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A stainless microwave hood combination under white wall cabinets seen from slightly below, one of the two small task lights on its underside dark and the other lit, its side-hinged door with a mesh window closed and the microwave cavity dim behind it.

Microwave
Light Out Inside or Underneath

A microwave light not working can be the lamp inside the cavity that shows the food, the task lights under a hood combination that shine on the pans below, or the night light setting, and each has its own bulb, switch and path.

(844) 393-5858

Mon–Sat, 8am–8pm

  • 5 checks before you book
  • 5 questions that narrow it
  • 6 causes, cheapest first

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Three short steps, about a minute.

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What it
usually means.

Inside the cavity a small lamp comes on when the door opens and during every cycle, switched by one of the door switches or by a relay on the board. A hood combination also has task lights underneath, halogen, incandescent or LED, with their own key for high, low and night light; those bulbs sit behind a small cover over the heat and steam of the pans and burn out far more often than the lamp inside. On some hood combinations the cavity bulb is reached from behind the grille at the top front; on many countertop and built-in units it sits behind the outer case and is changed on a visit. When a new bulb does not light, the socket may be scorched, the door switch that feeds the lamp may have failed, or the relay on the board has. An LED module that flickers or goes dark is usually replaced as a module.

A close view of the open side-hinged door of a stainless built-in microwave in a US kitchen, the microwave door's mesh window and its two white latch hooks sharp in the foreground, a technician's hand holding a small meter probe near the latch slot in the microwave's frame. The 6 causes, cheapest first

Answer these first

01

Is it the lamp inside the cavity, the task lights under the microwave, or both?
02

Does the cavity lamp come on when the door opens but not during a cycle, or never?
03

Does the microwave heat and turn normally with the light out?
04

Is the light a bulb behind a small cover, or a flat LED strip?
05

Did the task light go out after a pot boiled over or a pan flared below it?

Check these
before you book.

Microwave light not working: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything.

01

Press the light key on a hood combination through each setting, including night light, and open the door to test the cavity lamp.

02

With the unit off and cool, remove the small cover under a hood combination and compare the task bulbs with the type in the manual.

03

Look in the manual for how the cavity bulb is reached; if it is behind the outer case, leave it for a visit.

Also worth checking

  • If a new bulb does not light, look for a darkened socket and stop there.
  • Tell us which light is out and send the model number from the label inside the door frame.

How soon does it need a visit?

Not urgent. The microwave can be used with a light out. If the light went out with a pop, a smell or a flicker of the display, switch the breaker off and have it checked before the next use.

The causes,
cheapest first.

6 things microwave light out inside or underneath turns out to be, from light key set to off or night light to board relay or led module.

The cost guide
  1. 01 no repair

    Light key set to off or night light

    The task light key on a hood combination cycles through high, low, night light and off. It is easy to leave on off, or on a night light too dim to notice in daylight.

    No repair: check it yourself On a microwave hood combination
  2. 02 lowest

    Task bulb under the unit burned out

    The task bulbs sit right over the heat of the pans. They come out from under a small cover, and the manual lists the type; a wrong bulb fails fast in that heat.

    Fixed by microwave light and fuse repair On a microwave hood combination
  3. 03 low

    Cavity bulb behind the outer case

    On many countertop and built-in units the lamp inside is reached only by removing the outer case, beside the high-voltage parts, so it is changed on a visit.

    Fixed by microwave light and fuse repair
  4. 04 low to moderate

    A scorched socket

    A bulb that ran loose or the wrong wattage can darken its socket until no bulb makes contact. The socket and its wires are replaced together.

    Fixed by microwave light and fuse repair
  5. 05 low to moderate

    Door switch feeding the lamp

    On many models one of the door switches also switches the lamp. A lamp that stays dark, or stays lit with the door shut, is a hint that switch is failing, and the set is tested together.

    Fixed by microwave door switch and latch repair
  6. 06 moderate

    Board relay or LED module

    When the bulb, socket and switch are good, the relay on the board that powers the lamp has stopped, or the LED module has failed and is replaced whole.

    Fixed by microwave control board and touchpad repair

The makes
it happens on.

18 makes on this site; microwave light out inside or underneath can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page.

All 18 brands

Microwave Light Out Inside or Underneath,
where we come out.

9 metros, each with its own page.

All service areas

Tampa BayFL · 31 areas

OrlandoFL · 30 areas

Miami / South FloridaFL · 47 areas

New York MetroNY · 75 areas

HoustonTX · 36 areas

ChicagoIL · 50 areas

Los AngelesCA · 95 areas

San DiegoCA · 31 areas

San Francisco Bay AreaCA · 74 areas

A family warming plates of food at a built-in microwave in a bright kitchen
For the heart of your home.

Questions about
microwave light out inside or underneath.

Why do the lights under my microwave burn out so often?
They sit right above the heat and steam of the pans. Running the vent fan while cooking, and using the bulb type in the manual, helps them last.
Can I use an LED bulb in place of the original?
Only if the manual or the maker lists one for your model. These sockets run hot, and the wrong bulb can flicker, fail early or not fit the cover.
The cavity light is out but the microwave heats. Is it safe to use?
Yes, in most cases, because the lamp is on its own path. If the lamp and the turntable stopped at the same moment, a door switch may be behind both, and that is worth a visit.
My cavity light stays on all the time. What does that mean?
A door switch that does not release, or a relay stuck on. Since a door switch may be involved, have it checked soon rather than waiting for the bulb to fail.

Back to your everyday

Still seeing microwave light out inside or underneath?

Book with what you checked above — 5 answers save the technician the first part of the visit.

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