In this video I demonstrate how to replace a broken microwave with a newer model. You don’t realize how much you rely on an appliance until it breaks. Our microwave stopped working last year. I attempted to fix it a few times and each time was a failed attempt at learning how to fix a microwave. I do plan on fixing this microwave at some point but for now I called an audible and bought a replacement microwave.
Our broken microwave was the Frigidaire black stainless steel model FGMV176NTDB. I purchased a newer version of the Frigidaire microwave, which was model FFMV1846VS. The package arrived a little dinged up during shipping and upon inspection one corner was dented slightly. Long story short the microwave worked.
Removal of Broken Microwave
I installed this microwave over 5 years ago. Removing the microwave was a reversal of this process but I wanted it to be a little easier that the installation. This time I grabbed 10 pieces of offcut lumber (varying from 2×8’s to 2×6’s and stacked them on top of one another on the stovetop directly below the microwave. This gave me a relatively sturdy surface to rest the microwave on top. I removed the three screws from inside the cabinet and lowered the microwave onto the stack of wood. Removing the cord from the cabinet it important at this point because it can be rather difficult to remove it once the microwave is in your hands. From this point I lifted the back of the microwave up to clear the tabs on the mounting bracket and removed the microwave.
Installation of Replacement Microwave
I removed the mounting bracket from the back of the new microwave. Then I compared this bracket to the bracket that was on the wall. It turns out that the brackets are identical. I also used the template for the holes that are to be drilled in the upper cabinet and placed it over the top of the new microwave. The holes lined up identically. The Frigidaire microwave is a drop in replacement for our older model.
I grabbed the microwave and gently set it on top of the stack of wood and positioned it into place for mounting. Then I tilted it back until I got it to rest on the tabs on the mounting bracket. The tabs are shown in the photo below. I pulled the cord through the hole in the cabinet up into the cabinet cavity where the outlet is located. And then things didn’t go so well.
Products Used in this Video
The following products and materials (or similar) were used in this video:
- Microwave Oven: https://amzn.to/42iCXn7
- Sub Compact Drill: https://amzn.to/45G69aR
Tricky Part
This was the tricky part, which can happen to you and I didn’t film it. Getting the bolts to go into the mounting holes from the top of the cabinet is definitely tricky. While doing this I snagged the tip of the flange that holds the bolt that is secured to the top of the microwave. It pressed the flange into the microwave and I lost the entire nut inside the microwave. After this my only choice was to remove the microwave, take it apart and hunt for this piece. I found it pretty quickly after removing 15 screws and it turns out I only needed to remove four screws. But, that’s my life story. This time, when I installed this nut, I positioned the flanges to the left and right instead of front to back. This way, the chances of the bolt hitting the flange is pretty small.
Attempting to Re-install Microwave
Again, I jockeyed the microwave into position, angled it and got the tabs of the mounting bracket to fit into the slots on the back of the microwave. I lifted the microwave up into position and pulled the cord through. Tilted the microwave up and held it in place while I installed the bolts. This time they installed without a problem. I used my sub compact impact driver to secure the bolts. It was a successful installation once I plugged in the microwave and heard a ding. I heated up two cups of water for Mrs U Do It and life was good again!
Other Titles and Variations
This video or variations of this video can be found under the following titles:
- New article up on U Do It about replacing my broken microwave with a new Frigidaire microwave on Turtle Social
- New video up where I replace my broken Frigidaire microwave with a new drop-in replacement microwave on Turtle Social
- How to Replace a Broken Microwave on Twitter
- You don’t realize how reliant you are on a kitchen appliance until it’s no longer working on Facebook
- Replacing an Over the Range Microwave Oven on YouTube
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