Appliance Spares
Quick answer: If your microwave still cooks but the light stays dead, the fix is a heat-rated appliance globe in the $15–35 band — either a baseless T170 push-fit lamp or a small screw-base globe, depending on the machine. A household LED bulb is not a substitute. On most built-in microwaves the globe is reached from an access panel or vent trim on the outside of the cavity — never open the microwave’s inner chassis. Match the globe type to the model number on the sticker and the swap takes ten minutes.
Last updated August 2026
Cooking in the dark
You press start, the turntable spins, dinner comes out hot — and the whole show happens in the dark. The interior lamp is the one part of a microwave that wears out on a schedule, because it lives in a metal housing that gets heat-soaked every single time you cook. Nothing else is wrong with the machine. It just needs the right globe.
“The right globe” is the catch. It looks like a two-dollar bulb. It isn’t one. Microwave lamps are heat-rated appliance globes, built to keep working at temperatures that would cook the electronics inside an ordinary LED bulb. Fit the wrong one and you’ll be doing this job again inside a month — or fishing broken glass out of a lamp housing.
Two globe types cover most built-in microwaves
Australian built-in microwaves overwhelmingly take one of two lamp styles, and both are shared across brands — the same universal globes suit Bosch, Daewoo, Panasonic and Samsung machines. Identify the style, not the badge.
| Globe type | How to spot it | The part |
|---|---|---|
 Baseless T170 push-fit | No metal screw thread — the globe ends in two wire terminals that push straight into the lamp socket. Common in Daewoo, Panasonic and Samsung built-ins. | Baseless T170 microwave globe |
 Screw-base built-in globe | A small threaded metal base, like a miniature version of a normal bulb. Suits Bosch, Daewoo, Panasonic and Samsung built-ins. | Screw-base microwave globe two-pack |
 The trade pack | The same screw-base globe in a box of five — repairers buy them this way, and so do households who’d rather not think about this again until 2031. | Microwave globe five-pack |
Once the machine is unplugged and the access panel is off (more on that below), the dead globe tells you which type you need at a glance: bare wire terminals mean baseless, a threaded metal base means screw-in. The T-number stamped on appliance lamps is a temperature rating — T170 means the globe is built to keep working at up to 170 degrees Celsius. That single number is the whole difference between an appliance globe and the lookalike in the kitchen drawer.
Why a household LED bulb is not a substitute
It is tempting. The screw base looks familiar, and LED bulbs are everywhere. Here is why it goes wrong:
- Heat. The lamp housing sits hard against the cooking cavity and gets baked with every use. An LED bulb’s driver electronics and plastic body are rated for a ceiling fitting, not a 170-degree metal box. They fail fast, and not always gracefully.
- Fit. Appliance globes are sized for the housing. A taller household bulb can foul the cover or sit against hot metal.
- The baseless type has no household equivalent at all. If your microwave takes the push-fit T170 style, the only correct part is the appliance lamp made for it.
Heat-rated globes sit in the $15–35 band, with multipacks working out cheaper per globe. That is not much of a premium for a part that actually survives the environment it works in.
The one rule: never open the microwave’s inner chassis
Microwaves are the one kitchen appliance where “just take the cover off” is the wrong instinct, every time. The high-voltage capacitor inside can hold a dangerous charge long after the plug is out of the wall. That is not a scare line — it is the reason microwave internals are repairer territory, full stop.
The good news: on most built-in microwaves you never go anywhere near the inside. The lamp housing is reached from outside the cavity — behind the top vent trim, a side grille, or a small screwed access panel on the casing. The job looks like this:
- Unplug the microwave at the wall. Not standby — plug out.
- Find the lamp access point for your model: check the manual or look for a small panel or slotted trim near the top of the unit.
- Remove the screw or clip and set the panel aside.
- Pull the old globe (baseless) or unscrew it (screw base). Handle the new one with a cloth and seat it firmly.
- Panel back on, plug in, open the door — light.
If the globe on your model can only be reached by removing the outer case, stop there. Know the right part, order it, and hand the fitting to a repairer — a call-out typically runs $100–165 before parts, and with the globe already in hand it is a short visit. What you never do is go through the chassis yourself, and you never, ever run a microwave with the case open.
The oven lamp is the same job at a higher temperature
The oven version of this fault works the same way, with one difference: oven globes are rated hotter again, commonly to 300 degrees, because they live inside the cavity itself. Switch the oven off at the wall — and if it is hard-wired, flick its circuit off at the switchboard too — let it cool completely, then unscrew the glass dome inside the cavity and swap the globe for an oven-rated one matched to your model. The dome is there to protect the globe; if it is cracked or missing, replace it rather than running bare. You will find oven lamps and their covers in our oven and stove parts store.
Rangehood lights: same story, different parts
The third lamp in every Australian kitchen fails the same way, but the fix is often not a globe at all — many rangehoods use sealed LED modules, and swapping in a generic 12-volt globe is the classic mistake. If that is your dead light, start with our Arda rangehood LED guide or the LSD-3 and SYKL08 rangehood LED guide to identify the module. And if the light died while the fan grew louder, the noisy rangehood motor guide is your next read.
Match it before you order
The model number on the sticker settles everything. On microwaves it hides inside the door frame or on the rear panel; on ovens, around the door opening or in the drawer cavity. Our find-your-model guide shows where to look for every appliance type. With the model number and one look at the old globe — wire terminals or screw thread — you cannot buy the wrong part.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a normal household LED bulb in my microwave?
No. The lamp housing runs far hotter than any ceiling fitting, and an LED bulb’s electronics and plastic body are not built for it. Use a heat-rated appliance globe — T170 for most built-in microwaves — in the correct baseless or screw-base style.
The light is out and the microwave isn’t heating either — is that the same fault?
No. A dead globe with normal cooking is a lamp problem. No light and no heat points to the supply side — internal fuse or beyond — and that lives inside the chassis with the high-voltage capacitor. That diagnosis and repair belongs with a repairer.
Why does the microwave globe keep blowing?
Usually because the last replacement was not a heat-rated appliance globe. A household bulb fails quickly in the hot housing. If a genuine T170-style globe still fails repeatedly, the lamp socket or its wiring may be tired — a job for a repairer, since it sits closer to the chassis.
Do I really need to unplug the microwave just to change a globe?
Yes, every time. The swap itself is done from outside the cavity on most built-ins, but you work with the plug out of the wall regardless. And if reaching the globe means removing the outer case, stop — the capacitor inside can hold charge even unplugged.
How do I know which globe fits my model?
Check the old globe’s style — bare wire terminals or a screw base — and the model number on the sticker. The universal appliance globes cover most Bosch, Daewoo, Panasonic and Samsung built-ins. Not sure? Send us your model number and we’ll check it against the listing before you order.
Find the model number on the sticker, then search the globe style or part reference in our store — or send the model number through our contact page and we’ll match the globe before you order. Get your order to us by 12pm Sydney time and it’s dispatched from Sydney’s Northern Beaches the day you order — light back in the box before the weekend’s reheats.
Disclaimer: this article is general information only and is provided without warranty of any kind. Appliance designs vary between models and production runs — always follow the manufacturer’s instructions, switch off and unplug the appliance before starting any work, and confirm parts against the model number on your appliance’s model sticker. Any repair is undertaken at your own risk and Oz Appliance Spares accepts no liability for injury, loss or damage arising from work performed after reading this guide, to the maximum extent permitted by law. If in doubt, use a qualified technician.
