Microwave oven

[Phil Allison]

Fox's Mercantile wrote:

John-Del wrote:

The difference is everyone knows that mains inputs will kill,
but most people are unaware of just how dangerous a microwave
is compared to any other plug in appliance around the home.

"The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that four
people are electrocuted each year trying to repair their microwave ovens."

https://www.richmond.com/news/man-dies-while-fixing-microwave/article_ee48c2ac-0128-5530-b7c3-4c7a1c3ff15a.html



Ya-but.
How many people die from accidents with guns?
Drunk driving.
Trying to make "jack ass" videos for you tube?

** Completely irrelevant to posting dangerous advice on a public forum.

Considering the number of microwave ovens out there,that's a
pretty low death rate.

** Lets try to keep it that way by never encouraging "joe public" to tackle a microwave oven.

The best advice you can give about working on micro wave ovens
is:

** Don't.

I see you use your real name here so are at risk of being sued for posting advice that leads to personal injury or death.

The two irresponsible shitheads I am up against here are both anonymous.


..... Phil

 

On Tuesday, 26 March 2019 00:09:54 UTC, Phil Allison wrote:

tabbypurr wrote:

It would be sensible to say microwaves can electrocute people,


** Idiotic to say otherwise - you fool.

so we get abuse for agreeing with you lol


** We do not agree on anything.

obviously we did on that point

not so sensible to insist everyone, despite not knowing what skills they do or don't have, does not have the necessary skills to work with them.

** Insane crap.

You must KNOW the person has the knowledge, skill and necessary safety gear on hand. Plus they must not work alone.

Neither I nor you need know what skill Mr Doom has.


** Irrelevant to you posting bad advice on a public forum which anyone can read at any time.

I won't ask how pointing out the existence hazards is bad advie

Impossible to ascertain that via usenet so the only safe option is to advise against and offer no help.

There are people taking that tack on any subject.

** Completely irrelevant garbage.

A false argument of the dumbest kind.

on the contrary. We routinely discuss circuits with hazards here. Next you'll object to any and all safer driving advice.

It's not difficult, just need to know the issues/gotchas.

** Totally insane crap.

One needs to be trained on the proper precautions with microwaves ovens and USE them.

If you understand the gotchas & are sensible you're going to use them. We can't do more than that on usenet.

** Dangerous drivel.

no, understanding & working safely is the solution to work hazards.


> Erring on the side of caution is a foreign concept to a raving fuckwit like you.

2 silly claims in one

You are one dangerous fucking idiot.

With respect you don't know what my working practices are with microwaves,

** Utter and COMPLETELY irrelevant, I was NOT talking about your or CD practices !!!!

The danger is of course to folk reading you fucking tripe on this NG.

The hazards of nuke repair exist whether I mention them or not. Mentioning them enables people to get informed & competent/safe & motivates them to do so.

FYI:

You have a monstrous reading disability along with rampant autism and a bloated and diseased ego.

you say that about most who disagree with you.

Plus you are a vile coward hiding behind a fake name and complete anonymity.

Fuck you.

I wonder why, with nutcases like you online.


NT

 

On Monday, 25 March 2019 22:44:17 UTC, Cursitor Doom wrote:

On Mon, 25 Mar 2019 21:55:27 +0100, Look165 wrote:

You cannot check a HV diode.

I just have! Maybe it's YOU who has a problem with them?

Put the diode in series with a 15w filament lamp, connect to mains.


NT

 

On Monday, 25 March 2019 20:08:42 UTC, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

If the microwave oven doesn't kill you, perhaps the popcorn will?
"Man shocked to death by exploding microwave"
https://www.news24.com/World/News/man-shocked-to-death-by-exploding-microwave-20181109
Please remember that you have only one life to give to your hobby or
profession.

Which part of a microwave is even capable of explosion? And how would said explosion result in electrocution?


NT

 

On Monday, 25 March 2019 17:45:49 UTC, three_jeeps wrote:

On Monday, March 25, 2019 at 12:34:31 PM UTC-4, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Fri, 22 Mar 2019 14:18:03 -0700, tabbypurr wrote:

Likely candidates are the HV diode & HV fuse. Of course it can be other
things. And of course they're in the killer section.

