Microwave oven

Funny, that. Phil has offered advice to all-comers over the years with questions about how to fix mains-powered appliances which of course CAN also kill if you don't know what you're doing. So there you have it: more proof he doesn't even follow his *own* advice! :-D

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Cursitor Doom
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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."

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Reply to
John-Del

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....... :-/

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Reply to
Cursitor Doom

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

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

The best advice you can give about working on micro wave ovens is: The voltages, and the components that use/store them are lethal. In the words of Sgt. Phil from Hill Street Blues, "Let's be careful out there."

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"I am a river to my people." 
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Fox's Mercantile

ople are unaware of just how dangerous a microwave is compared to any other plug in appliance around the home.

electrocuted each year trying to repair their microwave ovens."

Some opinions here:

Tabby would try the patience of Job, and is no more right, nor wrong than P hil on a general basis. Which is damned with faint praise, if ever there we re.

Phil, were he to behave "at home" as he does "away" on this group would be, rapidly, rendered incapacitated, probably on a permanent basis. There is s ome significant pathology going on there, rendering Phil a figure to be pit ied.

I am as good with invective and vituperation as the next guy, here, and sel dom find the need to use vulgarity. But, Phil is one sort of special case, being as that is all he has. And Tabby is another sort of special case, as he *must* find the exceptional case for everything. Which, at the very lea st, gets tiresome.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

Reply to
peterwieck33

people are unaware of just how dangerous a microwave is compared to any oth er plug in appliance around the home.

re electrocuted each year trying to repair their microwave ovens."

In fairness, pretty much all guns are handled at some point, and a LOT of p eople drive drunk daily. And like mains voltages, pretty much everyone kno ws guns and drunk driving are and is dangerous. Really, how many people ta ke apart their microwaves? Gotta be a tiny percentage I would think.

Cripes Jeff, I make one Jack Ass video and you won't let me live that down. No more shares for you.

Reply to
John-Del

The only guilty part can be : mains transtormer, HV diode and HV capacitor. A magnetron never dies. A HV diode cannot be checked with standard tools. The best is to check the HV at the cap (take care to your hands). It must be some 10 kV or more. For heating, refer to your control board.

Reply to
Look165

What did you use to check the diode ? Many of the high voltage diodes are actually several in series in the same package. Most meters will not check them as there are several volts dropped across them. The meters will often show them as open in both directions evenif they are good.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

say what?

the filament can open.

m
Reply to
makolber

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!)

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j
Reply to
three_jeeps

Bwahahaha

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Reply to
Fox's Mercantile

Yep. The normal "diode check" found on most meters doesn't work. I usually get about 100Kohms in the forward direction and infinity in the reverse on my Simpson 260 meter (which uses a 15v battery for the high resistance scales):

Or, use a 9V battery

If the microwave oven doesn't kill you, perhaps the popcorn will? "Man shocked to death by exploding microwave" Please remember that you have only one life to give to your hobby or profession.

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Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
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Jeff Liebermann

There are two (safe) checks to test a magnetron: resistance between pins both ways round should be less than 1ohm and resistance between each pin and the 'tron case should be open-circuit.

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Cursitor Doom

I used a 9v battery and just checked for low-res one way and high-res the other. Totally dead in both directions.

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Reply to
Cursitor Doom

You cannot check a HV diode. The only way for a microwave is to chek the HV at the cap, and the filament some 10 A.

Reply to
Look165

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

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Reply to
Cursitor Doom

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

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

Reply to
Phil Allison

er

y*

in a string of email exchanges, I was reminded of this comprehensive 'Micr owave repair' document. Should be read and understood before one even unp lugs the device to be repaired.

significantly (x10+) the charge from public defibrillators (AEDs) the energ y is definitely high enough to put a human being horizontal - permanently!)

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

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

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

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

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

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

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