When Microwave ovens go Rogue.

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When Microwave ovens go Rogue.
Topic Started: Dec 5 2015, 05:23 AM (871 Views)
Olive Oil	Dec 5 2015, 05:23 AM Post #1
Gold Star Member Posts: 4,747 Group: Member Member #785 Joined: June 10, 2010	Strange happenings are occurring with my microwave. I noticed a few weeks ago that a cup of soup was not heating up very much. I doubled the time and it was still rather lukewarm. Later that day I heated a cup of water as a test and it boiled in a normal time. .. Yesterday I had some leftover brussel sprouts that were previously cooked on the stove. I reheated them in the micro and then heard a loud explosion. About 4 of them had exploded, pushing off the loose bowl covering. The inside of the oven was green bits everywhere. I cleaned it all up, and speared the remaining sprouts with a fork and nuked them again. Again a large explosion and more green to clean up. Grrrrrrrr. In spite of this, the surviving sprouts were barely warm. The oven is about four years old and while I could understand a gradual lose of power, this one seems erratic . There seemed to be a strange electrical wire smell in the air if that makes sense. Strangely sometimes things heat up just fine.



campy	Dec 5 2015, 05:26 AM Post #2
Handyman Extraordinaire Posts: 28,720 Group: no politics Member #204 Joined: February 2, 2006	This is dangerous and could cause a fire especially when you smell electrical odours. Don't use it.



angora	Dec 5 2015, 05:29 AM Post #3
WWS Book Club Coordinator Posts: 14,494 Group: Member Member #717 Joined: March 31, 2010	It might have something to do with a loose or damaged wire. I would hire an electrician and like campy said, don't use it.



campy	Dec 5 2015, 05:42 AM Post #4
Handyman Extraordinaire Posts: 28,720 Group: no politics Member #204 Joined: February 2, 2006	angora Dec 5 2015, 05:29 AM It might have something to do with a loose or damaged wire. I would hire an electrician and like campy said, don't use it. Because it is an intermittent problem, it's more likely a faulty transistor or capacitor or other electronic component. I'm going to change mine as well. It's working fine but getting rust inside from the moisture. I'm going to look for a stainless steel one. A Christmas treat for myself. They are relatively inexpensive now for a small apartment size microwave. By the time you call an electrician the money would be better spent on the appliance. I don't think you could get by with less than $40. just to look at it or $80 to have someone come in to look at it. Edited by campy, Dec 5 2015, 05:43 AM.



Durgan	Dec 5 2015, 05:54 AM Post #5
Veteran Member Posts: 13,273 Group: Gardening Guru Member #720 Joined: March 31, 2010	Microwave ovens only cost around $100.00. They are truly throw away. I replaced mine last week with q Walmart Danby. The old one was blowing the circuit breaker. It was about five years old.



Olive Oil	Dec 5 2015, 06:04 AM Post #6
Gold Star Member Posts: 4,747 Group: Member Member #785 Joined: June 10, 2010	Thanks all. I'll suck it up and get a new one. I have a certain size shelf so I'll have to measure it. Maybe Costco still carries them. A visitor put metal in it in spite of my protests last summer to show me it was safe. Wonder now if that caused some problems.



Durgan	Dec 5 2015, 06:05 AM Post #7
Veteran Member Posts: 13,273 Group: Gardening Guru Member #720 Joined: March 31, 2010	Olive Oil Dec 5 2015, 06:04 AM Thanks all. I'll suck it up and get a new one. I have a certain size shelf so I'll have to measure it. Maybe Costco still carries them. A visitor put metal in it in spite of my protests last summer to show me it was safe. Wonder now if that caused some problems. Call the visitor back and stick his hand in.



campy	Dec 5 2015, 06:34 AM Post #8
Handyman Extraordinaire Posts: 28,720 Group: no politics Member #204 Joined: February 2, 2006	Olive Oil Dec 5 2015, 06:04 AM Thanks all. I'll suck it up and get a new one. I have a certain size shelf so I'll have to measure it. Maybe Costco still carries them. A visitor put metal in it in spite of my protests last summer to show me it was safe. Wonder now if that caused some problems. Definitely. Probably overloaded a circuit with all the sparks flying.