Spot on. Blown 5kV fuse and HV diode open circuit both directions.
Transformer secondary showing 188 ohms across the winding, so *hopefully*
a quick fix. But I'd better just check the magnetron first.......
:-/

Aside from sprinkling bits of technical troubleshooting and safety advice in a string of email exchanges, I was reminded of this comprehensive 'Microwave repair' document. Should be read and understood before one even unplugs the device to be repaired.

(When one considers that the charge stored in the microwave capacitor is significantly (x10+) the charge from public defibrillators (AEDs) the energy is definitely high enough to put a human being horizontal - permanently!)

https://www.repairfaq.org/sam/micfaq.htm#micpre

j

like so many documents, too many errors early in the piece to finish reading.


NT

 

[Fox's Mercantile]

On 3/26/19 9:25 AM, tabbypurr@gmail.com wrote:

On Monday, 25 March 2019 20:08:42 UTC, Jeff Liebermann wrote:

If the microwave oven doesn't kill you, perhaps the popcorn will?
"Man shocked to death by exploding microwave"
https://www.news24.com/World/News/man-shocked-to-death-by-exploding-microwave-20181109
Please remember that you have only one life to give to your hobby or
profession.

Which part of a microwave is even capable of explosion? And how would said explosion result in electrocution?


NT

It's your typical fake news article in a tabloid, what did you expect?


--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com

 

[Fox's Mercantile]

Are you that insecure that you have to argue with Phil?

--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com

 

On Tuesday, 26 March 2019 14:53:18 UTC, Fox's Mercantile wrote:
> Are you that insecure that you have to argue with Phil?

What does insecurity have to do with it? Nothing.
Your playground antics may be though.

 

[Fox's Mercantile]

On 3/26/19 11:06 AM, tabbypurr@gmail.com wrote:

On Tuesday, 26 March 2019 14:53:18 UTC, Fox's Mercantile wrote:
Are you that insecure that you have to argue with Phil?

What does insecurity have to do with it? Nothing.
Your playground antics may be though.

Thank you for proving my point.

--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com

 

On Tuesday, 26 March 2019 16:14:52 UTC, Fox's Mercantile wrote:

On 3/26/19 11:06 AM, tabbypurr wrote:
On Tuesday, 26 March 2019 14:53:18 UTC, Fox's Mercantile wrote:

Are you that insecure that you have to argue with Phil?

What does insecurity have to do with it? Nothing.
Your playground antics may be though.


Thank you for proving my point.

Well you're entitled to your opinion, but I'm hardly going to regard it as realistic in this case. Telling others what they think & feel when you don't know is a fool's game.

 

[three_jeeps]

On Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 10:22:39 AM UTC-4, tabb...@gmail.com wrote:

On Monday, 25 March 2019 17:45:49 UTC, three_jeeps wrote:
On Monday, March 25, 2019 at 12:34:31 PM UTC-4, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Fri, 22 Mar 2019 14:18:03 -0700, tabbypurr wrote:

Likely candidates are the HV diode & HV fuse. Of course it can be other
things. And of course they're in the killer section.

Spot on. Blown 5kV fuse and HV diode open circuit both directions.
Transformer secondary showing 188 ohms across the winding, so *hopefully*
a quick fix. But I'd better just check the magnetron first.......
:-/

Aside from sprinkling bits of technical troubleshooting and safety advice in a string of email exchanges, I was reminded of this comprehensive 'Microwave repair' document. Should be read and understood before one even unplugs the device to be repaired.

(When one considers that the charge stored in the microwave capacitor is significantly (x10+) the charge from public defibrillators (AEDs) the energy is definitely high enough to put a human being horizontal - permanently!)

https://www.repairfaq.org/sam/micfaq.htm#micpre

j

like so many documents, too many errors early in the piece to finish reading.


NT

Care to elaborate on the errors? aside from the dead links....

 

[Cursitor Doom]

On Tue, 26 Mar 2019 07:26:39 -0700, tabbypurr wrote:

On Monday, 25 March 2019 22:44:17 UTC, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Mon, 25 Mar 2019 21:55:27 +0100, Look165 wrote:

You cannot check a HV diode.

I just have! Maybe it's YOU who has a problem with them?

Put the diode in series with a 15w filament lamp, connect to mains.

The barrier height potential of a HV diode isn't that great that it can't
be more safely checked with a simple 9V battery. That's what I used and
it's perfectly OK for the purpose.




