A microwave clock helps to know the time when you do not have a watch or clock nearby. Sometimes if the power of the microwave goes off, the clock may behave abnormally. It may either run fast or slow. The reason behind the microwave clock running fast is explained below.
Microwave clocks are digital clocks and most of them are frequency-based. North America is on a 60-cycle frequency and the time is based on this frequency there. The clock will run faster if the frequency of AC increases while it will run slower if the frequency decreases.
The input frequency decides the time on the microwave clock. If the input frequency is accurate, that is 60 Hz, the clock will be accurate but if the frequency is more than 60 Hz, the clock will run fast. On the other hand, if the frequency is less than 60 Hz, the clock will run slow and show delayed time.
If the time shown by the microwave clock is not accurate and it is due to a change in the input frequency, you can fix it by switching off the microwave, unplugging it, and then plugging it again. Sometimes the clock gets back to normal.
How to set clock on microwave?
In most of the models, GE microwave clocks are present and there are two types of GE clocks, models with electronic push-button controls and models with dial electronic controls. It is pretty easy to change the time on the microwave clock so that it shows the right time. Follow the steps given below:
Models with electronic push button controls
- Press CLOCK
- Enter the correct time of the day.
- Select AM or PM.
- Press CLOCK or START whichever is mentioned in your microwave.
Models with dial electronic controls
- Press the SETTING button and select CLOCK SET by turning the dial.
- Press the dial to enter.
- Set hours by turning the dial. Again, press the dial to enter.
- Turn the dial to set minutes. Enter by pressing the dial.
In most of the models with dial electronic controls, 24 hours (military time) can be set. To set CLOCK mode:
- Press the SETTING button and turn the dial to select CLOCK Mode. Enter it by pressing the dial.
- Turn the dial to set 12 hours or 24 hours CLOCK Mode. Press the dial to enter and this setting will be activated.
How does microwave clock work?
Microwave clocks use an electronic power supply that is AC power from an outlet in the wall. It has an electronic time base and ‘ticks’ at an accurate rate.
For the working of a microwave clock, an oscillator is required to generate an accurate 60 Hz signal. This is extracted from the 60 Hz oscillations in a normal power line.
This 60 Hz signal is then divided down with the help of a counter. So, by using a series of counters, the oscillations from a 60 Hz oscillator are reduced to a 1 Hz oscillation.
The microwave clock uses an LCD (liquid crystal display) to display the lighted time. When the clock reaches 12:59, it goes to 1:00 and it resets or starts over. There is a built-in processor of the electric components in a digital clock that looks for a “13” in the hour display. When it occurs, the counter is reset to 1.
What to do if microwave clock is not working?
If the microwave clock is not working, it may be due to a problem with the microwave display. The reasons for not working of the microwave display and microwave clock are –
The faulty main control board
It may be due to a missing solder or a faulty capacitor. To repair this, you need to look for the broken line in the circuit of the appliance. Once it is located, you can repair it by soldering it. If required, you can call a professional to repair it.
Faulty power supply
To check if the power supply is faulty, plug in some other appliance in the same socket and turn it on. This will help to find out if there is a fault in the power supply or the problem is with the microwave display only.
Blown away temperature and monitor fuse
There are temperature and monitor fuses in a microwave and for the proper function of the microwave display, they should be in good condition.
What to do if microwave clock keeps resetting?
The microwave clock is universally based on the counting power line cycles. If there is any disruption in these cycles, the microwave clock will not show the right time and sometimes it may keep on resetting again and again.
The other reasons of microwave clock getting reset are –
- Broken display panel
- Defective controller or its power supply
- Tripping of the circuit breaker present in the power outlet.
To find a solution to the problem of the microwave clock getting reset, you need to find out the problem as mentioned above and get it rectified. The problems and solutions of microwave clocks not working properly are mentioned earlier. The same can be repeated in this case also.
What to do if microwave clock is too bright?
In most microwaves, it is not possible to adjust the clock brightness. In such cases, you cannot do anything if the microwave clock is too bright. The only thing you can do is to turn off the display feature so that the clock is not shown at all.
With the help of the on/off clock display feature in the microwave, you can turn on or off the clock display without causing any change in the time on the clock. To turn the display on/off, touch the 0 pad for 3 seconds. This will turn off the clock display but the display will still work for cooking functions.
All the programmed functions will be shown in the display as usual along with counting down the time and displaying END when the food is cooked. When the door is opened to take the food outside the microwave, the display will clear and not return to the time of day that is shown by the display always.
Conclusion
Most modern-day microwaves have a built-in clock that helps you to know the time. These clocks are frequency-based due to which any change in the frequency of the power supplied can lead to the malfunction of the microwave clock.
In this situation, it can either run fast or slow. To know the reason, it is advised to check the power supply and main control board.
Hope this article is helpful to know in detail about microwave clocks.