Delphi51	Dec 5 2015, 07:23 AM Post #9
Member title Posts: 13,967 Group: Administration Member #441 Joined: October 10, 2006	Yes, unfortunately it isn't worth repairing appliances anymore. They are difficult to take apart, difficult to get circuits for and nearly impossible to get their special parts. A 4 year old iPad is pretty much trash when it's battery dies unless you can do it yourself. Incidentally, don't let boys play around with old microwaves - they can have very high voltages on the big capacitor inside even weeks after being unplugged. I noticed a great sale at Home Hardware for a nice, good sized microwave oven. It's power rating of 800 watts was proudly displayed on the box - and that is pitifully low. Real microwave ovens are rated around 1200 watts.



campy	Dec 5 2015, 07:43 AM Post #10
Handyman Extraordinaire Posts: 28,720 Group: no politics Member #204 Joined: February 2, 2006	Delphi51 Dec 5 2015, 07:23 AM Yes, unfortunately it isn't worth repairing appliances anymore. They are difficult to take apart, difficult to get circuits for and nearly impossible to get their special parts. A 4 year old iPad is pretty much trash when it's battery dies unless you can do it yourself. Incidentally, don't let boys play around with old microwaves - they can have very high voltages on the big capacitor inside even weeks after being unplugged. I noticed a great sale at Home Hardware for a nice, good sized microwave oven. It's power rating of 800 watts was proudly displayed on the box - and that is pitifully low. Real microwave ovens are rated around 1200 watts. You really don't need that much power. A lower power microwave just takes a bit longer to cook stuff.



campy	Dec 5 2015, 07:48 AM Post #11
Handyman Extraordinaire Posts: 28,720 Group: no politics Member #204 Joined: February 2, 2006	Delphi51 Dec 5 2015, 07:23 AM Yes, unfortunately it isn't worth repairing appliances anymore. They are difficult to take apart, difficult to get circuits for and nearly impossible to get their special parts. A 4 year old iPad is pretty much trash when it's battery dies unless you can do it yourself. Incidentally, don't let boys play around with old microwaves - they can have very high voltages on the big capacitor inside even weeks after being unplugged. I noticed a great sale at Home Hardware for a nice, good sized microwave oven. It's power rating of 800 watts was proudly displayed on the box - and that is pitifully low. Real microwave ovens are rated around 1200 watts. My cell phone battery died. It would cost $30.00 for a new one plus mailing charges. So I went to my provider and they told me they would charge me $5.00 a month more, give me a new phone, let me keep the old one, and let me keep the new phone after two years. So it wasn't worth replacing the battery. because half the cost would be paid in the first year. The new phone is so much better because it has Wi-Fi capacity and a great camera as well as GPS capability. I can dial up my bus stop and it tells me when the bus is going to be there.



heatseeker	Dec 5 2015, 07:49 AM Post #12
Veteran Member Posts: 10,320 Group: Member Member #713 Joined: March 30, 2010	Microwave ovens only cost around $100.00. They are truly throw away. Our microwave (originally convection microwave) is now about 35 years old. Microwave still works perfectly. It cost a ton back in the day. We leave the door open after using so it doesn't rust.



campy	Dec 5 2015, 07:50 AM Post #13
Handyman Extraordinaire Posts: 28,720 Group: no politics Member #204 Joined: February 2, 2006	heatseeker Dec 5 2015, 07:49 AM Microwave ovens only cost around $100.00. They are truly throw away. Our microwave (originally convection microwave) is now about 35 years old. Microwave still works perfectly. It cost a ton back in the day. We leave the door open after using so it doesn't rust. But with the door open the light is on. Is there a switch you can bypass?



heatseeker	Dec 5 2015, 07:58 AM Post #14
Veteran Member Posts: 10,320 Group: Member Member #713 Joined: March 30, 2010	No light in this one.



campy	Dec 5 2015, 08:00 AM Post #15
Handyman Extraordinaire Posts: 28,720 Group: no politics Member #204 Joined: February 2, 2006	Great idea. I will take the bulb out.



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