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[Cursitor Doom]

On Tue, 26 Mar 2019 07:25:30 -0700, tabbypurr wrote:

Which part of a microwave is even capable of explosion? And how would
said explosion result in electrocution?

Seems some poor, terrified folk here appear to believe defusing an IED to
be less of a hazard than fixing a common domestic appliance!




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protocols constitutes acceptance of this condition.

 

[pfjw@aol.com]

On Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 3:23:05 PM UTC-4, Cursitor Doom wrote:

Seems some poor, terrified folk here appear to believe defusing an IED to
be less of a hazard than fixing a common domestic appliance!

Not so much. What it comes down to is that a microwave oven is a commodity cheaply available and generally pretty reliable, that also, with basic care will last very nearly indefinitely. In the 40 years I have used such devices, I can state with absolute specificity that I have never had to trash such a unit for failure. Wear, cosmetics, unsuitability, sure. But total failure, no.

The most expensive unit we own is at our summer house, an over-stove device with pretty much every bell and whistle out there, including the wash-car, walk-dog options. Which we purchased on-sale for $150. We have a equally "optimized" counter-top unit at home that we got for $115, and it just turned 10. We have no place for an over-counter unit in any case.

With that in mind, there is no reason on this planet to attempt to repair such a device, especially without the necessary specific tooling, the time involved and the cost of any parts or pieces. I would rather spend that time doing something of use - such as restoring a vintage bit of audio equipment, or a clock or similar. We know that a junker would be recycled, so even that concern is soothed.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

 

[Trevor Wilson]

On 26/03/2019 3:59 am, Look165 wrote:

The only guilty part can be : mains transtormer, HV diode and HV capacitor.
A magnetron never dies.

**Huh?

In what universe do you imagine that a vacuum tube:

* Does not lose emission?
* Does not suffer a filament failure?

Magnetrons do, indeed, fail. I've replaced quite a number of the years.
Usually, they gradually lose emission and take longer to heat food.
Sometimes, they just fail, due to an O/C filament.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

 

On Tuesday, 26 March 2019 19:33:48 UTC, pf...@aol.com wrote:

On Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 3:23:05 PM UTC-4, Cursitor Doom wrote:

Seems some poor, terrified folk here appear to believe defusing an IED to
be less of a hazard than fixing a common domestic appliance!

Not so much. What it comes down to is that a microwave oven is a commodity cheaply available and generally pretty reliable, that also, with basic care will last very nearly indefinitely. In the 40 years I have used such devices, I can state with absolute specificity that I have never had to trash such a unit for failure. Wear, cosmetics, unsuitability, sure. But total failure, no.

The most expensive unit we own is at our summer house, an over-stove device with pretty much every bell and whistle out there, including the wash-car, walk-dog options. Which we purchased on-sale for $150. We have a equally "optimized" counter-top unit at home that we got for $115, and it just turned 10. We have no place for an over-counter unit in any case.

With that in mind, there is no reason on this planet to attempt to repair such a device,

A simple nonsequitur. You might not wish to do a minor repair to save $100-400, but some do. And sometimes getting an oven that fits a certain space can be tricky, repairing is then much quicker.


NT

 

On Tuesday, 26 March 2019 16:57:20 UTC, three_jeeps wrote:

On Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 10:22:39 AM UTC-4, tabb wrote:
On Monday, 25 March 2019 17:45:49 UTC, three_jeeps wrote:
On Monday, March 25, 2019 at 12:34:31 PM UTC-4, Cursitor Doom wrote:
On Fri, 22 Mar 2019 14:18:03 -0700, tabbypurr wrote:

Likely candidates are the HV diode & HV fuse. Of course it can be other
things. And of course they're in the killer section.

Spot on. Blown 5kV fuse and HV diode open circuit both directions.
Transformer secondary showing 188 ohms across the winding, so *hopefully*
a quick fix. But I'd better just check the magnetron first.......
:-/

Aside from sprinkling bits of technical troubleshooting and safety advice in a string of email exchanges, I was reminded of this comprehensive 'Microwave repair' document. Should be read and understood before one even unplugs the device to be repaired.

(When one considers that the charge stored in the microwave capacitor is significantly (x10+) the charge from public defibrillators (AEDs) the energy is definitely high enough to put a human being horizontal - permanently!)

https://www.repairfaq.org/sam/micfaq.htm#micpre

j

like so many documents, too many errors early in the piece to finish reading.


