On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 14:18:49 -0000, colin wrote:

"Peter Hucker" wrote in message
newsp.tme3s0ec4buhsv@fx62..
Is it really true that turning on a microwave with nothing in it will
break it?

Even more worrying - will it catch fire or explode?

Don't they have a safety cutout? Can't it sense the Klystron overheating,
or a build up of microwaves over a certain level?

I have purchased a new microwave which has an easier to grab control. I'm
concerned one of my pet parrots will switch it on! (Seriously, they do
stuff like that)

When I designed some of the early mcu controllers for them eons ago
we used to give them a heck of a lot of abuse such
as running them empty to try and get the mcu to crash,
(wich with a piggy back eprom mcu was all too easy)
ofc always a microwave leakage meter nearby,
the most spectacular thing was to melt the glass tray,
the turntable mechanism was the first thing to melt usually.

If theres food inside it will eventually catch fire and the flames will come
out of the back,
this was a serious liability worry at the time I assume theyve added some
safty things since I worked on them.

Some have water vapour detectors wich sense the peak and stop cooking, I
assume they will stop if nothing is detected.

This is a £27 Tesco Value microwave - probably only has legal safety requirements.

I've already turned it on momentarily with nothing in it, as I'm used to an electronic one. If my food has gone cold due to a phonecall etc, I tend to shove it in and just turn the timer round to get it to go, then open the door after 20 seconds. The electronic ones cancelled the timer when you opened the door, but this one turns back on when you shut the door.

--
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