Microwaves have capacitors that store excess electric energy, especially when there is a sudden power discharge or surge. It helps maintain the consistency of the electric supply to the microwave. Electrical gadgets may encounter occasional disturbances, and your microwave is not an exception. So, whenever you try to fix the device, it is wise to discharge its capacitor so that no one gets hurt while doing microwave repairs.
Checking the charge
Your first step is to take the capacitor out of its power source. Unplug the microwave so that there is no power in the device. Take a multimeter and set the highest DC voltage on it. This will help to get the most accurate reading of the capacitor. Take the probes of the multimeter and connect them to the capacitor’s posts. Try touching the red lead of the multimeter to one of the posts of the capacitor. Then touch the black lead to the other post. You can also hold both the leads on the posts together. The moment the leads touch the posts, the multimeter flickers. It will display the current voltage available in the capacitor. Keep touching the capacitor until the power reaches below ten volts. Ideally, it should reach zero so that you know that the capacitor is completely discharged.
Using a screwdriver
Don’t have a multimeter in your house? Don’t worry; you can discharge the microwave using a screwdriver also. Try to stay away from the capacitor terminals while doing this. Take an insulated screwdriver with plastic or rubber handles. Make sure it doesn’t have any crack. Grab the bottom half of the capacitor firmly. Don’t squeeze it too hard. Touch the posts of the capacitor with the tip of the screwdriver. You will notice crackling sounds and sparks flaring from the capacitor terminals. The screwdriver needs to touch both the posts together; otherwise, this step will not work. Keep touching the terminals until you don’t see any spark or crackling noise from it. This will mean the capacitor is fully discharged. You can touch the terminals again to confirm.
Making a capacitor discharge tool
This is a time-consuming process that involves using alligator clips, 20k OHM 5 watt resistor, and 12-gauge wire. Cut the 12-gauge wire into two equal parts of 15cm each. Slash approximately 1.5cm of insulation from one end of each wire. Solder one end of the wires and wrap these ends using a shrink wrap or electrical tape. Take the alligator clips and solder them to the other end of the wire. Slowly connect these clips to the two terminals of the capacitor of the microwave. It will quickly discharge the capacitor. You can use a multimeter to check the voltage left in the capacitor to proceed with the repair of the microwave. Now that you know how to discharge microwave capacitor, don’t overlook any of the steps as mentioned. These are the quickest methods to discharge a capacitor that don’t require too many items.
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