NT

Care to elaborate on the errors? aside from the dead links....

From the bit I read...


"Microwave ovens are without a doubt, the most deadly type of consumer electronic equipment in wide spread use. "

nothing to do with reality


"Connoisseurs of fine dining will turn up their collective noses at the thought of using a microwave oven for much beyond boiling water - if that."

half true. Reality is microwaving is the best way to cook some things taste-wise - as well as being a lousy option for some.


"the microwave oven has not changed substantially in the last 20 years."

half true, most haven't changed significantly in about 40 years.


"Touchpads are now nearly universal because they are cheaper to manufacture than mechanical timers (and also more convenient)"

cheap nukes are normally mechanical control, thus I could conclude mechanical controls are cheaper.


"Bad interlocks switches or door misalignment causing fuses to blow or no operation when the start button is pressed. Locate and replace defective switches and/or realign door."

risky advice. The shorting resistor must always be checked, otherwise the oven may cook but interlock has no ability to cut the power by shorting if there is a further door/interlock fault.


"Blown fuse due to power surge or old age: Replace fuse. On rare occasions, the main fuse may even be intermittent causing very strange symptoms. "

again the shorting resistor must be checked.


"if you can do the repair yourself, the equation changes dramatically as your parts costs will be 1/2 to 1/4 of what a professional will charge"

I never paid anything like that for nuke parts
I didn't read any further.


NT

 

[Fox's Mercantile]

On 3/26/19 3:14 PM, tabbypurr@gmail.com wrote:

A simple nonsequitur. You might not wish to do a minor repair
to save $100-400, but some do. And sometimes getting an oven
that fits a certain space can be tricky, repairing is then
much quicker.

I haven't paid more than $30 for a microwave oven in the past
20 years. And typically between $15-20 at the Good Will.

The two failures I've had were the processor based control from
The first one just quit working. In retrospect it might have
just been something loose from moving to Texas. The other was
a "twist the knob" timer. The knob fell apart. I found a new,
not matching, knob and found out why the old one broke. The
mechanical timer seized up.

One of the microwaves I bought, I paid $10 for and rewound the
transformer to turn it into a spot welder.

But, hey, if you want to spend $100-400 on a microwave oven, be
my guest.



--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com

 

On Tuesday, 26 March 2019 20:56:32 UTC, Fox's Mercantile wrote:

On 3/26/19 3:14 PM, tabbypurr wrote:

A simple nonsequitur. You might not wish to do a minor repair
to save $100-400, but some do. And sometimes getting an oven
that fits a certain space can be tricky, repairing is then
much quicker.

I haven't paid more than $30 for a microwave oven in the past
20 years. And typically between $15-20 at the Good Will.

The two failures I've had were the processor based control from
The first one just quit working. In retrospect it might have
just been something loose from moving to Texas. The other was
a "twist the knob" timer. The knob fell apart. I found a new,
not matching, knob and found out why the old one broke. The
mechanical timer seized up.

One of the microwaves I bought, I paid $10 for and rewound the
transformer to turn it into a spot welder.

But, hey, if you want to spend $100-400 on a microwave oven, be
my guest.

Combi cookers are in that price range, and hard to find used.


NT

 

[Fox's Mercantile]

On 3/26/19 4:55 PM, tabbypurr@gmail.com wrote:

On Tuesday, 26 March 2019 20:56:32 UTC, Fox's Mercantile wrote:
On 3/26/19 3:14 PM, tabbypurr wrote:

A simple nonsequitur. You might not wish to do a minor repair
to save $100-400, but some do. And sometimes getting an oven
that fits a certain space can be tricky, repairing is then
much quicker.

I haven't paid more than $30 for a microwave oven in the past
20 years. And typically between $15-20 at the Good Will.

The two failures I've had were the processor based control from
The first one just quit working. In retrospect it might have
just been something loose from moving to Texas. The other was
a "twist the knob" timer. The knob fell apart. I found a new,
not matching, knob and found out why the old one broke. The
mechanical timer seized up.

One of the microwaves I bought, I paid $10 for and rewound the
transformer to turn it into a spot welder.

But, hey, if you want to spend $100-400 on a microwave oven, be
my guest.

Combi cookers are in that price range, and hard to find used.


NT

A cheap microwave for under $30 used.
And a new toaster oven for under $30.

Any questions?



--
"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com