mode when left inactive.

Thoroughly clean the inside of the microwave oven, including the turntable and glass plate, with a warm, soapy cloth if the oven smokes or sparks when cooking food. A dirty microwave oven stained with food residue will spark, smell bad and produce smoke. Regularly repeat this step as necessary to keep your microwave working properly.

Check the microwave oven's display for an error code or other message. A flashing semi-colon or "PF" indicates there has been a power outage since the oven was last used. Hold the "Clock" button and re-enter the time and try the microwave again. Write down any letter and number codes, such as "A1"; they indicate an internal error requiring a technician.