How to Troubleshoot a General Electric Spacemaker JVM48002

The GE Spacemaker is a microwave series that has seen hundreds of models. The JVM48002 was originally manufactured in the mid-1980s and provided an extra convenience with above-stove mounting and a combined exhaust fan. If you are still using this microwave, it is unlikely that any possible repairs will be worth it on such an old machine. However, if you read the use and care manual, it’s possible to fix some small issues yourself, possibly prolonging the life of the unit even longer.

Screwdriver
Replacement bulb
Mild detergent

Instructions

- 1
  Check that electricity is flowing to the JVM48002, if it won’t function at all. Make sure it is plugged into a working electrical outlet and that a blown fuse is not preventing electricity from reaching your microwave.
- 2
  Check that the door is shut completely, if the oven won’t start cooking. Remember that if the dish in which you are cooking is touching the door, it sometimes prevents it from shutting securely. Reposition the dish and start again.
- 3
  Check the breaker box if cooking stops before the timer ends or you lose power in the middle of cooking.
- 4
  Replace the bulb if the JVM48002’s light burns out. Remove the two screws holding the top grill in place and unscrew the blown bulb. Replace it with the same type of bulb — a GE Lamp = 25T8DC.
- 5
  Clean the filter if the exhaust fan is moving too fast or cuts in and out because that’s a sign of overheating. Grab the finger hold in the filter on the bottom panel of the JVM48002 and push it to the rear to release the grease filter. Soak the filter in mild detergent that doesn’t include an ammonia-based solution. Rinse and replace. Do not operate the JVM48002 without the filter in place. Clean this filter about once a month to prevent future exhaust fan issues.

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