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Microwave oven catches on fire. Repairable?

G'day. I have a small problem with my Samsung microwave where it occasionally catches on fire. It last occurred when I was heating 2T of margarine in a cup. I heard a bang, then saw the fire coming from behind a cover which is presumably where the magnetron tube is. But I have used the oven since, and it is still working fine. This same sudden fire problem occurred many months before, where again, the oven worked fine afterward. I have melted margarine like this many times since and used the oven many times during those months, so I don't know why all of a sudden it decides to go pyro on me.

That's the basis of my query: Can anyone tell me what might be causing this, what to check and how to fix it so it doesn't happen again? I do not want to risk fire when I am not around to monitor what's going on with the oven, but at the same time, I do not want to replace it. I have looked at getting another oven, but there's nothing that I like as much as my Samsung. It has the size, the looks and the advanced controls (ie. one touch, defrosting, etc) that I like.

This is a pic of what the damage looks like on the interior:

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And one of the exterior:

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Reply to
w_j_wolfe2o03
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general concensus is that a piece of food got stuck in the gap between the cover and the internal shell.

remove the small cover, sand the area with fine wet and dry (1200 grit or higher) til smooth and coat the area with a paint designed to adhere to metal surfaces.

Reply to
matt2 - amstereo

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sand them smooth and then paint over them with microwave touch up paint. If your microwave has any burn holes in the cavity, call an appliance repair technician and refrain from using the unit. If the wave guide has burn spots on it, replace it along with conducting a thorough cleaning. If you think any food has slipped through the perimeter of the wave guide cover and into either the roof or the walls of the oven cabinet, then remove the waveguide cover and throughly clean the area in behind it as well.

Reply to
matt2 - amstereo

** That is an abuse of the oven.

You must put a minimum quantity of food or liquid in a microwave oven - like a cup full or similar.

Having very little or nothing results in excessive microwave voltage build up at the mouth of the feed horn into the oven - causing the arcing you see. Yep, that arc is 2.45 GHz RF energy.

Certain Samsung models were particularly prone to such arcing and it can cause damage and the internal AC fuse to blow.

Clean it up, retouch the paint and fit a new mica window if you like.

Melt you 2T of marg in a cup by placing it in a saucepan of hot water next time.

....... Phil

Reply to
Phil Allison

Or leave a small bowl/cup of water in there, especially if you often heat up really small amounts of food like this. Also handy in case the unit gets accidentally turned on with nothing in there.

Reply to
kreed

Hey Phil, have you got a recipe for muffins??

Reply to
Two Bob

I have a recipe for disaster?

Reply to
princo coasters

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