Saving the Microwave at Work

Project:
Fixing the start button on the microwave from the kitchen at work

Difficulty Level (Easy, Medium, Hard, Insane):
Easy

Process:
For about two and a half years the one microwave at work has been giving everyone a hard time in starting. After some time we all found the way to push the button just right (on the left push towards the center and down a bit) to get it working, sometimes after up to 15 seconds of fiddling around.

Well, I was off on leave for the last 9 months and kinda gotten used to getting stuff done so when I came back and saw that the microwave was still being a pain in the butt (well, a pain in the "finger" would be more accurate because you had to push that silly button so bloody hard...), I decided to have a "look" at it once and for all.

Out came the Swiss army knife during my lunch break and I took that thing apart just to find out that the soldering connection of one of the little metal connectors had broken loose. So I took the electronic display module off and took it home with me over the weekend, soldered it back in place and put it all back together Monday morning.

The lunch room conversation has been quite the entertaining event to say the least. I'm very pleased, not only that we saved the citizens of canada about $130 bucks but that we can now get through the lunch wait line twice as fast! Yeah for Swiss army knives and soldering irons!

Pictures:

The broken microwave in all its glory

After I took the case off

After I took the keypad module out

The keypad module

The broken connection (red circle)

Another view of the broken solder connection (red circle)

After it was soldered back on

Back in the kitchen fully functional

A nice coworker even made me a sign

Tools:
Swiss army knife
Soldering iron

Materials:
1/4" of soldering rod

Cost:
$0.00

Time:
20 minutes

Savings:
$130.00

Conclusion:
It better last or they'll be laughing at me during lunch time...